You may have heard the term on-page SEO before. But what is on-page SEO, really?
This guide will break down its core components. Understanding what is on-page SEO, how it works, why it matters and how to apply it effectively can drive huge results for your business.
So, what is on-page SEO? On-page SEO is the process of optimising website content in order to achieve a higher search engine ranking and increase website traffic. Common on-page SEO practices include optimising website titles, incorporating relevant keywords and refining URLs.
You may have also come across off-page SEO and wondered “what is off-page SEO?” Off-page SEO focuses on boosting search engine rankings through optimising external factors such as backlinks, social media, and public relations.
In short, on-page SEO is what you control on your site, while off-page SEO refers to influences external to your site.
While both are useful, on-page SEO is where you have the most control, and even the smallest of changes can have huge results.
Now that we discussed what is on-page SEO, it is important to understand why it matters. On-page SEO can help improve search engine rankings and drive organic traffic to a website. Search engines will evaluate a website’s content to determine whether it matches the search intent of users. Well-optimised content will be easier to understand, rank higher, drive targeted-traffic and subsequently increase user engagement and conversions.
In simple terms, on-page SEO helps develop valuable website content which search engines want to rank.
By understanding what is on-page SEO and applying on-page SEO techniques, you can increase your website ranking and traffic. You do not need to do everything – it is more valuable to implement a few strategies at a high standard.
Here are 5 core on-page SEO techniques you can start using today:
Keyword research can help identify which words your target audience are searching for. Including these target keywords on your website will help search engines and users understand your page’s relevance, increasing it’s ranking and traffic. Google’s keyword planner can help you get an idea of high-performing keywords. Examples of key areas to place keywords can include page title, subheadings, and first paragraphs.
However, it is important to avoid keyword stuffing. Clarity is the goal.
For more details on using keywords in SEO, read our blog on why keywords are important.
Title tags appear in the search engine results page (SERP’s) and are a critical component of on-page SEO. It is the first overview of what your page is about, and can influence whether a user clicks on your website or not. Ensuring you have a compelling title tag is crucial for boosting website traffic.
Some key tips for optimising title tags include:
Meta descriptions are a short summary of your page. Google often displays your meta description to users as a descriptive snippet, and so may influence whether a user clicks on your website or not. Creating an enticing meta description can help increase website traffic.
Some key tips for optimising meta descriptions include:
URLs should be descriptive and represent the page’s core topic. This means using keywords and avoiding random numbers and characters which make your URL unreadable or cryptic. This helps demonstrate the website’s value by showing it is relevant to a user’s search.
Internal links are hyperlinks which redirect users to a different page on the same website. This allows easier navigation of a website, shows the relationship between pages for both users and search engines, and keeps users on the website for longer.
Headers help search engines understand the content and structure of your page to determine if it is relevant to a user. It also improves readability, helping users skim a website and locate the most relevant information.
Header tags can be structured as set out below:
Now that you have learnt some core techniques, you can treat this list as an on-page SEO checklist. Referring back to these 5 techniques can help ensure your website content is relevant, valuable and engaging.
Hopefully, now you feel confident in your knowledge on what is on-page SEO. On-page SEO is not about changing everything, but instead focuses on optimising existing components of a website. Small, intentional changes can drive incredible results. In today’s saturated digital market, subtle SEO tweaks can boost website visibility, rankings and targeted traffic to drive growth for your business.
Not sure where to start, or wondering “what is my website ranking”?
Get started with our on-page SEO services. Request a SEO audit to receive clear, actionable tips you can implement straight away.
Onsite SEO, also known as on-page SEO, is the process of optimising different elements of a website to improve search engine rankings and generating relevant traffic.
On-page SEO is completed inside your website. This can involve optimising title tags, adding internal links, enhancing meta descriptions, optimising URLs and much more.
On-page SEO focuses on optimising elements on your website. Alternatively, off-page SEO involves optimising factors external to your website such as backlinks, public relations and social media.
Yes. On-page SEO is important because it increases online visibility and chances of ranking higher in search engines. This drives targeted traffic to your website and increases the likelihood of conversions.
Without SEO, your online visibility will decline. This means you will place lower in search engine rankings and have less targeted traffic. You can even lose authority as your competitors will overtake.
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