7 On-Page SEO Techniques You Should Implement ASAP
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of making content as accessible and attractive to search engines as possible so that the content gets found, indexed and ranked as high as possible on the search result pages.
On-Page SEO refers to optimization done directly on the respective page of content as opposed to external link building, which takes place on other websites and is important for obtaining high PageRank and placement in search results.
On Page SEO includes:
1. Keyword Research
In SEO, keywords are the words and phrases that users type into search engines to find what they’re looking for. For example, if you’re looking to purchase airline tickets you might type “airline tickets”. You might also include your destination – “airline tickets to boston”. Or maybe, “cheap airline tickets to boston”. Each individual word is a keyword, and each individual phrase is a keyword phrase. When creating your content you need to identify what keywords you are targeting to make sure you are reaching the right potential customer.
2. Titles
There are really two titles to every article or post. One is for your reader to see and one is for the search engine to digest. The title for your reader must grab their attention and convince them to continue reading. The search engine title (or title tag) needs to contain your keywords and be constructed in a way that makes it easily searchable. Keyword placement within the title tag can also play a role.
3. Meta Descriptions
These are the short blurbs that appear beneath your title on search engine result pages (SERPs) that tell the searchers a bit about your page and convince them to click on your title or move on to the next search result. Although meta descriptions do not directly influence search engine rankings, they are important for getting your page link clicked on by the searcher. In addition, any keywords used in the search will be highlighted in your description on the SERP.
4. Keyword Usage
You need to use your keyword in your content, which shouldn’t be difficult since it does represent your main focus. But don’t overuse it (known as stuffing) or just stick it in out of context. That can cause the search engine to view you as a spammer (bad, very bad).
5. Image Alt Tags
An HTML coding tag that describes your image, allowing it to be read by the search engine.
6. Internal Linking
Linking content within your site. This helps search engines navigate through your entire site and might also help page rank.
7. Duplicate Content
Something you want to stay away from, because it could possibly cause Google to penalize you. This is a complicated subject, but the best way to go is to avoid duplicate content altogether.
On-Page SEO is just one part of a comprehensive SEO and Content Marketing strategy. To learn more about how we can help you with your SEO, please contact us today.
