‘On-Page SEO’ Basics And Its Importance:Digital Marketing Hindi
On-page SEO is all about optimizing a page’s content, tags, and internal links to improve search visibility.
Here are 12 factors to maximize your visibility.Have you ever played Tetris? If so, you probably remember that there was no real way to “beat” the game. It just got faster and faster with each level.
In a way, it’s the same with search engine optimization (SEO).Not because it has a catchy 8-bit soundtrack or rewrites your dreams, but because it never ends.There is no point at which you can sit back and relax, satisfied that your website is at the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs) once and for all.Sure, you may have reached the top today, but the work of an SEO professional is never done.Any change to Google’s algorithm or competitors’ content could knock you off that top spot, which means you need to keep up with the changes.And that means your on-page SEO needs to be on point. But before we get into that, it’s important to have an overview of how Google and other search engines work.
Search engine basics
Search engines send out crawlers or spiders to explore the Internet. They follow links from one website to another, creating a map of content called a search index.As they explore websites, these crawlers also evaluate their content and determine what kind of information they contain.This data is then used by the search engine’s algorithm to determine how well the content of each website answers users’ queries.The better it answers the query, the higher it’s ranked in the SERPs.In Google’s constant effort to provide users with better results, the algorithm is updated frequently. This inevitably leads to changes in the rankings, so someone has to optimize the website to improve or secure the rankings.
What’s on-page SEO and why is it important?
On-page SEO, sometimes called on-site SEO, is the process of optimizing a page’s content, tags, and internal links to improve search visibility and increase traffic.Perform a full website scan in just a few minutesCheck your site for 130+ common issues and get specific reports on your site’s crawlability, internal linking, speed and performance, and more.In other words, you can optimize your website so that search engines can better understand your website.And that, of course, brings a whole range of benefits.The first is in the amount of traffic.
The first five organic results on a search page receive 67.60% of all clicks. The next five account for only 3.73%. And it goes downhill from there. So if you want to get traffic, you need to be at the top.
Second, high-ranking sites have much better click-through rates (CTR). The first mobile Google search result has an average organic CTR of 26.9%.
Now, if you consider that 92.4% of Internet users who search for something nearby on their cell phones visit that store the same day, you can guess the impact organic SEO can have on your bottom line. And on-page optimization is an important factor for your organic ranking.
Hopefully, by now you understand the importance of on-page SEO. Now is the time to get started. Let’s get started right away…
12 Essential On-Page SEO Factors
On-page SEO can be broadly divided into three categories: Content, HTML, and Website Architecture. We’ll look at each category individually.
Content
You’ve heard it before: Content is king.
SEO without content is like a nice new sports car without an engine — it may look good, but it doesn’t run. But not all content is created equal.
Here are the content factors you need to consider to optimize your on-site SEO:
1. E-A-T
One way Google ranks your website is based on E-A-T, which means competence, authority, and trustworthiness.
It’s mentioned 135 times on 175 pages of Google’s search quality guidelines, which should be an indication of the role it plays in the search engine’s algorithms.
Google has confirmed only some elements of E-A-T (PageRank and links), but it’s generally accepted in the SEO industry that on-page signals play a big role in the ratings.
You can get a deeper insight into E-A-T in this article.
2. Keywords
The easiest way to tell if your website’s content answers a user’s question is by the language you use. Pages that contain the keywords used in a search query, whether in the text, headings, or both, are more likely to be relevant to the search. Sometimes this is easy to determine. If you’re optimizing a furniture store’s website, you’ll probably want to include keywords like [sofa], [dining set], and [end table].If it’s a specialized furniture store, make sure you include long-tail keywords like [contemporary art deco sideboards].
In short, you need to know what your target customers are searching for and create content that includes those terms. It’s always a good idea to do your research so you don’t miss an opportunity.
3. SEO Writing
Creating content that appeals to both search engines and human visitors to your website is an art.
If you haven’t done it before, it can be quite a challenge to write copy that reads well and still adheres to SEO best practices.
We’ve written an entire article on how to master this art, but here are some of the key points to keep in mind:
Focus on readability: your content should be easy to read so users can quickly find the information they’re looking for.
Don’t use too many keywords: this technique, also known as keyword stuffing, has been used in the past by unscrupulous SEO professionals to trick the system. Google views websites that use too many keywords with suspicion. If you get caught doing this, your page can be downgraded in the SERPs or even removed altogether.
Keep sentences and paragraphs short: If you’ve ever clicked on a web page only to be assaulted by an uninterrupted wall of text, you know how hard it’s to read long texts. Avoid scaring users away by keeping your sentences and paragraphs short.
Use subheadings: Subheadings stand out because of their size and attract the attention of readers who skim your page. Use a sufficient number in your content to guide readers across the page.
Use bulleted lists: this may feel very meta, but bulleted lists are a great way to break down information into easily digestible bites. Use them whenever they make sense.
4. Visual aids
Using images, videos, and infographics don’t just make your site visually interesting to visitors. They also give you the opportunity to improve your SEO.
More than 36% of consumers use visual search when they store online. So if you’re not using images, you’re missing out on traffic.
Make sure you optimize your accompanying text whenever possible.
Pay attention to the size of your image files to avoid slow loading. Make sure your images can be shared to find opportunities for backlinks that can boost your E-A-T.
HTML
Hyper-Text Markup Language or HTML is the code you use to structure your web pages and their content.
It tells the user’s browser what to display and where to display it. And it tells search engines what your page is about and where to rank you.
Here are the factors on the SEO HTML page that you need to consider:
5. Title tags
This is one of the areas where it’s important to focus on the details.
On its own, this snippet of code that allows you to give a web page a title is unlikely to shoot you up the SERP rankings.
But in conjunction with other on-page elements (like the ones discussed here), it can help you build context and demonstrate the relevance of your site.
If you want to take a closer look at optimizing your title tags, read this.
6. Meta description
At this moment, a seasoned SEO expert throws her hands together over the screen. “Oh, come on,” she says, “everyone knows that meta descriptions aren’t an SEO ranking factor.”
She’s only partially right. While it’s true that there’s plenty of evidence against meta descriptions as a ranking factor, she’s mistaken when she says that everyone knows that.
And don’t let negative Nancy here discourage you from adding them to your site.
Although they’re relatively insignificant in search engine optimization, they offer two important benefits: they can help Google understand what your website is about, and more importantly, they’ve an outsized impact on your CTRs.
Better meta descriptions give searchers a better understanding of what your page is about, which in turn leads to more clicks. So don’t neglect them.
7. Image optimization
We’ve already briefly touched on the importance of the visual elements on your page, but now it’s time to take a closer look at the technical aspects.
Here are some tips for optimizing your images:
Include SEO-friendly alt tags.
Choose the right format and file size for fast loading.
Customize the file names instead of using something like IMG_08759.
Make sure your images are mobile friendly.
Again, we have a great resource for more in-depth information on HTML image optimization. Read it here.
8. Geotagging (for local search)
The economy may be global, but most business is still done on a local level. Connect with people in your neighborhood by optimizing your on-page SEO for local search.
While this is less important for mega-corporations like GMC or Pepsi, it’s the name of the game for small and medium-sized businesses.
There are three important SEO tactics you should consider when focusing on local traffic:
Optimizing local listings and citations, including name, address and phone number (NAP), website URL and business descriptions, using third-party apps and getting reviews.
Optimizing your local content, including considering searches for places near you, providing location-based content, or buying a local website or blog.
Optimizing and building links to other local businesses and organizations.
Be sure to include the name of your destination in your keywords, and include them in your content wherever they fit.
For more information on building your own geotagging SEO strategy, click here.
Website architecture
A well-structured website is important for two reasons: first, a logically built website will be crawled more effectively by search engines, and second, it will provide a better user experience.
Here are the factors you should consider when optimizing your website’s architecture:
9. Website speed
A cumbersome, slow-loading website is not only frustrating and drives away visitors — it also hurts your search ranking.
Search Engine Journal has taken an in-depth look at the impact of page load time on search engine optimization and confirmed that page speed is a ranking factor in search results.
However, the minimum speed your site must meet is constantly changing.
Currently, the minimum speed can be achieved by complying with Google’s Core Web Vitals. If your website does not currently meet these standards, there are several actions you can take, including:
Enable compression.
Reduce redirects.
Optimize images.
Use browser caches.
10. Responsive design
In 2016, mobile search volume surpassed desktop for the first time. And in the years that followed, that number has only increased.
Mobile devices now account for more than 56% of all internet usage, with tablets accounting for another 2.4%.
As more and more users use mobile devices, Google followed the logical path and started favoring websites with responsive design in mobile search rankings.
This mobile-friendly update only affects search results on mobile devices. It is still possible to rank in these results without responsive design, but Google strongly recommends that websites have a mobile version.
11. URL structure
There was a time when URLs played a big role in search engine optimization. Professionals made sure that their keywords were included in the web addresses so that they could rank better.
But Google changed the algorithm, as Google does. And what was once so important for ranking now plays a much smaller role.
That’s not to say it doesn’t matter. The search engines still include your URLs in your overall ranking — they just don’t have the same importance as they used to.
However, there’s evidence that they do play a role in a site’s initial ranking, and some experts believe they’re used to group pages. This means that while they shouldn’t be your top SEO priority, you shouldn’t ignore them either.
12. Links
Remember E-A-T from the beginning of this article?
One of the best ways your website can convey expertise, authority and trustworthiness is through links from other reputable websites.
Think of it this way: who’d you rather trust with your 401(k) — a financial advisor who manages Warren Buffet’s portfolio or your cousin Jimmy who lives in your aunt’s basement? Jimmy could do a good job; he might even outperform Buffett’s guy. But he just doesn’t have the credibility that comes with a strong co-signature.
Links work the same way.
There are three main types you need to know for SEO:
- Internal links — or those that point to another page on your site, like this one.
- Outbound links — also known as external links, these are links that point to a page in another domain, like this one that points to Google’s SEO page.
- Inbound links — sometimes called backlinks, these are links from other websites that point to your page.
Of the three, inbound links are by far the most important. They provide the greatest SEO benefit, but are also the most difficult to obtain.
There are a variety of methods SEO professionals use to generate quality inbound links. These include using social media, creating shareable infographics, and even simply asking for backlinks.
But beware: not all inbound links are helpful. Some, especially those coming from link farms, forum posts, and guestbooks, may be fake links designed to cheat the ranking system. If you don’t disavow them, it may harm your ranking.
On-page SEO vs. off-page SEO
We’ve talked a lot about on-page SEO, but there’s also something known as off-page SEO. The difference, as you can probably already tell from the names, is where it takes place.
On-page SEO is anything you can do internally to improve your rankings, including optimizing keywords, meta descriptions, title tags, alt text, and site structure.
Off-page SEO is anything that happens externally that affects your website rankings. This includes backlinks, E-A-T, local SEO, social media mentions, and pay-per-click.
Of course, you’ve much more control over your on-page SEO, but it’s important to keep an eye on off-page SEO as well — you need both to achieve your goal.
However, you should first focus on creating a good, relevant website that’s fully optimized for search engines before you put a lot of resources into building links and promoting your site.
On-page SEO is an ongoing process
At the end of the day, search engine optimization is about one thing: finding the best way to deliver valuable information to searchers and making sure your website is at the top of the SERPs.
Your goal is to provide users with a better experience while demonstrating your value to the search engines. Fortunately, these two things go hand in hand. And they start with on-page optimization.
Start with what you can control by carefully examining your current website for weaknesses and opportunities for growth.
Get your site up to speed and you’ll start to see results — including organic improvement in off-site factors.
Just remember that, like Tetris, SEO is never finished. But keep reading and keep working, and you’ll get the results you deserve.