On-page optimization is a key part of any successful SEO strategy.

It involves optimising specific elements on each page of your website to help it rank higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs). 

It includes using targeted keywords and phrases, improving site speed, creating quality content, as well as many other important factors.

This guide will explore what on-page SEO is, why it’s so important for your website’s success, and how to do it properly to power up your content.

What is On-Page Optimization?

On-page optimization is the process of working on individual web pages for better rankings in search engines.

It includes content optimization, technical optimization, and other elements that make up a successful on-page SEO strategy.

Crafting high-quality content with targeted keywords is one of the most important aspects of on-page optimization.

In fact, by analysing keywords, as well as other on-page elements, search engines like Google can determine whether a page is a correct response to a user’s inquiry.

And, when the search engine believes a page can be helpful to searchers, it will likely position the website higher in search results.

Why is On-Page SEO Important?

On-page SEO helps search engines understand your content and determine whether it is relevant to the user’s search query.

It also helps boost the visibility of your website in SERPs by making sure pages are optimised for targeted keywords.

By effectively optimising each page on your website, you can improve its ranking and increase the number of visitors to it. This not only helps you generate more organic traffic but also helps improve your overall website performance.

Additionally, on-page optimization can help build user trust and engagement by providing helpful content that is well-formatted. When visitors find the information they need quickly and easily, it increases their chance of returning to your site in the future.

How to Create Helpful Content

Creating high-quality content is one of the most important aspects of on-page optimization.

Your content should be informative, well-structured, and provide valuable information to your readers. If it’s helpful and engaging enough, people will be more likely to share it with others or link back to it from other websites. This can help boost your website’s rankings in the SERPs.

So, how can you beat that?

Google’s algorithm is continually evolving, yet its main priority remains the user experience. To this end, Google encourages creators to prioritise content with people in mind.

In fact, with Google’s August 2022 helpful content update, it has become even more important to focus on content that is helpful and provides real value.

First of all, to create useful content, think of user intent.

The are different types of search intent, such as:

• Informational, when the user wants to find out more information on a particular topic;
• Navigational, when the user wants to go directly to a specific page or website;
• Transactional, when a user wants to take some sort of action on a page, such as making a purchase.

Once you have identified the type of search intent behind a query, before start writing, keep in mind that your content should be:

• Clear
• Valuable
• Unique
• Relevant

Clear

Your content should be easy to read and understand.

If you offer a “wall of text” without any visuals or subheadings, it’s likely to be overlooked.

Keep the writing simple and use headings and lists to break up text into small, easy-to-digest chunks.

Additionally, try to keep paragraphs short – no more than three or four sentences.

Use a font size that’s easy to read, and don’t forget to prefer the active form.

Valuable

The content should provide value to the reader by teaching them something new or answering their questions. It should also be interesting enough to keep readers engaged.

Think, for example, of creating new industry research with interesting data and graphics that make the content stand out.

Also, you could share direct experiences and insights from industry experts or customers.

In fact, testimonials, reviews, and case studies are always great content pieces that can help you gain the trust of your audience.

Unique

Your content should be original and fresh.

Don’t just copy what others have already done. Instead, come up with creative ways to stand out from the competition.

Think of adding interactive elements or videos in the content, for example.

And try to go beyond words by including visuals and audio to make the experience more enjoyable.

Relevant

Your content should be tailored to your target audience.

Do research on who they are and what type of content they find interesting or helpful.

Also, ensure that the topics you’re writing about are relevant to the product, service, or industry you’re discussing.

This will help you create content that resonates with your readers and keeps them engaged.

By following these guidelines, you’ll be able to create content that is clear, valuable, unique, and relevant to your target audience.

Now, let’s cover the different types of on-page optimization strategies you can use to ensure that your content is appearing on top of search results.

On-Page Optimization Techniques

Optimising your website for search engines is far more than just including target keywords.

So, how does it work?

Google’s ranking process is quite straightforward.

First, it evaluates web pages through “crawling.”

It then indexes the page by taking into account multiple factors such as on-site SEO factors to decide what the webpage is about and how it should be placed in the rankings.

As we all know, Google doesn’t guarantee that each and every page will be indexed or even appear in the search results.

Thus, it is essential to apply specific on-page SEO strategies so you can effectively let Google understand what your webpage is about.

With this said – let’s get started!

Write Optimised Title Tags

One of the most important on-page SEO tactics is to write optimised title tags.

A title tag is the clickable headline of any given web page that appears in search engine results pages.

It is essential to not only make the title tag relevant to your content but also include the target keyword.

For example, if you’re writing a blog post on link-building strategies, an optimised title tag would be “Link Building Strategies: A Comprehensive Guide.”

But wait, it does not end here!

Title tags are a small, but confirmed ranking factor by search engines.

And they can be the determining element in whether or not users will click on that particular page.

So, make sure your title tags are optimised for both users and search engines.

Here are a few more tips to remember when creating title tags:

• Make them unique
• Use the target keyword
• Include your brand name
• Keep it brief
• Write something catchy

Make them unique

Make sure to craft creative and distinct title tags for every page on your website.

This way, users will know what they are clicking on, while simultaneously helping Google better understand the purpose of each page.

Use the target keyword

Including the target keyword in the title tag and other metadata is an essential on-page SEO factor.

Doing this will help search engines understand the topic of the page faster and help you rank higher for that term.

If possible, add your keyword close to the beginning of the title tag.

Make sure to keep it natural and avoid cramming too many keywords into one sentence.

Include your brand name

Adding your brand name in the title tag helps you stand out and reinforces your brand’s presence.

Brand recognition is a key element of a successful digital strategy, and this is one of the ways by which you can achieve it.

Plus, it’s a great way to differentiate your content from the rest.

Keep it brief

Make sure that title tags are not too long; otherwise, they won’t be visible in their entirety on search engine results pages.

Also, ensure that each title tag is different from the others on your website, as this will help you rank better.

Usually, it should not be longer than 60 characters.

Write something catchy

Title tags should not only be optimized for search engines, but they should also be enticing enough to get a user to click on them.

The best way to accomplish this is to write something catchy and creative that will make users curious enough to click and check out your content.

Remember, the title tag is a user-facing element, so make sure it’s something that can grab their attention.

Create Attractive Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are the short summaries that appear on SERPs beneath a title tag.

They’re important on-page SEO factors, as they help further elaborate on the content of a specific page.

Now, do you want to know a secret?

Meta descriptions do not directly affect Google rankings.

However, they can make or break a user’s decision between your page and another one – which could potentially lead to an increase in search engine traffic.

And if you don’t craft your meta description following the user’s search intent (or if it doesn’t match the content of the page), Google may choose its own description instead to show in the SERP.

In other words, Google does not always use the webmaster-provided meta description to generate the snippet in its result pages.

So, make sure to follow these best practices for crafting attractive meta descriptions:

• Include your keyword
• Focus on user intent
• Make them unique and descriptive
• Write sentence case
• Add a call to action
• Be concise

Include your keyword

As with title tags, include your target keyword and/or a related phrase in the meta description.

This will help Google better understand the purpose of the page and will also help draw clicks from organic searches.

Focus on user intent

Try to understand why a user would be searching for the target keyword and how your page can provide them with what they need.

This way, you’ll be able to make an appropriate meta description that resonates with users and helps them better understand what your page is about.

Make them unique and descriptive

Just like title tags, make sure each meta description on your website is unique.

It should describe the content of the page accurately, with enough detail for a user to make an informed decision about clicking on it or not.

So, avoid generic descriptions that could be used on any page.

Write sentence case

Using sentence cases will make your meta description stand out more in the SERPs and will also make it easier to read.

Avoid using all caps, as this can be off-putting to users and make your page look spammy.

Add a call to action

Including a call-to-action in the meta description can be a great way to encourage people to click on it and increase organic CTR.

It can be something as simple as “Click here to learn more”, or more attractive as “Discover the secrets of SEO today”.

Be concise

Finally, keep your meta description concise, no more than 155 characters.

Any longer than that, and you risk it being truncated in the search engine results.

Don’t forget to include the keyword in the beginning, but also make sure to write something enticing that will draw users’ attention.

Structure the Content with Subheadings

One of the most important on-page SEO factors is content structure.

Using relevant subheadings to break up your content makes it easier for both search engines and users to scan through the text and understand what your page is about.

Structuring with H2, H3, and so on can also have a positive impact on your ranking.

Headings provide Google with an organised structure of your page to help understand whether or not it fits a user’s query.

Also, integrating keywords and their variations into your headlines will let Google know the content of your page as well as how it is organised.

Use the H1 element to title your page or write a captivating headline, then use H2s for highlighting subtopics. 

If you need more information on any of those topics, utilise the hierarchy in descending order: H3s, H4s, and so forth.

Optimise URLs

SEO-friendly URLs should be short, descriptive, and include your target keyword whenever possible.

This helps search engines better understand the content on a page so they can determine if it’s relevant to users’ queries.

It also helps users get an idea of what the page is about before they even click on it.

Make sure the URL structure on your website is consistent and use words that are easy to read, rather than a bunch of numbers and symbols.

This will improve the user experience and make it easier for users to remember URLs when sharing or linking back to your page.

Also, be aware of keyword stuffing in URLs, as this can be seen as spammy and could have a negative impact on your ranking.

In short, as Google suggests, the simpler, the better!

Leverage Internal Linking

Internal linking is a great on-page optimization technique to strengthen page authority and help both search engines and users navigate around your website.

By including links in the content of other pages, you can send signals to Google about which page should rank higher for certain queries.

This is especially important when targeting long-tail keywords that have fewer search results.

Also, internal linking provides users with an opportunity to explore your website further and learn more about your products or services.

So, don’t forget to include your keywords in your internal links.

Plus, make sure you include links to other pages on the same topic that could help readers get a better understanding of what you’re talking about in the content. This will help keep users engaged and can also help increase page views.

And remember, there’s no over-optimization penalty when it comes to internal links, so you can abuse anchor texts as much as you want!

Add and Optimise Images

Images are essential when it comes to on-page SEO.

They can add a visual element to your content and make it more attractive, while also helping you rank higher in search results.

Make sure to include relevant images throughout the content, as this will help Google determine what the page is about.

This is helpful not just for search engines, but also helps users quickly scan the page and understand what the content is about.

Essentially, you need to take care of three things when it comes to image SEO.

• File Name
• Alternative Text (Alt Text)
• Image Compression

File Name

A descriptive file name is a must when it comes to optimising images for SEO.

It should include the keyword you are targeting if possible, so that search engines can understand what the image is about.

And according to Google, the picture should be placed in a relevant place in the content rather than just adding it at the end, or simply the beginning.

Alternative Text (Alt Text)

In addition to a descriptive file name, you need to add an alternative text (alt text) for each image.

Alt text is a short description that describes the content of the image and should include your target keyword if possible.

It’s important to note that Google won’t index images based on alt text, but it can help improve the relevance of your content which can lead to better rankings.

Also, it will help impaired users understand the content better, as screen readers can read out the alt text to them.

Image Compression

When it comes to optimising images for SEO, image compression is also important.

This means reducing the file size of an image without sacrificing quality.

Compressing images helps speed up page load times (which is an important ranking factor for Google).

There are several tools available that can help you compress images, such as Compressor.io and TinyPNG.

By using these tools and following the other steps mentioned above, you’ll be able to optimise your on-page SEO for better rankings in search results.

Doing so will help ensure that your content stands out from the competition and gets seen by more people.

Advanced On-Page SEO Strategies

In addition to the tactics previously mentioned, there are also some advanced on-page SEO strategies that you can use to further optimise your content.

These include:

• Improve Page Loading Speed
• Add Schema Markup

Improve Page Loading Speed

Page loading speed is an important ranking factor for Google, so it’s essential that you optimise your website to ensure that it loads quickly and efficiently.

And since 2018, Google is using page speed in ranking mobile searches too.

If this is not enough, to give you a better understanding of how important is to have fast-loading websites, check out Google’s research which demonstrates that slow-loading sites on mobile tend to have higher bounce rates:

So, how can you measure your web page loading time?

There are several tools available, such as GTmetrix, Pingdom Tools, and Google PageSpeed Insights that can help you test, identify and address any issues related to page loading speed.

In particular, you can use the PageSpeed Insights tool to evaluate your website performance on both mobile and desktop platforms, as well as to get practical tips for optimization.

Also, this tool works to evaluate Google’s Core Web Vitals, a set of crucial metrics that affect the overall page experience.

The following are the essential metrics of Core Web Vitals:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which indicates the time it takes for the main page content to load.
• First Input Delay (FID), which measures how responsive a page is to user input.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), which indicates the number of unexpected layout shifts on a page.

Now that you know how to measure page speed, it’s time to optimise it!

Other than optimising images (which was previously covered in this guide), you can use these methods:

• Minimise HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
• Reduce redirects
• Leverage browser caching
• Upgrade hosting

Minimise HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

Having too much HTML, CSS, and JavaScript on your page can slow down the page loading speed.

So, to ensure that the code is as small and light as possible, you should minify them using tools like Minifier or YUI Compressor.

These tools can minify both HTML and CSS files by removing unnecessary characters like whitespace and comments, and resetting code without affecting their functionality.

Additionally, you can use JavaScript minifying tools like UglifyJS or JSMin to optimise your website’s performance.

By doing so, you’ll have much smaller files that will load faster on your page.

This will help improve the page speed and, in turn, the overall user experience.

Reduce redirects

Using too many redirects can slow down page loading times, which is why it’s important to reduce the number of redirects on your website.

You can use tools like Redirect Mapper or Screaming Frog to find and remove unnecessary redirects.

By lowering the number of redirects on your site, you can minimise the amount of time it takes for a page to load, which will improve its performance in the SERPs.

Leverage browser caching

Browser caching refers to the process by which web browsers store elements like images and scripts so that they don’t have to be downloaded every time a user visits your site.

By leveraging browser caching, you can ensure that your page loads faster for returning visitors.

You can do this by adding specific rules to your .htaccess file. For example, if you’re using Apache web server software, you can add the following lines of code:

ExpiresActive On

ExpiresDefault “access plus 1 month”

By implementing this code, you’ll be able to leverage browser caching and improve your page loading speed.

Or, if you are using WordPress, you can use plugins such as WP Total Cache or Super Cache.

Upgrade hosting

Finally, if all else fails, it may be time to upgrade your hosting plan.

If your website is running on shared hosting, chances are that the server isn’t able to handle your current traffic load.

In this case, you may want to consider upgrading to a virtual private server (VPS) or dedicated hosting plan that offers more resources and better performance.

By doing so, you can ensure that your website is capable of handling larger amounts of traffic and loading pages faster for all visitors.

Add Schema Markup

Adding structured data to your pages is another method of improving your website’s on-page SEO.

Structured data, also known as schema markup, provides search engines with additional information about specific web pages and can help them understand the content better.

For example, by implementing schema, you can have beautiful, eye-catching rich snippets in the search engine results page (SERP)!

Here’s an example:

Not only does schema markup help you get better placement on the search engine results page, but it can also drastically boost your page’s click-through rate.

As displayed above, recipe schema markup is one type of code that can be added to your pages.

However, there are numerous others you can use too.

For example:

• Reviews
• Products
• Events
• Local businesses

Once you have chosen which type of schema to use in your content, the next step is adding the markup code.

This can easily be done using the Google Structured Data Markup Helper.

The tool will generate the code you need to add, as well as a helpful preview of how the data will look on search engine results pages.

After successfully adding the structured data to your page, it is crucial that you validate the markup for accuracy.

You can use the Structured Data Testing Tool to do this, which will ensure that your data was properly implemented.

Quickly enter your URL and Google will reveal to you whether or not your content is correctly configured.

If your code isn’t running as it should, use this tool to pinpoint any mistakes and correct them right away.

And, if you are using WordPress, you don’t need to manually add your schema markup.

Instead, you can use plugins such as All in One SEO or Yoast SEO which will allow you to add structured data to your content without any coding knowledge.

Final Words

On-page optimization is one of the most important aspects of SEO and should be done properly to make sure your content stands out in the SERPs.

By optimising your page titles, descriptions, and URL structure, as well as leveraging browser caching and implementing structured data you can ensure that your pages get better rankings and higher click-through rates.

Ultimately, the goal is to be on top of the SERP and if done correctly, you can achieve this!

Thanks for reading and happy optimising!