On-page SEO is the practice of optimising webpage content for search engines and users. Common tasks include improving title tags, content, internal links and URLs.
Analysing Google search results makes this clearer. To save you time, let me share that analysis.
When I analysed 500K–1M Google search results, I found a correlation between keyword-rich title tags and first-page rankings.
On-page SEO involves more than placing keywords on a page:
- User experience
- Bounce rate and dwell time
- Search intent
- Page loading speed
- Click-through rate
Optimise Your Content for SEO
An old but still relevant tactic is to use your main keyword once within the first 100–150 words of your article.
This matters because Google gives more weight to terms appearing near the beginning of a page.
Consider how frequently you use keywords.
Imagine planning an article about “weight-loss tips”. If the article really concerns weight-loss tips, how sensible would it be to mention that term for the first time halfway down the page?
It would not look good. Users would probably leave because, before receiving useful information, they feel something is being pushed on them.
That approach would not make sense. Google says so too.
On-Page SEO: Put the Article Title in an H1 Tag
The H1 can be one of our most effective tools for explaining what a page is about.
Google has said that using an H1 “helps Google understand the structure of the page”.
Most platforms, such as WordPress, automatically apply an H1 to a blog post's title. If that is how your site works, you are ready.
That is not always the case, however. Check your site's code to make sure the title is marked up with an H1.
Use H2 Tags for Subheadings
Include your target keyword in at least one subheading and mark that subheading with an H2 tag.
My own SEO experiments have shown a benefit from including the target keyword in an H2.
Keyword Frequency
Keyword frequency is the number of times a keyword appears in your content.
Google may deny that repeating the same keyword offers a benefit. Experienced SEO specialists, however, will tell you it works.
Think about it this way:
Suppose you have a page that Google believes concerns a particular keyword, but you use that keyword only once.
How certain can Google be that the page is really about it?
In my view, not very certain.
If the page mentions it 10 times, Google can be more confident about the subject.
To be clear, I am not talking about keyword stuffing or inserting words indiscriminately without a purpose.
Mentioning the target keyword a few times is enough to confirm that the page really concerns that subject.
The point is to use the term relevantly while maintaining content quality.
As long as you use the keyword naturally a few times, you are on the right track.
Optimise Your URLs for SEO
Is URL structure an insignificant part of on-page SEO?
Google has recently started showing unusual versions of URLs in search results.
The terms in your URL appear here, as the image above shows. URLs also now appear above the title tag on both mobile and desktop results pages.
I would therefore say that your URL matters more than before.
Create SEO-Friendly URLs
- Keep URLs short.
- Include a keyword in each URL.
I believe that is all it takes; this need not become a lengthy exercise. Some people make it unnecessarily complicated by adding IDs and similar elements to URLs, which can be a step in the wrong direction.
This does not mean the URL must contain only your keyword. Adding one or two more words can be useful.
Using the Title Tag
Modifiers such as “best”, “guide”, “checklist”, “quick” and “review” can help you rank for long-tail versions of your target keyword.
Do not focus exclusively on the main term. Analyse search terms carefully and frequently.
The length displayed in SERPs also matters. Character counts are often misleading, so measuring in pixels is the better approach.
Use Unique, Keyword-Rich Meta Descriptions
Google says adding a description meta tag to each page is always good practice.
Leaving that field blank is therefore neither useful nor ideal. I often encounter people who have their CMS populate it automatically, or leave it empty and hand the task to Google.
Why leave such an important page summary, with its influence on click-through rate, to chance?
Google also introduces updates for precisely these reasons: user experience.
You know your content best. How should users see it? That is in your hands too.
A good meta description helps you stand out in search results and increase organic CTR.
Four million blog posts are published every day.
Read the source: Hosting Facts.
Your content therefore needs to be exceptionally valuable to stand out and get noticed.
- Add detail.
- Write clearly; avoid long content in which only the title reflects the real subject.
- Keep it current and innovative.
- Work with expert writers.
Unique, valuable content can take you to Google's first page. To stay there, however, the page must satisfy search intent. In other words, it needs to comprehensively address what the person searching on Google wants.
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