Day 2: The Three Pillars of SEO – On-Page, Off-Page, and Technical SEO
Today, we’re building on our SEO foundation by exploring its three main components: On-Page SEO, Off-Page SEO, and Technical SEO. Understanding these areas is essential for mastering SEO and improving your website’s visibility on search engines.
1. On-Page SEO
On-Page SEO refers to optimising individual pages on your website to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. It focuses on both the content and HTML source code of a page. Here are the key elements of On-Page SEO:
• Keywords: Properly researched keywords are the backbone of On-Page SEO. Using the right keywords in titles, meta descriptions, headers, and throughout your content helps search engines understand what your page is about.
• Meta Tags: These include your meta title and meta description. They should be concise, keyword-rich, and clearly describe the content on the page.
• Header Tags: These help organize your content and make it easier for search engines to understand. Use H1 for the main title and H2/H3 for subheadings.
• Internal Links: Linking to other pages on your site helps users and search engines navigate your content and understand its structure.
• Image Optimization: Use descriptive filenames, ALT tags, and ensure your images are compressed for faster load times.
2. Off-Page SEO
Off-Page SEO is about building your website’s reputation and authority in the eyes of search engines. This is largely accomplished through link-building strategies, but it also includes other external signals that tell search engines your site is valuable and trustworthy.
• Backlinks: The number and quality of backlinks (links from other websites to yours) are a key ranking factor. The more high-authority sites that link to you, the more credible your site becomes.
• Social Media Engagement: While not a direct ranking factor, social signals like shares, likes, and comments can drive traffic to your site, boosting your SEO indirectly.
• Brand Mentions: Unlinked brand mentions across the web can help establish your site’s authority, even if no link is present.
Building Off-Page SEO requires outreach efforts, relationship building, and quality content that others will want to link to.
3. Technical SEO
Technical SEO refers to optimising your website’s infrastructure so that search engines can easily crawl, index, and rank your pages. It ensures that your site meets the technical requirements of search engines to improve organic rankings.
• Site Speed: A slow website negatively affects user experience and search rankings. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help you measure and improve your site’s speed.
• Mobile Optimization: With Google’s mobile-first indexing, it’s critical that your site is mobile-friendly. Ensure your site is responsive and performs well on all devices.
• Crawling and Indexing: Make sure search engines can easily crawl and index your site. Use tools like Google Search Console to monitor your indexing status and spot potential issues.
• SSL Certificate (HTTPS): Having a secure site (HTTPS) is now a ranking factor, so ensure you have an SSL certificate installed.
• Structured Data: Implement structured data (or schema markup) to help search engines better understand the content on your pages. This can enhance search results with rich snippets.
4. Local SEO (Bonus)
Local SEO is crucial for businesses that operate in specific geographical areas. It helps your business appear in local searches (e.g., “restaurants near me”) and Google’s Local Pack. Key elements of Local SEO include:
• Google My Business: Create and optimize your Google My Business listing to appear in local search results and maps.
• NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number): Ensure consistency of your business’s name, address, and phone number across your website and all online directories.
• Local Keywords: Use keywords with local intent (e.g., “Brighton café”) to optimize your site for local searches.
Conclusion
Understanding these three core components—On-Page SEO, Off-Page SEO, and Technical SEO—is the foundation of a successful SEO strategy. By mastering these pillars, you’ll set yourself up for long-term growth and improved search engine rankings.
Tomorrow, we’ll dive deeper into how to measure and track your SEO performance to ensure you’re making progress. Keep up the great work on your SEO journey!
