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Get a Quote Today!9 Elements of On-Page Website Optimisation for Higher Ranking
Google, alongside other search engines, takes into account many factors when deciding how best to rank websites.
Google’s algorithm is complex. Your search engine optimisation strategy needs to be thorough. Information quality, keywords, title tags and meta descriptions each affect how favourably your website content ranks compared to other top-ranking pages.
Reaching the top of the search engine results takes hard work, dedication and organisation. When it comes to maximising your website’s search volume, it’s crucial to be holistic in your approach to SEO.
Optimising your on-page SEO elements makes your content more appealing to consumers, drives traffic to your website, and bolsters your SEO ranking.
To help you on your way to achieving first-class SEO optimisation, this blog post will look at 9 of the most important on-page SEO elements that are guaranteed to improve your search engine ranking.
Key takeaways
- On-page SEO refers to the measures you can take to improve your site’s ranking from your own website.
- The vital first step for a quality on-page SEO strategy is to create high-quality content.
- Content should include natural keywords tailored to your audience, but remember not to overdo it. Keyword stuffing is no longer effective as a technique to improve your website’s ranking.
- Be detail-oriented. Perfect your titles, meta descriptions and imagery.
- The key to a successful on-page SEO campaign is hard-work and consistency. Success doesn’t happen overnight.
What is on-page SEO?
To get started, let’s understand how on-page SEO and off-page SEO differ.
On-page SEO refers to every measure that you can take on your own website to improve your website’s position in the google rankings.
In contrast, off-page SEO focuses on external techniques carried out off of a business’s web page. Some techniques include link-building, creating guest content for reputable websites, and social media marketing.
9 essential on-page techniques for a better position in search engine rankings
If you’re looking to reach the top of the search results, it’s essential to be committed to a varied SEO strategy.
Here are 9 essential methods to start using today:
1) Create outstanding content
It’s no secret that quality content is the number one way to reach the top of search engines.
Before attempting any other techniques in this blog, it’s crucial to ensure your content is hitting the mark.
A high-calibre SEO strategy without top-class content is like a train with no tracks. You need both to see any progress.
If high-quality content isn’t at the heart of your business, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Google rewards businesses that add value to the user experience. Aim to become the best source of information in your field, and you’re already on your way to success.
Follow these tips to ensure your content is authoritative, trustworthy and effective:
- Write for your audience.
- Be unique. Offer something different.
- Solve the problems that your users are having.
- Be the most authoritative source in your field.
- Include research and substantiate your claims.
Creating content that follows these basic guidelines is an excellent way to begin climbing the search engine rankings with your on-page SEO.
2) Break down information
When writing content for your web page, focus on readability.
Research suggests that only 16% of users read articles word for word (NNgroup).
This means most users will simply scan the page for specific information.
Break your writing down so that users with a niche search intent can easily find the details they’re looking for.
Incorporate these techniques to structure your content effectively:
- Use headings and subheadings to break information into sections.
- Keep paragraphs short and sweet.
- Use bullet points to summarise key points.
- Break up long passages of text with images.
3) Include relevant keywords
Let’s be clear: keywords aren’t as important as they were a decade ago.
That said, you still need to incorporate them. Keywords are still an effective tool for anyone looking to increase their website’s search volume.
Including target keywords is the most effective way to let search engines know what your website offers.
Keyword research helps you to discover the terms your users are searching for.
It’s crucial to stay one step ahead when it comes to appearing at the top of search engines.
Keep up to date on current trends related to your industry so that you can adapt your keywords as necessary.
Depending on your business’s expertise, you also need to decide whether to focus on short-tail or long-tail keywords.
For more detailed information on the different types of keywords and how to implement them into your content strategy, read our guide.
4) Avoid keyword stuffing
Keyword stuffing is no longer an effective way to reach the top of search engines.
There’s a fine line between content that incorporates keywords naturally and content that overdoes it.
As a rule of thumb, it’s best to leave the keyword out if you have to force it.
Google punishes businesses that use keyword stuffing to boost the ranking of their web page artificially.
Search engines want businesses to create valuable content. Overuse of target keywords is viewed as a negative website trait.
Therefore, never let your keywords detract from the quality of your article.
5) Create a great title
Creating a quality page title is a frequently ignored aspect of on-page SEO.
When a user performs a google search, a page’s title is the first thing they see.
For this reason, it’s crucial to make a good first impression.
If your title doesn’t make a potential customer want to click, you’ll receive less engagement, and your site will drop down the search engine results pages.
To ensure your page title generates high amounts of organic traffic for your web page, follow these simple tips:
- Make sure your title is between 30-60 characters
- Include keywords in your title where possible
- Make sure your page title is unique
- Ensure your title tag is relevant, confident and descriptive
6) Incorporate internal links
Internal links are links from one web page to another within your website.
They are a vital method of increasing traffic on your website.
Internal linking encourages users to read articles that they may not have found on their own.
Using internal links also lets search engines know how different pages on your website link. This increases your site ranking and improves your position in the search results.
It also makes it more likely that Google will recommend your web page in the future.
To effectively add internal links, try the following:
- Adding relevant links between similar articles.
- Linking to your most recent articles.
- Linking to articles that expand on your key points.
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7) Optimise your website for mobile devices
Today over half of all web traffic comes from mobile phones.
With more consumers each year using their mobiles instead of traditional search engines, it’s now more important than ever to optimise your content for mobile.
Users who struggle to navigate your website on mobile may visit other web pages instead of persevering with your unoptimised content.
Google also penalises business sites that aren’t optimised for mobile.
8) Include imagery
Images, graphs, videos and infographics don’t just look pretty on your page. They also impact your SEO rankings by improving the user experience.
The more value you provide to the user, the more reputable search engines consider you.
Be clever with your use of keywords in alt tags, file names and image captions to give your website a ranking boost.
Be sure that you optimise your images for both mobile and desktop.
9) Add a meta description
Similar to keyword density, meta descriptions aren’t as important as they once were.
Many years ago, meta descriptions were typically crammed with keywords to improve a website’s ranking.
Google has since cracked down on keyword stuffing, meaning that the meta description no longer significantly impacts a page’s ranking in search engines.
Despite this, the meta description is still useful when trying to achieve a higher click-through rate for your site.
Think of the meta description as a way to summarise your page’s contents in more detail than a title tag allows.
The more information you can provide to a user with your meta descriptions, the more likely it is they will visit your web page.
A good meta description can help increase business traffic and improve your search engine ranking.
Looking for help optimising your on-page SEO?
At Bough Digital, we offer custom SEO strategies tailored to your business’s needs.
Whether you need help pinpointing your audience, creating quality content, or structuring your website, Bough Digital can offer a bespoke plan adapted for you.
Ready to see what Bough Digital can do for you? Contact us today to find out more.
Frequently Asked Questions
How important is on-page SEO for website ranking?
On-page SEO is crucial when it comes to SEO. This is because it helps Google know what your website is offering. The more information Google has about your content, the more likely it is they will recommend your business.
What are the most common SEO mistakes?
Some of the most common SEO mistakes are:
- Low-quality content
- Keyword stuffing
- Duplicate content
- Poor optimisation for mobile
- Slow site speed