On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is about improving what is presented to anything that reads your web pages. We use the word anything as not only do we read it, but search engines scan our pages to understand exactly what is on them.

Everything you see and don’t see on a web page can be classed as On-Page. When done well, on-page SEO optimisation helps search engines grasp your content and determine if it’s a good match for what people are searching for. This is call the search intent.

If you want to improve your on-page optimisation, then be aware of what the follow covers:

• Auditing existing on-page SEO elements: We do this by checking things such as title tags, something called meta description, header tags, image alternate text, and other elements to find any sections we can improvement.
• Checking/monitoring the page’s past and current rankings: This can be as easy as a simple google search, or moving on to some more advanced tools (semrush, Ahrefs) to work out where a site appears in search results for relevant keywords.
• Analyzing the content: We check this by evaluating the page’s content for keyword usage, it’s relevance, and the overall quality of the content.
• Analyzing top-ranking pages: by looking at our competitions external pages we can compare how we stack up to what they have. This is literally a “keeping up with the jones” comparision.

Content Optimisation

Looking at content optimisation is an important step for analysing your on-page SEO. It allows us to create high-quality, relevant content that is optimised for any search engines and us, as people. The following outlines below highlight just what is needed to make that content something special!

Keyword Research

Before creating or optimising content, you have to perform keyword research. You do this my finding relevant keywords that users are searching for related to your page, topic, or product. Thankfully, tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Google Keyword Planner can help with this. They are able to identify relevant keywords, their search volume, and their competition.

Targeted Keyword Usage

Once the relevant keywords have been identified, then we can mix them naturally throughout the article. This includes looking at the page titles, the headings/subheadings, body text, and image alternate text. However, avoid what they call keyword stuffing. It is the overuse of keywords to manipulate search rankings. Keyword stuffing can negatively impact rankings and the user experience.

Content Structure

As with reading a book we look for titles and headings. Imagine looking at a page with thousands of words, no way to focus your eye on the next line or work out how to find a section quickly. This is where Heading tags can come in. H1, H2 all the way down to H6 allow not only a focus point for the eye, but categories for your content. Breaking it down into digestible chunks makes it easier for people to scan and quickly find the information they need.

Engaging Content

Obviously for readability, what you should write needs to be clear, concise, and engaging. Some of the methods you could use are things like: real world examples, case studies, and visuals to illustrate concepts. As such, you need to try to bring together different content formats on the page, spice it up! So look to create content on the page that has:

• Lists: Using bullet points or numbered lists give the reader a way to see concise information or highlight a main point.
• Tables: They cannot always be used, but create tables to be able to compare different options or summarize complex data.
• Quotes: Quoted content supplies the reader with an outside expert, that gets injected onto the page. Which then aids with authority and confidence being passed to the reader.
• Videos: By embeding relevant videos, you can encourage people to stay longer. Providing visual explanations are a great way to break up the page content, which will give a different on-page, and overall, better experience.

Image Optimisation

Image optimization in my experience is often overlooked as an issue. People just paste the latest pictures from thier phones at the highest quality possible. What could go wrong? Pages end up loading slowly, which ends up being magnified, as more people browse your site. So Image Optimisation means delivering high-quality images, without compromise, in the best format, size, and resolution possible. Easy Right?

Page Speed Optimisation

Image optimisation is a sub-set of Page speed. If you have slow-loading pages, you get higher bounce rates, lower conversion rates, and a decrease in search rankings. Back in 2020 Google started ranking factors on the speed your pages load. Studies have shown that even a small delay in page load time can lead to fewer page views and lost sales. For example, one second delay in page load time leads to 11% fewer page views, and websites that take a long time to load cost retail companies $2.6 billion every year in lost sales. Users have high expectations for website loading speed, with almost half of internet users expecting websites to load in under two seconds, and 53% of mobile site visitors leaving a page if it doesn’t load within three seconds. Beacuse of this it is super important to have fast loading pages for desktop and mobiles. With an emphesis on Mobile first, due to over 60% of users browsing the web off their phones.

URL Optimisation

URL optimization involves creating user-friendly and search engine-friendly URLs that accurately reflect the page’s content. Optimized URLs can improve click-through rates from search results and help search engines understand the page’s topic.

Mobile Responsiveness

Mobile responsiveness has to be taken seriously. A mobile-responsive website adapts to different screen sizes and devices, providing a positive user experience for all visitors. Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily uses the mobile version of a website for indexing and ranking.

Around 55-60% of website traffic comes from mobile devices (smartphones specifically), while desktops account for around 40-45%. Tablets make up a very small percentage (2-3%). Some sources even place mobile traffic as high as 65%.

Competitor Analysis and Content Differentiation

Analyzing top-ranking pages for your particulal topic can help reveal valuable insights and opportunities to differentiate your content. Here’s a general approach to competitor analysis:

Identify Top-Ranking Pages

Use SEO tools, such as SEMrush or Ahrefs, to identify the top-ranking pages for and related keywords. These tools provide insights into the keywords each page is ranking for, their estimated traffic, and their backlink profiles.

Analyze Content and Structure

Analyze the content, structure, and keyword usage of these pages. Identify common themes, gaps in information, and unique approaches. Pay attention to the following:

• Content Depth: This will depend on the topic you are covering but when people browse your page, are they going to find enough detail to stop them having to go and check out another page, or site?
• Content Format: How have you got the content layed out? Many many lines of text-heavy articles are not a good idea. Back up your content with visuals, videos, or other multimedia elements.
• Keyword Usage: How are the keywords being used throughout the content? Are they used naturally, or does it seem forced. The flow of the conversation should be as if you were talking to someone.
• User Experience: If someone browses to your page, is it easy to navigate and find the information they need?

Content Differentiation

Make your content stand out, by displaying unique insights, interesting data and perspectives. The page would stand out if you show:

• Original research: Getting surveys, displaying interviews, or undergo experiments to get unique data and insights.
• Provide case studies: Case studies are a great example of advertising your work and how you can macth what result the end user is wanting to acheive.
• Offer a different angle: There is nothing like a good, data rich infographic, or a video describing a complicated process. Even interactive content that might involve a puzzle or questionaire to keep people engauged.

Internal and External Linking Strategies

Internal which link to other internal pages or links with link to outside the site, help search engines understand the structure and relationship between different pages. It is a way so state what is important and relevant to the reader.

Internal Linking

Internal linking refers to linking to other relevant pages on your website. This helps to:

• Improve website navigation: Internal links can offer suggestions as to where the reader might go next. Presenting highly relevant, associated blogs, surrounds the reader with content that might just offer a little more insight and keep them looking on your site longer.
• Distribute link equity: As google (and other search engines) scan your pages, they assign values to your internal links. Usually pages point back to the home page, which then creates a great importance and value to that page. By distributing links to other important pages, from other relevant pages, you can starte to create a mesh of similar topics and keywords.
• Improve keyword rankings: By using relevant anchor texts (the visible text of a link), you can improve the ranking of the pages it then points. The anchor text should be providing clear intent as to where it is leading the reader.

External Linking

External linking, as it says, refers to linking outside your site, to reputable external sources. such as industry blogs, research papers, or case studies. This helps:

• Build credibility and authority: Linking to high-quality external sources shows that your content is well-researched as it is supported by credible background information.
• Improve the user experience: It Gives the reader an opportunity to go into further details, and in some ways, not feel trapped to reading everything you have written.
• Attract backlinks: Website owners often monitor who links back to their own websites. If they feel you are worthy, the likelihood of those websites linking back to useful content you may have increases.

Conclusion

By focusing on content optimization, conducting competitor analysis, and implementing effective internal and external linking strategies, you can improve your website’s visibility in search results and attract more organic traffic.

By understanding the principles of on-page SEO and implementing the strategies outlined in this report, you can improve your website’s ranking for relevant keywords.