On-Page SEO: A Comprehensive Guide

On-page SEO is optimizing various elements of blog posts and website pages to improve their search rankings. This process includes content optimization, title tags, meta descriptions, headings and subheadings, URL and image optimization, and more.

It’s about understanding how the search engines work and aligning all these elements to match a user’s search intent. Let us discuss in detail the various elements of On-Page SEO and how to optimize them for users and search engines.

Importance Of On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is important for improvement in Search Rankings. A few changes to the SEO elements can make a big difference in a page/post’s ranking on a search engine.

Google recommends avoiding creating content for search engines first and focusing on creating “people-first content”. This means creating content where visitors feel they’ve had a satisfying experience, while content that doesn’t meet a visitor’s expectations won’t perform as well.

According to Google:

“Our advice about having a people-first approach does not invalidate following SEO best practices, such as those covered in Google’s own SEO guide. SEO is a helpful activity when it’s applied to people-first content. However, content created primarily for search engine traffic is strongly correlated with content that searchers find unsatisfying.”

A good understanding of On-Page SEO helps us to create content aligned with a searcher’s query while following SEO best practices. On-page SEO is a continuous process of reviewing and optimizing our content to make sure it’s relevant and helpful.

Optimizing On-Page SEO Elements

The following are the SEO elements that need to be optimized:

  1. Content Optimization
  2. Headings and subheadings
  3. URL Optimization
  4. Title tags
  5. Meta Descriptions
  6. Image SEO
  7. Internal and external linking
  8. Featured snippets
  9. Rich results and Schema Markup
  10. Optimize PageSpeed to improve user experience

Content Optimization

Optimizing content is a key element of On-page SEO. Google recommends focusing on creating “people-first content”. Content where visitors feel they’ve had a satisfying experience will be rewarded, while content that doesn’t meet a visitor’s expectations won’t perform as well.

Google’s advice is to create content for people, not for search engines. People-first content creators must focus first on creating satisfying content, while also utilizing SEO best practices to bring searchers additional value.

Google says “Answering yes to the questions below means you’re probably on the right track with a people-first approach:

  • Do you have an existing or intended audience for your business or site that would find the content useful if they came directly to you?
  • Does your content clearly demonstrate first-hand expertise and a depth of knowledge (for example, expertise that comes from having actually used a product or service, or visiting a place)?
  • Does your site have a primary purpose or focus?
  • After reading your content, will someone leave feeling they’ve learned enough about a topic to help achieve their goal?
  • Will someone reading your content leave feeling like they’ve had a satisfying experience?
  • Are you keeping in mind our guidance for core updates and for product reviews?”

Google has mentioned a few core practices that can have the most impact on your web content’s ranking and appearance on Google Search:

  • Create helpful, reliable, people-first content.
  • Use words that people would use to look for your content, and place those words in prominent locations on the page, such as the title and main heading of a page, and other descriptive locations such as alt text and link text.
  • Make your links crawlable so that Google can find other pages on your site via the links on your page.
  • Tell people about your site. Be active in communities where you can tell like-minded people about the services and products that you mention on your site.
  • If you have other content, such as images, videos, structured data, and JavaScript, make sure you’re following those specific best practices so that we can understand those parts of your page too.
  • Enhance how your site appears on Google Search by enabling features that make sense for your site.
  • If you have content that shouldn’t be found in search results or you want to opt-out entirely, use the appropriate method for controlling how your content appears in Google Search.

Let us discuss the key pillars of Content Optimization:

1. E-E-A-T

Google mentions the concept of E-E-A-T which is used in how they evaluate if their search ranking systems are providing helpful, relevant information. E-E-A-T stands for:

Expertise-Experience-Authoritativeness-Trustworthiness

Google has mentioned in their search rater guidelines that the most
important member at the centre of the E-E-A-T family is Trustworthiness. They define these terms as:

Trust: Consider the extent to which the page is accurate, honest, safe, and reliable.

Expertise: Consider the extent to which the content creator has the necessary knowledge or skill for the topic.

Experience: Consider the extent to which the content creator has the necessary first-hand or life experience for the topic.

Authoritativeness: Consider the extent to which the content creator or the website is known as a go-to source for the topic.

E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor, but it significantly influences the quality of search results. This concept can be useful to creators seeking to understand how to self-assess their own content to be successful in Google Search.

How to Improve Your Website’s E-E-A-T:

  • Establish Author Biographies: Include detailed author bios on your website, highlighting their credentials and experience.
  • Showcase Expertise: Display relevant certifications, awards, and affiliations.
  • Build Trust with Contact Information: Make it easy for users to contact you through clear contact information and a contact form.
  • Gather User Reviews and Testimonials: Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews.
  • Maintain a Secure Website: Use HTTPS to encrypt your website and protect user data.

2. SEO Writing

SEO writing is the process of creating people-first content that is also optimized for search engines. SEO writing is a crucial component of successful On-page SEO and content optimization. By focusing on creating high-quality, keyword-rich, and user-friendly content, you can significantly improve your website’s visibility and search engine ranking.

Keyword research and placement is a vital part of this process.

Keyword research:

  • Identify Relevant Keywords: Conduct thorough keyword research to discover the terms and phrases your target audience uses to search for information related to your business or industry.
  • You can start by brainstorming a list of relevant keywords related to your business, products, and services. Create a mind map for relevant keywords using sources such as Google Suggest, Wikipedia, and Reddit. Include target keywords that your buyer persona might be searching for.
  • Analyze your competitors’ websites to identify the keywords they are targeting. 
  • Keyword Difficulty: Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner to assess keyword difficulty and prioritize those with a good balance of search volume and competitiveness. Don’t just focus on broad terms. Explore long-tail keywords (more specific and longer phrases) for better targeting and lower competition.

Keyword Placement:

Place your target keywords strategically throughout your content, including:

  • Page Titles: Include your primary keyword in the title tag.
  • Headings and Subheadings (H1, H2, H3, etc.): Use headings to structure your content and naturally incorporate keywords.
  • Image Alt Text: Use descriptive alt text for images that include relevant keywords.
  • URL Structure: Include keywords in your URL structure (keep it concise and readable).
  • First paragraph

Avoid keyword stuffing and incorporate relevant keywords naturally. 

3. Google’s Freshness Systems

Google uses automated ranking systems that look at many factors and signals about hundreds of billions of web pages and other content in their Search index to present the most relevant, useful results, all in a fraction of a second. “Freshness systems” is one of their more notable ranking systems.

Google says “We have various “query deserves freshness” systems designed to show fresher content for queries where it would be expected. For example, if someone is searching for a movie that’s just been released, they probably want recent reviews rather than older articles from when production began. For another example, ordinarily a search for “earthquake” might bring back material about preparation and resources. However, if an earthquake happened recently, then news articles and fresher content might appear.”

This highlights the need to keep content up-to-date and fresh. Continuously baking value into content to keep it relevant is key. Search engine algorithms are constantly evolving and it’s crucial to stay updated and adjust your strategies accordingly. 

Headings And Subheadings

Headings and subheadings provide a hierarchical structure to your content, making it easier for users and search engines to understand the flow and organization of your information. This improves readability and provides context to the search engines about your content.

Best practices for using headings and subheadings:

  • Use H1 Tag for the Main Title or Headline: Each page should have only one H1 tag.
  • Use H2 for major topics, H3 for sub-topics, and so on, creating a clear hierarchy within your content.
  • Incorporate Keywords: Naturally incorporate relevant keywords into your headings and subheadings.
  • Use a Logical Structure: Create a clear and logical hierarchy of headings that guides readers through your content.
  • Keep Headings Concise and Descriptive: Use clear and concise language that accurately reflects the content of each section.
  • Avoid Keyword Stuffing: Avoid overusing keywords in headings, as they can appear unnatural and may even negatively impact your rankings.

URL Optimization

URL optimization is a key aspect of On-page SEO, contributing significantly to both user experience and search engine visibility. It’s recommended to use simple and descriptive URLs.

A good URL structure leads to better readability as well as better memorability: simple URLs are easier to remember and share, increasing the chances of users returning to your website.

Other benefits of URL optimization:

  • Enhanced Crawlability: Search engine crawlers can easily understand and index clean URLs, allowing them to efficiently crawl your website.
  • Improved Click-Through Rates: Descriptive URLs can entice users to click on your search results, increasing your click-through rates.
  • Keyword Relevance: URLs provide an opportunity to naturally incorporate relevant keywords, further improving your search engine rankings.

Key Principles of URL Optimization:

  • Keep it Concise: Use short, descriptive URLs that are easy to read and understand.
  • Use Keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords into your URLs, but avoid keyword stuffing.
  • Use Hyphens (-) for Separation: Use hyphens to separate words in your URLs for better readability and crawlability.
  • Avoid Special Characters: Avoid using special characters like underscores (_) or ampersands (&) in your URLs.
  • Use Lowercase Letters: Use lowercase letters for all characters in your URLs.
  • Maintain Consistency: Maintain a consistent URL structure throughout your website.

Title Tags

Your title tag is your website’s first and often most crucial impression. Appearing as the clickable headline in search engine results pages (SERPs), it plays a pivotal role in attracting user attention and driving organic traffic.

Best Practices for Writing Effective Title Tags:

  • Keep it Concise: Title tags should be concise and to the point, ideally between 50-60 characters.
  • Include Keywords: Naturally incorporate your primary keyword within the title tag.
  • Create Unique Titles: Avoid generic or repetitive titles.
  • Match Page Content: Ensure the title tag accurately reflects the content of the page.

Title tags are a crucial element of On-page SEO. By crafting compelling and relevant titles, you can significantly improve your website’s click-through rates, increase organic traffic, and enhance your online visibility.

Meta Descriptions

Meta description is the descriptive snippet that appears in search engine results usually below your page’s title and provides a brief summary of the page.

While Meta description is not considered a direct ranking factor by search engines like Google, it can be a great source for clicks and web traffic which can be interpreted positively by the algorithm.

Best Practices for Writing Effective Meta Descriptions:

  • Keep it Concise: Meta descriptions should be concise, typically around 150-160 characters. On mobile devices, Google typically cuts off meta descriptions after around 120 characters, meaning any text beyond that point won’t be visible in search results. 
  • Include Keywords: Naturally incorporate your primary keyword within the meta description.
  • Write in a Compelling Style: Use persuasive language and a strong call to action.
  • Match Page Content: Ensure the meta description accurately reflects the content of the page.
  • Make it Unique: Avoid generic or repetitive meta descriptions.

Image SEO

Optimizing your images helps you tap into a new source of traffic as these images can rank in Google Images. You can optimize Image SEO in the following ways:

  • File Names: Use descriptive file names that include relevant keywords.
  • Alt Text:
    Alt text is essential for accessibility as it provides a textual description of the image for screen readers. Naturally incorporate relevant keywords into your alt text. Describe the image accurately and concisely, keeping Alt-text under 125 characters.
  • Image Size and Format:
    Compressing images and using the right format is key. Reduce file size without sacrificing image quality, smaller file sizes lead to faster load times. Use Image formats like WebP which often provide better compression than PNG or JPEG, which means faster downloads and less data consumption.
  • Lazy Loading: Load images only when they are about to become visible in the user’s browser window.
  • Don’t include extra words like “Image of” or “Photo of.”
  • Capitalize the first word and include a final period. Avoid all caps. For repeated images, use consistent alt text.

Google advises to use empty alt text in the following situations:

  • The image is decorative (not informative), such as an image of a horizontal line that is meant to be a visual border at the end of a page.
  • Consider making a decorative image a CSS background image, since background images are always ignored by screen readers.
  • The image duplicates information that is already expressed in text on the page.

Internal And External Linking

Internal and external links serve as vital pathways for both users and search engines to navigate and understand your website.

An internal link is a type of hyperlink on a web page to another page or resource, on the same website or domain. Why are they important?

  • Improved User Experience: Internal links enhance user navigation, allowing visitors to easily explore and discover other relevant content on your site.
  • Search Engine Crawlability: They help search engine crawlers discover and index all the pages on your website, which makes it easier for search engines to understand your site’s structure.
  • Link Juice Distribution: Internal links distribute “link equity” (Link equity, also known as link juice, is the value that a page passes to another page through a link. It’s a significant factor in search engine optimization because it helps determine how well a page ranks in search results) from one page to another within your site.
  • Keyword Optimization: Internal links provide opportunities to incorporate relevant keywords in the anchor text (the clickable text of the link).

Best Practices:

  • Create a Clear Site Structure: Internal links should support a logical and hierarchical structure for your website.
  • Contextual Linking: Link to relevant, interesting and related pages aligned with your overall site structure. 
  • Use Descriptive Anchor Text: Instead of generic phrases like “click here,” use descriptive anchor text that reflects the content of the target page (e.g., “read our guide to On-page SEO”).

An External link is a type of hyperlink that is used to connect a web page to another page on a different website. External links are also known as outbound links. Why are they important?

  • Demonstrate Credibility: Linking to reputable sources shows that you value accurate and reliable information.
  • Improve User Trust: Providing valuable external resources enhances user trust and credibility in your content.
  • Contextual Relevance: External links should be relevant and contextually appropriate to the surrounding text.
  • Build Relationships: Linking to other websites can help you build relationships within your industry and potentially lead to reciprocal links in the future.

Best Practices:

  • Link to Authoritative Sources: Prioritize linking to reputable websites such as government agencies, educational institutions, and well-established industry publications.
  • Avoid Excessive Linking: Don’t overload your content with too many external links, as it can distract users and potentially dilute the value of your own content.
  • Use Descriptive Anchor Text: Instead of generic phrases, use descriptive anchor text that reflects the content of the target page.

Featured Snippets

Featured snippets appear above the organic search results in a place often referred to as “Position Zero,”, providing users with a direct answer to their query before they even click on a website.

Winning a featured snippet significantly boosts your website’s visibility. It leads to higher Click-Through Rates (CTR) and enhanced Brand Authority. How to Optimize for Featured Snippets:

  • Answer User Questions Directly: Focus on creating content that directly answers user questions. Use question-based keywords in your headlines and throughout your content.
  • Use Schema Markup: Implement Schema markup to help search engines understand the structure and context of your content.
    Optimize for different content formats like list, table, paragraph or video snippets.
  • Use short, concise sentences: Keep your sentences short and to the point to improve readability and increase the likelihood of your content being featured.
  • Focus on user intent: Always prioritize creating high-quality, informative, and user-centric content.

Rich Results And Schema Markup

Google uses structured data to understand the content on the page and show that content in a richer appearance in search results, which is called a rich result. They include visually appealing elements such as:

  • Product carousels: Displaying multiple products with images and prices.
  • Recipe cards: Showing ingredient lists, cooking times, and star ratings.
  • Event listings: Featuring event dates, times, locations, and ticket information.
  • FAQ boxes: Displaying frequently asked questions and their answers directly in search results.
  • Star ratings: Showing customer reviews and ratings for products or services.

Implementing structured data, also known as Schema markup, leads to higher Click-Through Rates (CTR), enhanced brand credibility and improved user experience.

How to Implement Schema Markup:

  • Choose the appropriate schema type: Select the schema type that best represents the content on your page (e.g., Product, Article, Event, Local Business).
  • Add schema markup to your website’s HTML code: You can manually add the code or use a schema markup generator tool.
  • Test your schema markup: Use Google’s Rich Results Test tool to validate your code and identify any errors.

Optimize PageSpeed To Improve User Experience

Optimizing PageSpeed is a critical element of improving user experience. PageSpeed is a confirmed ranking signal for both desktop searches and mobile searches.

Google uses the mobile version of a site’s content, crawled with the smartphone agent, for indexing and ranking. This is called mobile-first indexing so optimizing for mobile devices is strongly recommended.

Google’s core ranking systems look to reward content that provides a good page experience. Google recommends that site owners seeking to be successful with their ranking systems should not focus on only one or two aspects of page experience. Instead, check if you’re providing an overall great page experience across many aspects.

To self-assess your content’s page experience, Google recommends answering the following questions:

  • Do your pages have good Core Web Vitals?
  • Are your pages served in a secure fashion?
  • Does your content display well on mobile devices?
  • Does your content avoid using an excessive amount of ads that distract from or interfere with the main content?
  • Do your pages avoid using intrusive interstitials?
  • Is your page designed so visitors can easily distinguish the main content from other content on your page?

Here are some resources that can help you measure, monitor, and optimize your page experience:

Core Web Vitals is a set of metrics that measure real-world user experience for loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability of the page. Core Web Vitals metrics:

  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures loading performance. To provide a good user experience, strive to have LCP occur within the first 2.5 seconds of the page starting to load.
  • Interaction To Next Paint (INP): Measures responsiveness. To provide a good user experience, strive to have an INP of less than 200 milliseconds.
  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures visual stability. To provide a good user experience, strive to have a CLS score of less than 0.1.

Tools to Measure and Improve PageSpeed:

  • Google PageSpeed Insights: Provides detailed reports on your website’s speed and offers specific recommendations for improvement.
  • GTmetrix: Another popular tool that provides an in-depth analysis of website speed and performance.

Conclusion

I want to conclude by thanking you for reading the post. Now that you have a better understanding of On-page SEO, it’s time to put these principles into action.

Start by conducting a thorough website audit, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing the necessary changes. Remember, consistent effort and a user-centric approach are key to achieving success in the competitive world of search.

Good luck, and stay up to date with all the Google Algorithm Updates as and when they happen on The Info Arena.