The Ultimate Guide To On-Page SEO in 2024

What is On-Page
SEO

On-page SEO refers to optimising your website to
increase relevant traffic to your search engines and rank higher. On-Page SEO
ensures that you have relevant content on your site while providing a good
experience. It includes updating title tags, text lines, keywords, internal
links and other on-page content. When determining whether a page satisfies a
user’s search intent, search engines such as Google examine the content of the
page. Additionally, the page will rank higher in search results if the search
engine determines it will be helpful to the user. Furthermore, you have total
control over on-page SEO since you decide what the subject and/or objective of
each page will be. The target audience for that page is up to you to determine.
Also, you are free to select the target keywords and phrases that you wish to
concentrate on.

Why is On-Page SEO important?

To determine whether a page satisfies a
user’s search intent, search engines use keywords and other on-page SEO
elements. Google then presents the page to the user if it is pertinent and
helpful. Put another way, when ranking pages, Google takes into account on-page
SEO signals.

Although the Google algorithm is constantly
evolving, the user experience is still given top priority. Google suggests
prioritising “people-first content.” This means that it’s more
crucial than ever to produce meaningful content that aligns with user intent.

What are the main elements in On-Page SEO?

           1) Keyword Research: Keyword research is the foundation of On-Page SEO. It involves
identifying the relevant keywords and key phrases that your target audience is
likely to search for. Use keyword research tools to find high-volume and
low-competition keywords. Consider the user’s search intent, and target
long-tail keywords when appropriate. Think about how the content of your
website fits into the buyer’s journey and the search intent of your visitors
while conducting keyword research. This will influence the kinds of content you
produce and the way you use your keywords.

           2) Title Tags: The title tag is one of the most critical On-Page SEO elements. It
appears as the clickable headline in search results. Each page should have a
unique and descriptive title tag that incorporates the primary keyword. Keep
the title tag concise (around 60 characters) and compelling to attract clicks.
Titles provide information about what is contained on a page to both search
engines and visitors. Make sure the focus keyword for each page is included in
the title to guarantee that your site pages are ranked for the intended
purpose. As much as possible, incorporate your keyword naturally.

           3) Meta Descriptions: Meta descriptions are brief summaries of a webpage that appear
below the title in search results. Write unique, relevant, and persuasive meta
descriptions for each page. Include the primary keyword and entice users to
click on your link. When your content is shared on social media, meta
descriptions can be copied across (using structured markup, which we discuss
below) to further promote click-throughs from those platforms.

           4) Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.): Use headings to structure your content hierarchically. The H1
tag is typically reserved for the main page title, followed by H2, H3, and so
on for subheadings. Incorporate keywords naturally in your headings to help
search engines understand the content’s structure.

           5) Image Optimisation: Optimise images by giving them alt text that describes them and
compressing them for quicker website loading times. Alt text can increase
visibility in image search results and aid search engines in understanding the
content of images. Consider picture alt-text for your images as SEO. It gives
Google and other search engines information about your photos, which is
important because Google now returns almost as many image-based results as
text-based results. This suggests that people may be coming to your website
through the images you upload. But if you want your photos to do this, you have
to include alt-text with them.

           6) Internal Linking: Internal links direct users to different pages on your website,
prolonging their stay and indicating to Google that your site is a valuable and
helpful resource. Internal linking is essential for on-page SEO because of
this. Furthermore, the longer visitors stay on your website, the longer Google
must crawl and index the pages. Ultimately, this helps Google discover more
about your website and may improve its search engine ranking. To connect
related pages on your website, use internal links. This facilitates the
distribution of link authority and improves your website’s navigability for
search engine crawlers. Make sure your anchor text is clear and contains
pertinent keywords.

           7) User Experience and Mobile
Optimisation: Ensure your website is
mobile-friendly and provides an excellent user experience on all devices. Fast
loading times, easy navigation, and responsive design are critical. Selecting a
website hosting provider, theme, and content arrangement that is readable and
navigable on mobile devices is essential. Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test
tool to determine whether your own website is mobile-friendly.

           8) Page URL Structure: Create user-friendly and descriptive URLs that incorporate
keywords. Avoid using long strings of random characters or irrelevant
parameters in your URLs. Both readers and search engines should find it easy to
understand the URLs of your pages. They are also crucial for maintaining
consistency in the hierarchy of your website as you add internal pages such as
blog posts and subpages.

           9) Schema Markup: Implement schema markup to provide structured data to search
engines, helping them understand the content and context of your page. This can
lead to rich snippets in search results.

           10) Page Speed and Performance: Google is primarily concerned with the user experience. Google is
aware that users are unlikely to remain on your site if it loads slowly or
erratically. Furthermore, ROI and conversions may be impacted by site speed.
Use Google’s Page Speed Insights tool to check the speed of your website at any
time. Use browser caching, minimise server response times, and compress images
to make your website faster. Pages that load quickly are more likely to rank
highly. Your website needs to load quickly whether it is viewed on a desktop
computer or a mobile device. In terms of on-page SEO, page speed is very
important.

Let’s discuss some of the best SEO techniques
that will help you grow your website traffic:-

       1) Write Quality Content That
Helps Your Audience

      Producing excellent
content that aligns with the search intent of your audience is one of the most
crucial on-page SEO strategies you can implement. To identify pertinent
subjects and target keywords, start by conducting keyword research. Targeting
high search volume can be beneficial. However, you should also consider the
keyword difficulty (KD%) level. Ranking for more competitive keywords (those
with higher KD% scores) is far more challenging. Also focus on long-tail
keywords that are less competitive. They frequently have less volume of
searches but easier keywords. which implies that ranking for them may be
simpler. Incorporate E-A-T principles into your writing. Demonstrate your
knowledge, authority, and dependability, particularly when it comes to
financial, health, or significant life decisions.

       2) Use Your Keywords
Strategically

Placement of your keywords
should be organic, add value to your content, and show search engines that the
page is relevant. Readers will probably do the same as Google, which skims your
content to determine the topic of a page. On your page, you should use the
primary keyword (also called the target keyword) in the following specific
places:

·        
Title Tag: Ideally, place the main keyword close to the top of the title tag.
One of the most important parts of SEO is the title tag.

·        
H1 Tag: Make sure your content’s main heading (H1) contains your main
keyword. Usually, this serves as the page’s headline.

·        
URL: Make the page’s URL user-friendly and descriptive by including the
main keyword in it.

·        
Meta Description: To increase click-through rates and provide context, include the
main keyword in the meta description.

·        
First Paragraph: Throughout the first 100–150 words of your content, naturally use
the main keyword.

       3) Use Catchy Meta
Descriptions and Title Tags

      An HTML element called a
meta description is used to explain the content of your webpage. It typically
appears beneath the title of your page in the SERP. Google rankings are not
directly impacted by meta descriptions. However, they might be the difference
between a user clicking on your page and selecting a different one. which
implies that they can promote increased search traffic. Additionally, Google
may select its own description for the SERP if your meta description doesn’t
accurately reflect the user’s search intent or the content of the page.

Create distinctive and
captivating title tags for every page, incorporating your main keyword in the
first few words. To guarantee that title tags appear correctly in search
results, keep them to no more than 60 characters.

       4) Strong And Authentic
Link Building

      Hyperlinks pointing to
different pages within the same website are called internal links. An essential
component of on-page SEO optimisation are internal links. This is the reason
why:

·        
They facilitate the discovery
and navigation of new pages by Google crawlers and aid search engines in
comprehending the organisation of your website and the relationships between
its pages.

·        
They assist visitors in
navigating your website (and keep them on it longer) and serve as a signal to
Google that the page they are linked to is valuable.

 Links on your website
pointing to other websites are called external links. Links to external sites
are crucial because they improve user experience and establish credibility with
your audience. The question of whether external links affect rankings directly
has been debated. However, Google has stated that one excellent method to give
your users value is to include links to reliable outside sources. Furthermore,
offering a strong user experience is always beneficial. Thus, be sure to
include links to reliable, authoritative websites in your content. Although
citing your sources is generally a good idea, there are probably other external
linking opportunities available.

       5) Optimise your URLs and
Images

To help users understand
the purpose of your page, use words that are pertinent to your content and not
just any old number, publication date, or complete phrase. These are frequently
used by default by website themes, so before publishing, make sure your URL is
updated. One way to make sure your URL is relevant to the subject of your
content is to include your target keyword in it.

Images are crucial to improving the user experience on a website. They improve
the content’s visual appeal and can aid in more effective information delivery.
On the other hand, if your images are not optimised, they may cause your
website to load more slowly, which will be bad for user experience. Search
engines frequently penalise slow-loading websites, which lowers their rankings
and decreases conversion rates. Optimising your images is another way to make
your website more accessible. Screen readers are used by visually impaired
users to navigate websites. The user’s description of images is provided by
image alt text in these screen readers. Your website will be more accessible
and user-friendly for everyone who visits if you include accurate and informative
alt text for your images.

Read our full blog on how
to optimise the images on your website to get maximum traffic.  

Get in touch with us today and start your digital journey with Smart Web Design.

Call: 0121 666 6534

Email: hello@swd-agency.com