Every SEO strategy is focused on ranking a site as well as possible in searches. To do this, we all try to unravel the secrets of Google’s algorithm. That’s basically what SEO is all about. The factors in Google’s algorithm can be divided into two categories, which will determine your site’s ranking: on-page factors and off-page factors. In this article I will bring you 10 important items of on-page SEO.
Index
What is on-page SEO?
On-page SEO factors are linked to the elements of your site. Among the on-page SEO factors we can highlight code quality, content, layout, usability, images, structured data markup, etc.
On-page SEO factors are the elements that you have the most control over within an SEO strategy. You can control the technical and content aspects of your site, right? If you create an amazing website, it will definitely start to rank better. Focusing on on-page SEO will also increase the likelihood that your off-page SEO strategy will be successful. Link building with a bad website is a very difficult task. No one wants to link to poorly written or boring articles.
Here is a list of 10 important on-page SEO items that you should pay attention to:
- E-A-T
- Tag Title
- Meta Description
- Headlines
- Headings
- Image Optimization
- User eXperience
- Selecting Structured Data
- Site Structure
- Site Speed
E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
Expertise, authority, and reliability. This concept is part of Google’s guidelines and is probably a relevant ranking factor within Google’s algorithm.
In summary, it is this: produce good content. Google has always valued relevant content, and today it is doing so more than ever.
There is a clear relationship between E-A-T and good search positions. Show knowledge, be relevant and reliable, and your site will most likely get points for this. Simply producing content will not do. Remember that you are writing content for people and therefore that content must be high quality, substantial and relevant.
Also read: The definitive guide to content SEO
Tag Title
The title tag is an HTML tag that exists in the head of every page on your website. It offers a first insight into what is covered on your page.
It is highlighted on the search engine results pages (usually used as the clickable link) and in the browser window. The title tag, by itself, has little impact on organic rankings and is therefore often ignored. Nevertheless, a missing, duplicate, or poorly written title tag can negatively impact your SEO results. Be sure to optimize this valuable element on your pages.
Read also: SEO Tips for News
Meta Description
Along with the title tag it is possibly one of the oldest factors in on-page SEO. The meta description is a meta tag that provides a description of what the page is about. Usually the meta description is displayed in the SERPs below the title tag.
Although Google claims that the meta description does not help in ranking pages there is clear evidence of its indirect contributions to this:
- increased click through rates per search display (CTR);
- improves the perceived quality of the result;
- improves the perception of what your site has to offer as a whole.
Read also: How to create the right meta description
Headlines
Want your site to perform well in searches? Write attractive titles that entice visitors to visit your site.
Finding a title for an article or news item may seem easy but a great title can be the difference between a click and an impression. Again the CTR factor is present. So write titles strategically.
Your call-to-action should pique the reader’s interest and stand out in search results. They must instigate the user to click and continue reading your content.
Headings
Headings are HTML elements (h1-h6) used to identify and differentiate headings and subheadings from the rest of your content.
These header tags, as they can also be called, have had more relevance in the past but still serve to optimize a site especially for the user experience.
They allow the content to be quickly scanned by the visitor making reading much more enjoyable. In addition, they provide context about what is covered in your content.
Read also: Headings and SEO
Image Optimization
Adding images to your content is one way to make it much more appealing and enjoyable. However, not all images are the same or offer the same benefit. Some images can compromise the performance of the site and penalize it in searches.
Optimizing images will bring considerable SEO benefits to your site. Some of these benefits are:
- improve the user experience;
- accelerate the loading time of pages;
- appear in Google image search.
Images should not be just a decorative element, without function. They should highlight the content and to do so remember to use descriptive titles and the alt tag.
User eXperience
Users need to understand your site easily.
They should be able to find what they want in the blink of an eye. They must know where to click and how to navigate through your site. And it should be fast! A beautifully designed website is nice, but you should definitely make it a priority to create a website that is easy to use!
Engaging users is one of the biggest challenges of a website. To increase user engagement, focus on aspects such as site speed, user experience, content optimization, and more.
Read also: 6 mistakes in website structure and how to avoid them
Selecting Structured Data
Structured data is data that is added to your site to make it easier for search engines to understand. The major search engines, Google, Bing, Yandex, and Yahoo, have collectively developed a vocabulary (Schema.org) to achieve a shared language that allows them to get a better understanding of websites.
If you use structured data to brand products, reviews, events, or recipes, search engines like Google can collect this data and present it in an enhanced way. If you want advanced results, such as snippets, interactive results for mobile devices, voice-activated actions, or a listing in the knowledge graph, you need to brand your pages with structured data.
If implemented correctly, search engines can use the applied structured data to better understand your page content. As a result, your site can be presented better in search results, for example in the form of advanced results, such as rich snippets or rich cards.
Importantly, featured snippets have a much higher click-through rate in organic search than standard display. Therefore, always aim for these snippets through the use of structured data.
Site Structure
Just as important as writing relevant content is to organize it in such a way that the user can find what they are looking for easily.
True or False? The more pages you have for a certain keyword, the greater the chances that you will rank for this keyword.
False!
Targeting a specific term on multiple pages can cause what we call “keyword cannibalization,” which has some potentially disastrous consequences for your SEO.
When you have multiple pages ranking for the same keyword, you are actually competing with yourself. It is important to identify whether keyword cannibalization exists on your site and address it immediately.
Read also: Old content on the site, update or delete?
Read also: How to use tags to organize your site
Site Speed
Possibly the most explicit and agreed upon ranking factor among SEOs worldwide. Increasingly, sites with low performance are being penalized with decreases in their search rankings.
A slow website can impair the visitor’s entire browsing experience and consequently affect their engagement with it. Notice that this factor has a direct relationship with other on-page SEO factors, especially the user experience.
If you want to better position your business in search engines, contact us and we will talk about both on-page and off-page optimization of your site.
Continue reading: Google Page Experience: UX as a ranking factor
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