What are the main aspects of on-page SEO?

SEO

Adelaide’s best guide to on-page SEO

On page SEO is all about making sure your website is optimised for search engines. It consists of multiple factors, all of which are in your control to hone to perfection.

They include elements as diverse as macro issues such as having the best possible site structure, down to uber-critical micro-level aspects  that include optimising titles and header tags. It also includes fine tuning your website’s code, as well as ensuring your website’s content is fresh and relevant.

Valuable Content 
One of the most important aspects of on page SEO is content. Your content needs to be well written, informative and keyword rich. 

Deliberately placing relevant keywords throughout your content will help search engines understand what your page is about and index it accordingly. Your content upgrade tasks should include image and title tag optimisation.

Content is what helps search engines understand what your website is about, and it’s also what helps searchers find the information they’re looking for. Think of it as a vocabulary map, or the world’s largest index! If your website’s content is well-written, keyword-rich, and relevant to your audience, it stands to reason that it will appear higher in this index.

Strategic advice on keywords 
When it comes to keywords, it’s important to use them sparingly and strategically.

Stuffing your content with too many keywords will not only irritate your readers, but it will also get you penalised by search engines. Instead, focus on using a few well-chosen keywords and phrases.

Incorporate them naturally throughout your content.

Above all, make sure they are placed in strategic places. Examples are your title, in your headings, and in the body of text.

SEO and images
Images are another important part of on-page SEO. Not only do they help break up your content and make it more visually appealing, but they can also help improve your search engine ranking.

Search engines index images based on the keywords used in the image title and alt text. So, including relevant keywords in your image title and alt text will help improve your ranking.

Google has said that using stock images won’t incur a SEO penalty – but they don’t do anything to boost your position in image search. If you can use images that are original – even just snapped off your iPhone – you increase your chances in this aspect of SEO.

Some companies budget for periodic photoshoots and graphic designer projects that are focussed on producing a stack of imagery in a professional manner – but also in a very short period of time. These “sprints” should be aligned to your content calendar.

Image optimisation also refers to compressing your images, and choosing the right file format.
Geotagging for local search is a process of tagging your images with the location where they were taken.

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Title tags: small but immensely important
Title tags are another important element of on page SEO. Title tags are used to tell search engines what your page is about. They appear in the title bar of your browser and should be descriptive and keyword rich. They also appear in the search results and tell searchers what your website is about.

Meta descriptions do actually matter
Meta descriptions are the brief descriptions that appear under your title tag in the search results.

These are your chance to “sell” your website to potential visitors, so make sure to include your keywords and make your descriptions as compelling as possible. So while they are not a ranking factor in themselves, their ability to get people to click your particular search result is very important for SEO as a whole.

Site architecture
Website structure is another important on-page SEO factor. A well-structured website is easy for search engines to crawl and index, and it also makes it easier for users to navigate.

How do your rate your current site structure? If the answer is “it’s a maze”, then start reorganising it to suit user pathways and trim any bloat that doesn’t add value.

Several views about page speed
Site speed has been talked about for years and there is no denying that it is important. A fast website not only provides a better user experience, but it also helps improve your ranking in the search results. However, we’ve seen some terrific sites that rank really well – but are slower than their competitors, whom they outrank. The lesson here is to take a balanced approach.

Shrink to grow
Responsive design is non-negotiable. A responsive website is one that is optimised for all devices, including mobile phones and tablets. Google takes a mobile-first approach when assessing websites. 

The best address to be found – URL
Make sure you – or your SEO consultant – pays attention to URL structure. URL structure is important for both users and search engines. A well-structured URL makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index your website. It also makes it easier for users to remember the URL and navigate to your website. 

If it’s important, link to it
Internal links are links from one page on your website to another page on your website. They help users navigate your website and help search engines crawl and index your website.

Keep a tight focus. Your most prolific internal links should route people to your most important pages.

These are your highways to your cities. Don’t go loading up your “map” with so many roads and cities (links and pages destinations) that it’s not obvious to the search engines what the priorities are.

Summary
So to recap, on page SEO is all about optimising your website content and code to make it more visible to search engines. By that we actually mean “ranking higher”.

There’s no magic wand and it involves an ongoing commitment if you want to beat your competitors. 

And believe us, you do! Those companies that hit number 1-3 positions and the Local Pack on Google, attract most of the traffic. Think of it as being on the busiest street in your city, compared to being hidden away on a side street that few people ever walk down.

It’s a lot to remember. It is also a large workload and can suck up vast chunks of your valuable time if you don’t really know what you are doing. That’s where we come in.  Get A Free 30 Minute Consultation