If you think SEO is complicated enough without having to break it down into both off-page and on-page SEO, take heart – a digital marketing pro can help you get to the bottom of the matter and help you master that on-page SEO. When it comes to on-page SEO (also called on-site SEO), it’s all about content, and that content must attract your target audience while ranking in the process. The fact is that improving your rank is not beyond your capabilities, and with some focused guidance, you’ll be well on your way to dominating that on-page SEO in no time.
Understanding On-Page SEO
Off-page SEO (also called off-site SEO) and on-page SEO work in tandem to bolster your site’s ranking and reputation on search engine results pages (SERPs). Although the two strategies play well together, it’s important to distinguish between the two and to give your on-page SEO the tender, loving care it deserves. While off-page SEO strategies center around bolstering your backlink portfolio, your on-page SEO strategies are about optimizing more technical content-related components, such as keywords and metatags.
On-page SEO refers to making the most of the content on your page by keeping it as discoverable as possible. The idea is to make the information you have on offer easier for Google and other search engines to find, understand, and pair with all those relevant search queries out there. In essence, your on-page SEO strategies are about organizing your page content in a way that makes sense for search engine crawlers – allowing them to correctly categorize your offerings and to efficiently deliver them to those in the market for your wares.
Off-Page SEO (Compare and Contrast)
By way of contrast, off-page SEO bypasses your unique content and, instead, focuses on outside factors that impact your site’s visibility across the worldwide web. That search engine that’s sizing up your site is looking for evidence that it is trustworthy. This process involves an algorithmic crunching of your page’s reputation relative to the digital ecosystem it lives in – taking backlinks that mark it as a resource into consideration. Link building, because it bolsters your site’s reputability, is a solid example of what off-page optimization is all about.
On-Page SEO: Why It’s So Darn Important
There are a whole lot of websites out there, which means that search engines have their work cut out for them when it comes to delivering relevant content to searchers. When your content is optimized, it helps search engines more intuitively connect said content to query intent and/or to the keyword ranking you’re going for. Google regularly tweaks its algorithm, which allows it to stay on top of the game by better understanding what users are looking for and by helping it improve their overall experience. For example, Google has made all of the following updates in its ongoing commitment to improved user experience:
- Rooting out and penalizing duplicate content
- Encouraging sites to hone mobile readiness
- Emphasizing the critical nature of user experience
Dominate that On-Page SEO
You know that you need to focus on your on-page SEO, but translating this into action can be daunting. Fortunately, there are some basic strategies that can help you get where you need to be.
Make Sense of Google’s Criteria
It’s a tall order, but before you can master your on-page SEO, you need to know what Google is looking for, and the basics include:
- The user’s overall experience and first impressions
- The content itself, which should organically incorporate keywords and phrases that bolster relevancy (while providing reliable information that is backed up by authoritative sources)
- The amount of time users spend on the site (the more engaged your visitors, the better)
By striving to meet Google’s ranking criteria, you do yourself an enormous favor.
Target Your First Paragraph
When you organically incorporate your main target keyword in your first paragraph, you make the page’s purpose perfectly clear from the outset. Google is looking for keywords that clue it in to your content, and providing these terms upfront and building from this solid beginning is the best path forward.
Wrap Titles and Subtitles up with H1 and H2 Tags
H1 and H2 tags help you draw Google’s attention to how your content is organized, which helps the search engine giant help you. Your headers and subheadings also provide important clues about what is to come, making the information easier for the search engine to access. This allows you yet another opportunity to provide an improved user experience. By offering searchers organized content that is easy to scan for desired information – rather than a page crammed with endless words – you give the people what they want.
Link Up
Both outbound and internal links help you showcase how relevant your content is and its relative position in the larger digital ecosphere. Internal links allow you to provide more in-depth information by simply hopping to a more focused page elsewhere on your site, which also helps Google get a better handle on your site’s infrastructure. Outbound links, on the other hand, lend credence by backing up your efforts with more authoritative sites.
Make the Most of That URL, Title Tag, and Meta Description
Your URLs shouldn’t be afterthoughts. When they include pertinent keywords, it helps spell out what’s on your page, which helps bolster both search engine and user confidence – and can lead to more direct clicks from the SERP. Your title tags and meta descriptions are similarly important and, when optimized, can help move the needle on your online traffic.
It’s Time to Tackle Your On-Page SEO with a Digital Marketing Pro
Your on-page SEO is a conduit that helps you more effectively and efficiently get your content to your target audience. The digital marketing pros at The Web Guys have a finger on the pulse of all things Google, and we’re well prepared to help you jump on the page and start optimizing. We have the insight to help you dovetail your unique content with the reigning algorithms – and to help secure your place in the market in the process. For more digital marketing savvy, please connect with or give us a call at (317) 805-4933 today.