How to Master On-Page SEO for Better Rankings
Now that you’ve completed your keyword research, it’s time to put those keywords to use with On-Page SEO. On-Page SEO is all about optimising individual pages of your website to make them more search engine-friendly and improve your rankings. In this post, we’ll cover the essential elements of On-Page SEO and how you can start optimising your site today.
1. Title Tags
Your title tag is one of the most important on-page SEO elements because it tells both users and search engines what your page is about. It appears as the clickable headline in search engine results pages (SERPs), so it needs to be clear, concise, and keyword-rich.
Best Practices:
• Keep your title tag under 60 characters.
• Place your primary keyword at the beginning of the title.
• Make it compelling to encourage users to click.
Example:
Instead of using a generic title like “Home Workouts,” optimise it to “Best Home Workouts for Beginners – Full Body Routines.”
2. Meta Descriptions
The meta description is a short summary of your page that appears under the title tag in SERPs. While meta descriptions don’t directly impact rankings, they influence click-through rates (CTR). A well-written meta description can encourage users to click on your link instead of your competitors’.
Best Practices:
• Keep it between 150-160 characters.
• Include your primary keyword naturally.
• Highlight the benefits or key points users will find on your page.
Example:
For a page about home workouts:
“Looking for effective home workouts? Check out our full-body routines for beginners. No equipment needed!”
3. Header Tags (H1, H2, H3)
Header tags (like H1, H2, H3) help structure your content and make it easier for both users and search engines to understand the flow of information on your page. The H1 tag is typically your page’s main title, while H2 and H3 tags break up the content into subheadings.
Best Practices:
• Use only one H1 tag per page, and include your primary keyword.
• Use H2 and H3 tags to structure the content and include secondary keywords where appropriate.
• Make sure your headers accurately reflect the content in each section.
Example:
If your page is about home workouts, you could use:
• H1: “Best Home Workouts for Beginners”
• H2: “Benefits of Home Workouts”
• H2: “Full-Body Workout Routine You Can Do at Home”
4. Keyword Placement in Content
It’s essential to include your target keywords naturally throughout your content. Search engines use keywords to determine the relevance of your page, but overstuffing keywords can hurt your rankings and create a poor user experience.
Best Practices:
• Use your primary keyword in the first 100-150 words of your content.
• Include variations of your primary keyword (secondary keywords) naturally throughout the text.
• Aim for a keyword density of around 1-2%, meaning the keyword should appear once or twice for every 100 words.
5. Internal Linking
Internal linking is the practice of linking to other pages on your website. This not only helps users navigate your site more easily, but it also passes SEO value from one page to another, helping search engines understand the structure of your site.
Best Practices:
• Link to relevant pages that provide additional information.
• Use descriptive anchor text that includes keywords, rather than generic phrases like “click here.”
• Ensure your internal links follow a logical structure and help improve the user experience.
Example:
If you’re writing about home workouts, you could link to a blog post about “nutrition tips for fitness” using the anchor text: “nutrition tips for fitness.”
6. Image Optimisation
Images can help make your content more engaging, but they need to be optimized for SEO as well. Search engines can’t “see” images the way humans do, so they rely on ALT text to understand what the image is about.
Best Practices:
• Include descriptive, keyword-rich ALT text for each image.
• Compress images to reduce file size and improve site speed.
• Use relevant file names instead of generic ones like “image123.jpg.”
Example:
Instead of naming an image file “IMG123.jpg,” use a descriptive name like “home-workout-routine.jpg.” For ALT text, use something like “Beginner-friendly home workout routine.”
7. URL Structure
Your URLs should be clean, simple, and include keywords to improve both user experience and SEO. A clear URL structure helps search engines understand the content of your page, while also making it easier for users to remember.
Best Practices:
• Keep URLs short and descriptive.
• Include your primary keyword in the URL.
• Use hyphens (-) to separate words.
Example:
Instead of using a long, confusing URL like:
www.example.com/page=123456789
Use something more readable like:
www.example.com/home-workouts-for-beginners
Conclusion
On-Page SEO is essential to improving your website’s rankings and driving more traffic. By optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and internal links, you’ll be setting up your website for SEO success. Remember, the goal is to create content that is both user-friendly and search engine-friendly.
In our next post, we’ll dive deeper into Off-Page SEO and Backlinking, a powerful way to increase your website’s authority and visibility. Stay tuned for more actionable tips!
