With the nonstop advancement of technology comes its users’ high expectations of searching for products and/or services more efficiently. A solid SEO strategy will bring a website to the top of the search results, just as every business wanted. Investing in SEO services is one of the most profitable moves businesses can do. Ranking at the top of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) will make attracting new business clients easier.
Generally, there are two effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies. They are off-page and on-page search engine optimization in 2022, but today, we’ll be looking into on-page SEO more.
On-page SEO is all about ensuring that website content crawl and index are understood by search engines. SEO techniques and factors that focus on optimizing the controllable aspects of a website comprise on-page SEO. Essentially, on-page search engine optimization is building an appealing website for users and search engines.
Overview of the Search Engines Basics
Search engines send crawlers to explore the internet. These crawlers follow links from one website to another, building a map of the content called a search index. In the process of exploring websites, the crawlers also evaluate their content to determine the kind of information it contains.
Search engines’ algorithms use the data gathered from website explorations to determine how well the website content answers search queries. The better the website content answers a search query, the higher it ranks on the search engine results page.
In the nonstop quest of search engines to provide their users with better results, they frequently update their algorithms. This inevitably leads to changes in rankings, the reason why optimizing websites is a must to improve or ensure SEO rankings.
Website Traffic and On-Page Search Engine Optimization
On-page SEO involves adding or improving website content, HTML tags, and internal links to increase website traffic and search visibility. As search engines understand websites better, it will bring about an increase in the website’s traffic.
The websites on the first page of the SERP get the biggest percentage of clicks. Highly ranked websites have better click-through rates (CTR). That said, websites should aim for the top to boost their website traffic.
Some practical ways to improve a website’s organic CTR are:
- Using question-based title tags
- Filling in missing meta descriptions in website pages
- Using review or FAQ schema
- Adding the current year to titles and descriptions
On-page search engine optimization is an important factor in the organic ranking of websites. This is the reason why businesses should not miss to enlist SEO services.
On-Page Search Engine Optimization Factors
On-page search engine optimization encompasses techniques that improve website users’ experience. Search engines such as Google want to recommend the best website for their searchers. That is why website details that make users’ experience delightful also play a vital role in on-page SEO.
HTML tags? Keywords? Mobile-friendliness? Page titles? When thinking about these basic parts of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), they refer to on-page SEO. But there’s more to them. On-page SEO involves telling what a page is about and how easy it is to use. Factors that can impact a website content’s on-page search engine optimization include:
-
Content Quality
Search engines have different ways of evaluating content quality. Is the website content relevant to the user’s query and easy to read? If it’s a yes, then a website will be in a good place in the search results.
-
Keywords
The easiest way to determine if a website content answers a search query is through the keywords used. Website pages that feature the keywords in a search query will more likely be tagged as relevant to the search. Whether the keywords are found in the body, headings, or both, it’ll help rank the website high in the SERP.
This highlights the importance of businesses and any website owner knowing their target audience or clients. Knowing what users search for and creating content that includes the terms they use in their search query open traffic opportunities.
-
Visual Assets
Images, videos, and infographics do more than make a website page visually interesting. They also give opportunities to boost search engine optimization.
A valuable percentage of search engine users use visual search when online shopping. This just means that when a website skips on incorporating any visual asset, it’s missing out on website traffic.
Use original images. Using stock images might be hurting the website’s search engine optimization. Thousands of other websites use stock photos. Consider creating custom images. Websites with unique images outranked websites that used stock photos.
-
HTML Headers
HyperText Markup Language or HTML is the code used to structure website pages and their content. HTML headers are another form of HTML tags that specify the headings and subheadings within a website page content. For on-page SEO, they help search engines better understand a website page content and its relevance to a search query.
-
Title Tags
Title tags are also called page titles. They are also HTML tags that describe the title of the page and what the page content is all about. It tells both website visitors and search engines what they can find on every website page.
Search engines decide whether a website page has relevant content about a user query through the keywords in title tags. Aside from incorporating the primary keyword in the title, ideally near the beginning of the title.
- Keep the title around fifty-five (55) to sixty (60) characters so it doesn’t get cut off in search results.
- Avoid using upper cases for the letters of the title.
- Give each website page a unique title so search engines won’t tag them as duplicate pages.
- Create clear, compelling titles that search engine users would want to click on.
- Use modifiers like best, checklist, fast, guide, top, and review. This helps the website rank for long tail versions of the target keyword.
-
Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are HTML tags that help define what a website page is about. They are a summary of the website page that appears under the title on search results. Meta descriptions’ main function in search engine optimization is to encourage search engine users to click the websites on the SERP.
Craft an optimized meta description with these guidelines:- Include the primary keyword in the meta description. Searc h engines boldface terms that match a searcher’s query.
- Keep the meta description to one hundred and fifty-five (155) characters.
- Accurately describe the website page in the meta description.
Do these practices for website pages’ meta descriptions, and see the website stand out in search results. This can help boost the website’s organic CTR.
-
Image Alt Text
Images also need optimization for SEO. Giving them descriptive file names with words separated by hyphens is a good start. Consider optimizing the file size as well. This will ensure that images will load quickly while maintaining their quality. Big file sizes negatively impact the website page load time. This will hurt the website’s ability to rank high in search engines. Finally, add text to image alt tags, with the appropriate keyword included in the text occasionally.
Image alt text is an attribute of images’ HTML tags that contain the text descriptions of images. Alt texts help search engines understand images. Assistive devices also use alt text as a backup when images fail to load on a page. Search engines inspect the alt text to know an image’s relevance to a search query.
-
Page Speed
This is also known as the loading time. An outdated, slow-loading website only frustrates and drives away website visitors. This hurts a website’s search ranking, too.
Search engines tend to rank websites with faster pages than slower ones. Optimizing website pages’ speed can help get the pages into a search engine search index.
-
Internal Linking
Linking the website content to other pages within the same website provides website visitors with more related content about their search. It’s great for their user experience as they discover more of the website content, like additional blogs, for example.
Use short, descriptive, and keyword-focused anchor text for the internal links. The anchor texts used for internal links tell search engines what is expected from the destination page. Furthermore, it helps search engines understand the relationship between the website pages of a specific site.
-
Mobile-friendliness
More search engine users are now on their mobile devices. This led search engines to follow the logical path and prioritize websites with responsive designs for mobile phones.
Mobile-friendliness is a measure of how well a website performs when used with a mobile device. Mobile-friendly websites can shrink to fit a mobile screen while still allowing users to navigate the pages without trouble. Mobile-friendly websites prioritize the mobile user experience through fast page speeds, responsive design, and simple and easy navigation.
-
URL Structure
Keywords included in website addresses are one of the websites’ ranking factors. URLs also help search engines to understand better what a page is about.
These are just some ways to structure website pages’ URLs:
- Include a keyword in every URL, ideally the primary keyword.
- Convey the website page intent through descriptive words.
- Skip the numbers and special characters. Use words instead.
- Keep it short.
- Use hyphens between words.
-
Navigation
For on-page SEO, navigation ensures all users can access and consume a website page content.
Search engines care a lot about the website pages they recommend to their users. They want them to be accessible to everyone regardless of disability and browser.
Develop website pages with these elements in mind, and secure the website’s better organic search engine ranking!
Headers Improving On-Page SEO
Readable texts are easier for search engines and their users to digest. Hard-to-read texts lead to a high bounce rate, reducing conversions, revenue, and ROI. Readability is ultimately good for search engine optimization.
Headers make it easier for visitors to read the website content. When website visitors encounter a wall of text on a website page, they’re less likely to want to read it. They’ll often leave that website and find another one with easy-to-read content.
Multiple headers can help visitors quickly grasp the website page content. This, in turn, improves the overall user experience.
Subheadings help search engines understand a website page content. Headers help search engines, and their users understand the website content by breaking it down into manageable sections. Subheadings also help search engines understand the website page content.
Headers are also known as body tags. They help organize website content for readers. They also help search engines identify what part of the content is most important and relevant to the search intent.
Content Matching Users’ Search Intent
Search engines want to solve their users’ queries. High-quality content that’ll satisfy their search intent is the answer. Unique, valuable content can get a website to the first page of the search engine results page. Staying on the first page of the SERP requires satisfying the search intent. In other words, a website page has to be exactly what a search engine user wants. Otherwise, the website page will likely get buried on the third page of the SERP.
Consider how the website page content falls into a website buyer’s journey and visitor’s search intent. Search intent is the reason for the search. It will impact the use of keywords and the type of website page content that should be present. Search engine users may search with the following intentions:
- Informational – Search engine users are looking for information about something.
Search queries that include words like how, methods, or ways indicate informational search intent. - Navigational – Search engine users want to visit a specific website or website page.
- Commercial – Search engine users want to compare a product or service before making a purchase.
Search queries that include words like best and top reveal commercial search intent. - Transactional – Search engine users actively want to buy something.
The website page content is the heart of the on-page search engine optimization process. It is a website owner’s opportunity to communicate value to search engines and their users. Conduct keyword research. Search in different search engines for terms and see what surfaces for competitors and other websites.
All other on-page SEO elements stem from high-quality website page content. Investing ample resources to develop and optimize it is worth it.
SEO Copywriting Supercharging On-Page SEO
Great website content keeps visitors engaged. Investing in skills needed for good content creation would be a valuable asset. SEO copywriting is one of them. SEO copywriting promotes the on-page SEO efforts made on a website.
We’ve also prepared the best practices for SEO copywriting for your perusal. They aren’t just good for search engines. These practices also help enhance a brand’s digital marketing to its target clients.
A few SEO copywriting techniques include:
- Writing concise, compelling introductions
- Avoiding long sentences and paragraphs
- Breaking up sections that are longer than 300 words with subheadings
- Creatively and strategically incorporating the target SEO keywords
- Aligning content with users’ search intent
Keywords and On-Page Search Engine Optimization
Think about how most people surf the internet. They click a search result, quickly scan a website page, and leave when they think the page content is irrelevant. Creating a stunning lead that includes the target keyword keeps website visitors from quickly bouncing.
What’s the most ideal thing to do? Use the target keyword within the first one hundred (100) words. Search engines put more weight on terms that show up early on a website page. Dropping the target keyword somewhere in the beginning signals search engines that it’s the primary topic of the website page. This helps search engines understand what the website page is all about easily. It also tells website visitors that they are in the right place. Incorporating the primary keyword in at least one subheading also helps.
In addition to the primary keyword, include other relevant keywords, synonyms, or long-tail keywords that’ll help the website page rank. They’ll help build the context of the website page topic. Again, use keywords creatively and strategically throughout the content. Aim for an optimal keyword density that is aligned with the top-ranking content for the searched term.
Keyword density or frequency is how many times keywords appear in the content. The keyword density should remain natural, so the content reads well. Be careful not to stuff the website content with keywords too much. Search engines may recognize it as unnatural. This also gives website owners a difficult time getting their website content to rank on the search engine results page. Just mention the keywords enough that it’ll make search engines confident about the website page topic. A few times will do. There’s no need to go overboard.
Content Optimization for User Engagement
Website owners would want their visitors to have a long dwell time on their websites. This call for the content to keep website visitors engaged. This demonstrates to search engines that users appreciate the website content. In addition, enriched user engagement lays the foundation of a relationship with the website visitor, who’ll hopefully become a lead.
Optimized website content that boosts user engagement:
- Uses clear headlines for improved readability.
- Has bullets or lists to ensure that it is easy to scan.
- Incorporates images and videos.
- Has relevant Call-to-Action (CTA) that encourages readers to click and access related content.
- Is partnered with a clean website layout that isn’t distracting with the content.
- Has secured page speed.
The On-Page SEO Management Checklist
Search engine optimization is a continuous improvement. Let on-page search engine optimization guide your SEO strategy. Consider these website changes:
- Crawl the website.
- Conduct an SEO audit and define the website architecture.
- Update meta descriptions, page titles, and URLs.
- Keywords should be in the website URLs.
- Include the keywords throughout the website page.
- Track keywords and topics for each website page.
- Don’t stuff keywords.
- Establish value propositions for each website page.
- Define the website’s target audience.
- Plan new page titles.
- Add new meta descriptions.
- Review and edit website page content as needed.
- Incorporate visual content.
- Optimize the website’s visual content.
- Add internal links.
- Include external links.
- Optimize for conversions.
Timeless Effectiveness of On-Page SEO
Merely creating and publishing a website isn’t enough. Optimizing websites is a must for search engines to rank them and attract new traffic.
The algorithms of search engines rank websites on three main factors: on-page/on-site SEO, off-page/offsite SEO, and technical SEO.
Off-page SEO refers to external linking and social sharing. Technical SEO refers to all the SEO elements not included in on-page and off-page practices. It focuses more on the technical parts of SEO.
On-page SEO is called ‘on-page’ because the website visitors can see the changes made in optimizing the website. In comparison, off-page and technical SEO elements aren’t always visible. It has the power to bring countless new visitors— and customers— right to a website. On-page SEO tells search engines all about a website and how website owners provide value to their website visitors. It helps optimize websites both for search engines and their users.
On-Page Search Engine Optimization: An Ongoing Process
The goal of on-page SEO is to provide a richer website user experience while proving the website’s value to search engines. Fortunately, these two go hand-in-hand, and on-page search engine optimization is the way to go.
Why on-page SEO? Website owners need to start with what they can control. They should evaluate their websites’ weaknesses and opportunities for growth. Once on-page search engine optimization is established, website owners can expect to start seeing fruitful results.
Start Optimizing!
Improve your website’s search visibility and traffic by learning more about on-page SEO and other SEO tips from our experts! Our lines are open at +1 (866) 777-8315.
Unsure how to get started with on-page SEO for your website? Our SEO experts are more than willing to assist you. Browse our website more to know our on-page search engine optimization and other SEO services here at Proweaver. Then, let us know if you’re ready to request a service quotation. Call us at these phone numbers:
+1 (877) 300-6564,
+1 (877) 216-0852
ALERT: