Search engines like Google want to show the best results for any given search, which means they favour well-organised, relevant, and user-friendly sites. All of which on-page SEO plays a key role in.
Simply put, on-page is everything you do within your website to make it more visible and appealing to search engines and users alike. Think of it as setting up your website so search engines like Google understand what each page is about, helping it show up when someone searches for relevant topics.
It covers several elements, from using keywords that match what people are searching for, to structuring your content so it’s easy to read and navigate. On-page SEO involves optimising your title tags, headers, and URLs, making sure your images load quickly and have descriptive text, and creating high-quality content that answers users’ questions or meets their needs.
Basically, on-page SEO is all about creating a website that both search engines and people find valuable and engaging.
1. Use Keywords In Titles
The title of your site is one of the first things users see in search results, so using relevant keywords makes it clear what your page covers. The idea is to convey information to users and search engines that matches the user’s search intent.
If you plan to release a blog about the best camping backpacks, an attractive title like “Top 10 Camping Backpacks for Your Next Outdoor Adventure” is relevant and keyword-rich. Users and search engines will clearly understand what your blog offers without clicking on it.
Avoid clickbaity titles like “10 Camping Backpacks That Survivalists Are Obsessed With!” While you may see high click-through rates initially, disappointed readers will quickly click away if the content doesn’t meet expectations. This can lead to a high bounce rate, which lowers your SEO ranking.
2. Write Short And Descriptive Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are the short summaries that appear under the title in search results. They don’t directly impact rankings, but a catchy and descriptive meta can improve click-through rates. Most meta descriptions usually stick to around 155-160 characters and often highlight the main points.
For instance, a meta description like “Discover the top gardening tips to grow your own paradise in 2024!” provides a clear preview, helping users decide if the content meets their needs.
3. Keep URLs Simple And Clear
URLs should be easy to read and relevant to the page content. Here are two examples.
“yourwebsite.com/healthy-breakfast-recipes”
“yourwebsite.com/page-0dk9.”
The first one tells you exactly what to expect: recipes for a healthy breakfast. It’s clear, easy to read, and relevant to the page content.
In contrast, the second example doesn’t give any clues about the page’s content. Users and search engines are left guessing, which can reduce click-through rates and affect how well the page ranks.
4. Break Up Content With Headers (H1, H2, H3)
Breaking content into sections using headers improves readability and helps search engines identify the main topics on your page.
Use an H1 for your main title, like “The Complete Guide to Planning a Road Trip in Peru.” Then, apply H2s for section headings such as “Must-See Stops Along the Pan-American Highway” or “Preparing for High-Altitude Drives.”
Under these H2s, you could add H3s for even more specific topics, like:
- “Top Destinations in the Sacred Valley”
- “Packing Essentials for Peru’s Diverse Climates”
- “Roadside Food to Try in Peru”
- “Navigating Peru’s Mountain Roads Safely”
This kind of structure keeps the content organised and easy for readers to scan while helping search engines highlight key sections of your page.
5. Use Alt Text And Compression For Images
Alt text is a short description you add to images on your website. It helps search engines understand the context of the photos and assist screen readers.
For example, if you have a picture of a beach at sunset, the alt text could be “sunset over a sandy beach with palm trees”, which tells search engines what the image is about and helps visually impaired users understand the content through screen readers.
Compressing images and making them smaller in file size helps your website load faster. Say you have a large, high-resolution image file that’s 5MB. Compressing it allows you to reduce the file size to around 500KB without noticeable resolution loss. This makes your page load faster, which is helpful for user experience and SEO.
6. Write Engaging, Easy-to-Read Content
Good content keeps people interested and on your page longer, which shows search engines that your page is helpful. To make content easy to read, write in a friendly, conversational tone, keep paragraphs short, and skip any confusing words or jargon.
Aim to answer questions, solve problems, or offer helpful tips that readers can use right away. When people stay on your page because they find it useful, search engines take notice, which can help boost your page’s ranking.
7. Always Use Internal Links
Internal links are like helpful signposts that guide readers to other pages on your website. For example, if you’re a Japan-focused travel agency, an article about “10 Must Visit Places in Japan” could be linked to another page on your site, “15 Hokkaido Nightlife Spots.”
These links not only help readers find more useful information but also keep them on your site longer. Search engines use these links to understand how your pages are connected and what they’re about.
8. Focus On Fast Page Load Speed
A fast-loading site improves visitors’ experience and helps boost your search engine ranking. To speed up your site, try compressing large images, cleaning up unnecessary code, and minimising plugins that might slow things down.
You can check your site’s speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, which can show you areas for improvement. A few simple adjustments can make your site quicker and keep visitors engaged.
9. Make Sure Your Site Works On Mobile
It’s important that your site looks good and functions well on phones. Since most people now browse on mobile, a clean layout, minimal buttons, and smaller font sizes make it easier on smaller screens.
Free tools like Google’s Lighthouse works well in testing mobile optimisation.
Fixing these issues gives visitors a better experience and can help your site show up higher in search results, as search engines prioritise mobile-friendly sites.
10. Check User Behavior and Make Changes
SEO Tools like Semrush can help you see how people interact with your site. You can check which pages they spend the most time on, which ones they leave quickly, and how they move around your site. For example, if people leave a page right after landing on it, the content might not be helpful, or it might not meet their expectations.
You can fix this by making the content more valuable, simplifying the layout, or adding CTA buttons to encourage interaction. Little steps lead to great climbs, and small changes like these can make your site easier to use and keep visitors around longer.
Plus, search engines notice when people stick around, which helps your site show up higher in search results.
11. Don’t Ignore Voice Search
Voice search is becoming more popular, with people asking questions like “Where is the nearest bakery?” instead of just typing “bakery near me.”
Use phrases and questions that sound like regular conversation to make your content work for voice search. Include common questions and answers people might ask, as this helps your content appear when they use voice-activated devices. This simple adjustment can make your site more relevant for voice search and bring in more visitors.
12. Update Content Regularly
Search engines prefer fresh content, so revisiting older posts and keeping them up-to-date is a good idea. Add new information, update keywords, or include recent stats to make the content relevant again. Over time, things change and some details might no longer be accurate.
For example, if you wrote about “Top 10 Apps To Boost Your Productivity in 2020,” you could revisit it to focus on 2024. Maybe some apps are no longer relevant or in operation.
Regular updates show that your site stays up-to-date, which search engines appreciate.
13. Check Cross-Browser Compatibility
Your website might look great on Google, but that doesn’t mean it works the same on others like Safari, Firefox, or Edge. People use all kinds of browsers, and if your site doesn’t load properly or features don’t work, you could lose visitors.
For example, let’s say someone visits your site on Firefox, but the images don’t show up, or the navigation menu is broken. They’re likely to leave right away. To avoid this, test your site on different browsers to make sure everything looks and functions the way it should. Check the layout, fonts, buttons, and even how videos or animations play.
On-Page SEO Tools
Several tools are available to make these on-page SEO strategies easier. Here are some top picks to help you track and optimise your site’s on-page SEO:
Google Search Console
This free and user-friendly tool provides direct insights from Google about your site’s performance in search results. It’s excellent for tracking relevant keywords, monitoring click-through rates, and identifying issues with indexing or mobile usability.
One great feature is its alert system, which points out errors that prevent your pages from appearing in search results. This tool is a must-have if you are starting your on-page SEO journey.
Ahrefs
Arguably, it is the most popular marketing tool in the market. Ahrefs is a powerhouse SEO tool that offers a full suite of resources for keyword research, backlink analysis, and content exploration.
Known for its vast backlink index, Ahrefs provides detailed information on your own and competitors’ backlinks, giving you a better understanding of building authority. Its “Site Explorer” tool is handy for viewing organic search traffic and ranking keywords, while the “Content Explorer” helps identify popular content ideas.
Semrush
Semrush is a popular all-in-one SEO tool that shines with its on-page SEO checker, keyword tracking, and competitive research features. In addition to keyword suggestions, Semrush offers insights on competitor rankings, showing you which keywords competitors are ranking for and highlighting opportunities.
The “SEO Content Template” feature provides suggestions for creating optimised content tailored to specific keywords, while its backlink analysis tools let you see where competitors are getting their links. Semrush is ideal for those looking to boost their on-page SEO while keeping an eye on the competition.
Yoast SEO (for WordPress)
Yoast SEO is a user-friendly WordPress plugin that makes SEO accessible, especially for beginners. Yoast is integrated directly into the WordPress editor and offers real-time optimisation tips for improving your content’s readability, keyword usage, title tags, and meta descriptions.
It also provides a colour-coded SEO score for each post, guiding you on steps to enhance SEO performance. Yoast’s simplicity and in-line recommendations make it an essential tool for content creators and bloggers who want to optimise as they write.
Moz On-Page Grader
Moz’s On-Page Grader provides an instant overview of how well your page is optimised for a specific keyword, making it perfect for targeted optimisations. Analysing elements like keyword usage, title tags, and meta descriptions offers a score and specific suggestions for improvement. Moz’s tool is beneficial for focusing on one page at a time, offering quick adjustments to improve search visibility and ranking for specific terms.
Surfer SEO
Surfer SEO specialises in optimising content to meet the standards of top-ranking pages for your target keywords. Surfer SEO provides actionable recommendations by comparing your content’s length, keyword density, structure, and headings with high-ranking competitors.
The tool is especially useful for crafting content that aligns with search intent. It helps you structure and optimise your page to compete with the top results in real-time. Its unique, data-driven approach makes it an excellent choice for content creators aiming for high rankings.
Conclusion On Why On-page SEO Is Important
On-page SEO isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about creating a website that works well for search engines and the people visiting your pages. From crafting clear titles and adding helpful internal links to optimising images and keeping your site fast, these small steps make a big difference. They help your site rank better, attract the right audience, and engage visitors.
Whether you’re running a blog, a business site, or an online store, investing in on-page SEO is an innovative and manageable way to grow your presence and keep your content relevant. It’s not just about showing up in searches—it’s about making sure you stay there for all the right reasons.
Best SEO understands that being at the forefront of search engine pages can be the difference between generating leads and getting sales or being overlooked. Dominate your competition with unbeatable SEO services to be on the first page of Google.
Frequently Asked Questions On Why On-page SEO Is Important
Should I Use Keywords In Every Section Of My Page?
Use keywords naturally in important areas like titles, headers, and the first 100 words, but avoid overstuffing them.
Is On-Page SEO A One-Time Task?
No. It’s an ongoing process. Regular updates make your site relevant and aligned with current search engine algorithms.
What Content-Length Works Best For On-Page SEO?
It depends on the topic. But longer, in-depth content with 1,500 words often performs better for competitive keywords.
Should Small Websites Focus On On-Page SEO?
Yes. It’s an affordable way to compete with larger sites by targeting specific keywords and improving user experience.
When Should I Update My Keywords?
Update your keywords whenever search trends change, such as when new products, services, or topics emerge in your industry. Keep your eyes peeled for anything trendy.
Should My Content Always Include Questions?
Yes. Including questions in your content can help target search intent and make your page more engaging.
