The Ultimate Guide to On-Page SEO On-Page SEO Fundamentals

Describe on-page SEO.

On-page SEO, commonly referred to as "on-site SEO," is the process of making web pages more user- and search engine-friendly. The optimization of title tags, content, internal links, and URLs are typical on-page SEO techniques.

Off-page SEO, which involves optimising for signals that occur outside of your website, is different from this (for example, backlinks).

The importance of on-page SEO

In 2022, would the traditional on-page SEO strategy still be relevant?

Yup!

In truth, the "How Search Works" study from Google says the following:

Even though Google is far wiser now than it was in the past, they continue to use antiquated technology (like looking for a specific keyword on your page).

There is data to support this.

There is no connection between first page ranks and title tags that are keyword-rich, according to our examination of 11M Google search results.

However, if you conduct a competitive keyword search, you'll see that the majority of the top-ranking pages contain the same term in their title tag.

Having said that, on-page SEO involves more than just stuffing keywords into your page's HTML.

You should additionally optimise your content for the following in order to rank it in 2022:

• User encounter
• Dwell Time and Bounce Rate
• Query Intent
• speed of page loading
• Click-through-rate

Improve Your Content's SEO

Now that you understand why on-page SEO is still important, it's time to start content optimization.

I'll show you specifically how to keyword-optimize each page of your website in this chapter.

Therefore, if you've ever questioned, "How do I truly employ keywords on my page?"

In the first 100 words, include your target keyword.

This is a tried-and-true on-page SEO strategy that still works.

The first 100 to 150 words of your content should only contain one instance of your major keyword.

For instance, I used the keyword "email marketing" right away in my essay that was optimised for it.

Why is this crucial?

Google gives terms that appear early on your website more importance.

which is reasonable. Consider that you recently wrote an article about the ketogenic diet. Would it make sense to use the word "keto diet" halfway down the page if your article was actually about the keto diet?

Obviously not.

For this reason, you should include your keyword inside the first 100 or so words. This is one of those insignificant details that aids Google in comprehending the purpose of your website.

Put the title of your blog post in an H1 tag.

The H1 tag functions as a smaller title tag.

Utilizing an H1 element, according to Google, "helps Google comprehend the structure of the website,"

The H1 tag is often added automatically by most platforms (like WordPress). In such case, everything is arranged for you.

However, it isn't always the case. To ensure that your title is enclosed in an H1, you should verify the source code of your website. And that H1 tag contains your keyword.

Embrace H2 tags for subheadings.

Include at least one subheading with your main keyword. Add an H2 tag to that subheading.

Your on-page SEO would an H2 tag make or destroy it?

Nope. However, it can't harm. Additionally, my personal SEO tests have demonstrated that including your target keyword in an H2 element can have an impact.

An illustration of this tactic in use is provided below (target keyword="content marketing tools"):

Keyword Repetition

The term "keyword frequency" simply refers to how frequently your keyword occurs in your material.

Google may contest the idea that utilising the same keyword repeatedly is beneficial. However, seasoned SEO experts will confirm that it unquestionably works.

Consider it like this:

Consider a page that Google BELIEVES is about a certain term. On the page, however, the keyword only occurs once.

How sure are they that the page is relevant to that keyword? not at all.

On the other hand, if the keyword is used on the page 10 times, Google may be more certain of the topic.

To be clear, this has nothing to do with keyword stuffing or similar practises.

To convince Google that your page truly is about that subject, all you need to do is use your target term a few times.

For the keyword "YouTube SEO," for instance, one of our posts is among the top 3 results in Google.

In that 3,200-word post, how many times do you suppose I used the precise phrase "YouTube SEO"?

6 times.

Therefore, there is no need to take this too far. You're good as long as your keyword appears a couple times naturally.

Utilize external links

External links to relevant pages aid Google in determining the subject of your page. It also makes Google aware that your page is a reliable source of knowledge.

This is not simply a theory, either. The staff at Reboot Online conducted a study to see whether external links enhanced rankings.

Ten new websites were made by them. 50% of the websites have links to authoritative websites (like Oxford University). External links weren't included on the other half.

Additionally, websites with external links performed better than those without.

Improve Your URLs' SEO

An underappreciated aspect of on-page SEO is your URL structure.

Yes, Google started using strange URL variations in the search results a while back.

Even so, the keywords you use in your URL are displayed here. Additionally, URLs now appear above the title tag in the mobile and desktop SERPs.

The importance of your URL has therefore increased, in my opinion.

So, here's how to make URLs that are search engine friendly:

1. Shorten the URLs you use
2. Each URL should contain a keyword.

Seriously. I'm done now.

For instance, the keyword "link building" is optimised throughout my guide to link building. I therefore included that term in my URL.

That's not to argue that your keyword should be the ONLY thing in your URL. It's okay to extend your URL by one or two words.

...or to have a subfolder occur before your keyword.

Improve the tags for the title and description.

Title tags continue to "assist a lot" with your rankings, according to Google.

Thus, they merit optimization.

The same thing applies to your description as well. While searchers use your description to choose which result to click on, Google may not use it to comprehend the content on your page.

So this chapter is for you if you want to construct title tags and descriptions that are search engine friendly.

Front-load Tag Your Title

Your title tag, in my opinion, is the most crucial element for on-page SEO.

This is so that search engines can quickly and easily understand what your page is all about.

According to my observations, search engines give a term greater weight the closer it is to the start of the title tag.

Here is one of the many SEO tools I use as an example.

It's not necessary for your keyword to appear right at the start of your title. Not always is it a good idea to do that.

However, it is best if your title appears near the top of your title tag.

Make use of title tag modifiers

You can rank for long tail variations of your target keyword by using modifiers like "best," "guide," "checklist," "quick," and "review."

For instance, the terms "best" and "free" are included in our page on SEO tools.

In this manner, we are able to rank for long-tail variations of "seo tools," such as "top free seo tools."

Even better strategic thinking is possible.

In this list of keyword research tools, I've included the title tag modifier "for SEO."

Why? Therefore, when visitors searched for terms like "SEO keyword research tools," my page would come up. And it succeeded!

Employ distinctive, keyword-rich meta descriptions.

According to Google's Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide:

Additionally, Google has suggested creating your own meta descriptions.

(Even though Google can replace them with a snippet of their own.)

This is so that your result will stand out, which will increase your organic CTR.

Here is a sample description that I use and suggest using.

Additionally, you should use your keyword in your description one time.

Why?

Google bolds terms that correspond to the user's query because of this.

Once more, this can increase your CTR slightly.