On page Optimisation Essentials
One of the most important steps you need to take on your SEO journey is on page optimisation. Making sure it is complete for each page goes a long well to help rankings.
Search engines such as Google or Bing need to understand what your content represents. On page optimisation is the way to do this.
Complete the following tasks to each page you wish to rank and you should see an improvement in your rankings.
Title Tags
Include your keyword in the title tag for the page. Add it at the start to highlight this is the main subject of the page. Numbers & Power words are also highly recommended as triggers for the user. You need to stand out from the competition to encourage clicks.
Your URL Structure
The URL (website address) for the page should include the selected keyword or phrase and not be too long. By including the keyword in the URL you are immediately telling the search engines what the page is about.
For example https://www.sjldigitalmarketing.com/seo-northern-ireland/ tells Google we specialise in SEO in Northern Ireland. A shorter URL has also be proven to rank better than long ones with Google, so keep it as short as possible.
Meta Description
Once again ensure that your keyword so used at the start of your meta description. Make it clear to Google and the user what the web page is all about. You should also be looking to add call to action triggers to improve click through rate.
Not so common nowadays but there are still websites that have hidden links in their content. These are seen by search engines as spam and can have a very negative affect on their SEO performance. Remove all instances of hidden links and content on your site.
Use Headline Tags
Include your keyword in h1, h2, h3 tags throughout the content of your page. H1 tags highlight the main subject of the content and should be use at the top of the page.
H2, h3 etc can be used as sub headers. Although these are not essential for Google rankings every little helps when it comes to search engine optimisation.
Keyword in first paragraph
Use the keyword in the first 150 words of the first paragraph to make it clear the subject on the content. Add the keyword a number of times depending on the length of your text to improve your on page optimisation.
Add External Links
External links to trusted, relevant content helps search engines judge the subject of your content. It also informs Google that your web page is a place for quality information.
Add Internal Links
Internal links are useful to both users and search engines to navigate across your site. Internal links provide a path to more information or direct the user to the most important content of the site. Overall it allows Google or Bing to understand your site content better.
Add Image Alt Tags
Search Engine bots can’t identify an image alone. By adding an Alt Tag it allows them to understand the image and improve accessibility and user experience.
Word Count
It is recommended that each article or page content is at 600 words. Below 300 words is considered thin content and is unlikely to rank. By only including well written unique content it encourages Google and only search engines to see you as industry experts and is more likely to rank it.
Technical Site Issues
Technical SEO is important for your websites performance and should always be considered when carrying out on-page tasks. Broken links, duplicate content and other factors can have a negative effect. Read more about common Technical Seo Mistakes.
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