What is On-Page SEO? 10 Factors to Check
If you’re new to SEO, it’s helpful to know it can be broken down into three types: On-Page, Off-Page, and Technical SEO. And if you’re familiar with the 80/20 rule, you could say 80% of the SEO results comes from on-page efforts, while 20% comes from off-page and technical SEO. We’ve found this to be true for our SEO projects as well.
On-page SEO is the content on your website. It includes factors such as keywords, title, headings, written content, images, and URL. Optimizing your on-page SEO is the single best thing you can do for SEO. Off-page SEO (reputation) and Technical SEO (site speed, performance) are still important, but typically drive less of the results.
So, while on-page SEO is one of the important parts of SEO to get right, what exactly makes it so valuable? Let’s take a closer look.
4 Reasons Why On-Page SEO is Essential
On-page SEO is like your site’s handshake with Google—it’s your first impression. It’s what tells search engines what your page is about, and how relevant it is to people’s searches. Without it, you’re leaving it up to chance for your site to be understood and ranked.
Let’s break it down:
- Visibility: It boosts your visibility in the search engines. Think about it—if you’re on point with your on-page SEO, you’re increasing your chances of popping up in search results. More visibility means more eyes on your content.
- Relevance: Search engines try to serve up the most relevant content. On-page SEO helps you tailor your content so that Google gets it: you’re what people are looking for. If you’re serving up the good stuff (quality content with solid on-page SEO), you could climb up those SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).
- User Experience: You’re not just doing this for the robots – good on-page SEO improves the experience for real people, too. Fast loading times, mobile-friendliness, and clear navigation help users find what they need and stick around longer on your site.
- Traffic: Organic traffic is the bread and butter of most websites. Better on-page SEO equals potential for more organic traffic. It’s about getting the right kind of visitors too, not just more traffic. You want people who are actually interested in what you have to offer.
Look at it this way, by making sure your on-page SEO is up to snuff, you’re setting the stage for more traffic, better user experience, and a solid relationship with search engines. It’s about making sure you’re heard in a room full of internet noise.
On-Page SEO Checklist
To help break down on-page SEO into bite-sized pieces, let’s take a look at the 10 items we check off when performing SEO for our clients.
Before diving into the specifics, it’s essential to grasp that on-page SEO is all about optimizing individual web pages to rank higher in search results. Your main goal? Making content user-friendly and search-engine-friendly. Let’s break it down:
1. Keywords
Start with keyword research to pinpoint the terms your audience is searching. Aim for a mix of target keywords and long-tail phrases that match search intent, for example, “how long to cook a steak“. Maintain a natural keyword usage. Cramming them in can hurt more than help.
2. Title Tag
The title tag (H1) of your page should be an accurate, concise description of the content. It’s a huge factor for SEO—helping search engines understand your page and improve your SERPs visibility and CTR. Keep your title under 60 characters to make sure it fully displays in search results.
3. Heading Tags
Organize your content with heading tags from H1 to H6. Again, your H1 (title) is crucial—it should include your primary keyword and set the stage for your page’s content. Structure your other headings (H2, H3, etc) in a user-friendly way, making it easier to digest the content on the page. For example, take a look at how the headings in this article help break up the content.
4. Content Quality
Focus on offering high-quality content that’s informative and meets Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) standards. It should provide value beyond what’s available on competitor sites and should cater to a positive user experience.
5. Add Images & Visuals
Visuals can increase user engagement. Use relevant images and videos to break up the text. They should support your message and be optimized with alt tags for accessibility and SEO.
6. Add Rich Content
Where it makes sense, add rich content such as graphics, tables, lists, and videos. They make your content more robust and easier for readers to skim.
7. Meta Description
Craft a compelling meta description that offers a preview of your page’s content. Aim for 150-160 characters to maximize search rankings and organic CTR.
8. URL
Use short, SEO-friendly URLs that include your target keyword. Your URL structure should reflect the site hierarchy and ideally include the page’s title or keywords for ease of understanding and a breadcrumb trail.
9. Alt Tags
Each image should have an alt tag that describes the image for search engine crawlers and improves accessibility. It’s a must for image SEO and beneficial for users who rely on screen readers.
10. Internal Linking
Incorporate meaningful internal links to guide users through your website and increase time on site. These links should be relevant to the page content, aiding in the discovery of other ranking pages on your site and improving overall navigation.
On-Page vs Off-Page SEO
| On-Page SEO | Off-Page SEO |
|---|---|
| Content Quality | Backlinks |
| Keywords | Social Media |
| Title & Header Tags | Guest Posts |
When tackling the SEO beast, it’s crucial to understand the difference between on-page and off-page techniques—both unique players in the game.
On-page SEO is all about what you do on your own site to enhance visibility to search engines. This is your turf, so take control! You’re looking at optimizing elements like:
- Content Quality: Write top-notch, relevant articles.
- Keywords: Sprinkle these golden words through your content like magic dust.
- HTML Tags: Play around with title tags, headers, and meta descriptions.
- URL Structure: Keep it clean and user-friendly.
On the flip side, off-page SEO deals with actions taken outside your website that impact your rankings within search engine results pages (SERPs). Think of this as your site’s street cred. Here, it’s all about:
- Backlinks: Score links from other reputable sites.
- Social Media: Share your content and engage with followers.
- Guest Blogging: Spread your know-how on other platforms.
In essence, on-page SEO paves the way for search engines to find and understand your site while off-page SEO helps to boost its reputation and authority. Both are critical, so don’t skimp on either! Keep in mind, links are like SEO currency—the more you have from respected sources, the richer your site becomes in the eyes of search engines.
Remember, maximizing your SEO impact requires a balance between on-site content and off-site relationships. With both playing nice, you’ll up your chances of soaring high in search rankings.
On-Page vs Technical SEO
| On-Page SEO | Technical SEO |
|---|---|
| Content | Page Speed |
| Keywords | Mobile-Friendly |
| Title & Header Tags | Site Structure |
On-page SEO is all about the content and elements that exist directly on a webpage. It focuses on optimizing parts of your website that you have direct control over. This includes your:
- Content: Quality and relevance of text, images, and videos.
- Keywords: Strategic use of terms that people use to search.
- Meta Tags: Title tags and meta descriptions to help search engines understand your content.
- Page URLs: Descriptive and concise web addresses.
On the flip side, technical SEO refers to the actions taken to help search engines crawl, index, and render your website effectively. It deals with the non-content elements and the website’s overall foundation which includes:
- Page Speed: How fast your page loads for users.
- Mobile-Friendliness: The site’s usability on smartphones and tablets.
- Crawlability: How easily search engines can navigate and examine the site.
- Javascript: How search engines interpret dynamic content.
- Website Architecture: How your site is structured and organized.
You’ve got to nail both on-page and technical SEO to stand out in the search engine results pages (SERPs). On-page gets visitors through the door with content they’re searching for, and technical SEO ensures search engines can get them there smoothly with no hiccups. Think of on-page as your site’s interior design, and technical SEO as its foundation and wiring – both vital for a fully functional and appealing destination.
Remember the 80/20 rule. While off-page and technical SEO are important (20%), in our experience, on-page SEO drives most of the results (80%). So, focus on mastering on-page SEO first, then circle back to the other two. You’ll also find they’re typically less work and easier to check off.
Need more help with SEO? Send me an email at tyler@epicranks.com and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
