Sometimes marketers get so caught up in the social aspects of running an online business that they forget to keep things tidy at home.
Sure, they might dish out a new web post every couple of weeks (when they think of it). They might even be working off some well-meaning SEO advice they heard from a buddy once: to stuff as many keywords as possible in their content, as if they were a YouTuber using every tag under the sun to draw in views.
But this strategy (or non-strategy) is missing out on the more intricate SEO that packs all of the punch. In the wake of seismic changes like Google’s Core Web Vitals, it’s more important than ever to straddle a delicate line between technical SEO precision, and good old-fashioned, consumer-centric, value-adding content.
In this post, we review the top five on-site SEO tips.
Wait, What Is On-Site SEO, Exactly?
Wait a second here. Maybe it’s best to cut through the jargon first.
On-site SEO, also called on-page SEO, is basically the art of making your website irresistible to both humans and search engines. Imagine your website is a house. On-site SEO is like making sure the rooms are tidy, the furniture is in the right place, and the doors are easy to open. It’s about getting your website in shape so that when Google swings by for a visit, it knows exactly what’s going on and where everything is. Moreover, Google – always the uninvited house guest – should leave impressed.
On-site SEO is about tweaking the stuff on your actual website—think content, HTML tags, and URLs—to make it crystal clear what your site is all about. You’re helping search engines figure out where to file your site in their massive library of the internet. At the same time, you’re making sure that when real people show up, they have a smooth, enjoyable experience and can find what they’re looking for before they have a chance to hightail it for a competitor’s site.
The ”biggies” in on-site SEO are content optimization, HTML tags, and basic UX (user experience). The tips below tackle these biggies with actionable advice.
Link to Your Own Pages
Linking between different blog posts and pages on your site accomplishes two things. One, it invites readers to navigate deeper into your site (“hey, I liked this general article about financial planning; I’ll probably enjoy this in-depth link about retirement savings plans,” for example). And second, it helps search engines place both pages in their proper context.
Place one or two internal links per article with the primary keyword as an anchor text. Keep in mind that it’s important to vary both the keywords used within the links as well as the targeted pages. Also try and link back to the homepage where possible in order to improve the flow of link juice throughout the site.
As you go about this, please note that Google’s algorithms have become more sophisticated and may penalize sites for over-optimization or unnatural linking practices. Good content comes first (a sentiment we’ll hammer repeatedly in this article!). As best as you can, use natural language to integrate internal links, which aligns better with Google’s emphasis on content quality and user experience.
Add More Keyword-Rich Text
Videos and interactive media are becoming more popular as marketers strive to provide as much information as possible to their viewers in an easy format.
Bear in mind, however, that indexing bots always analyze text and only rarely media. Depending on the page in question, a meager word count may either harm the page or do nothing at all to rankings. Both of these scenarios should be avoided. One quick way to introduce more content is to enable comments on the post or page.
The search engines love content, so try and add as much keyword-rich content to the homepage and other pages as possible. When explaining the importance of keyword-rich SEO content to clients I tell them to “think like a search engine robot.”
If a certain page wants to rank for a certain keyword, press CTRL + F and enter that keyword. If you don’t see it at all on the targeted page then you’ve done a poor job of optimizing that page for the search engines.
But keep in mind: keywords are like chocolate cake—better in moderation. Overusing keywords on a page can track as “overstuffing,” which is penalized by Google. Remember, the search engine now prioritizes value in addition to keywords.
Use keywords strategically but naturally, ensuring they enhance the readability and value of the content.
Use Tags Properly
HTML tags may not be visible to readers, but they are like fine literature to a Google bot.
These tags provide detailed information about a particular element on a page and are powerful SEO tools. For example:
- The “alt” tag attached to an image can be used to provide a brief, keyword-rich description of that picture.
- The title tags tell bots what a page is all about and lay out targeted keywords in a single sentence.
- Headings, or H1 and H2 tags, are given extra weight by bots.
- And the meta description is extremely important in improving your Click Through Rate (CTR). A well-written meta description should promote the company/brand and its main offering while also having a good call to action as well.
Keep in mind that there are character limits to both title tags and meta descriptions, so – know your limits, play within it. Also, don’t overstuff any of the HTML tags with too many keywords as it looks spammy and will lead to lower CTR’s and conversions. It’s never a bad idea to align your meta descriptions with user intent to improve CTR and indirectly benefit rankings.
Don’t Spam Advertisements
SEO is not all about text. Web design is just as important, and a cluttered layout is bad news for marketers.
Google does not like to see too many advertisements, especially above the fold. It is a sign that the marketer is putting profit before value, and that is exactly what Google wants to avoid. Find better ways to monetize your site, for the sake of both your rankings and your profits.
Moreover, ads increase the “page weight,” slowing down the speed. Google’s Core Web Vitals place a premium on speed when electing to highlight certain pages over others, another great reason to ditch the big banner ads.
Keep Keywords Manageable
Keyword density is one of the oldest and thorniest debates in SEO. The proper ratio has varied from over 50 percent to a mere 3 percent over the past few decades, leaving many marketers poring over outdated information and wondering who to trust.
The truth is that, under Google’s current system, there is no magic number. An increasing emphasis on organic content means the right percentage is however much it takes to convey an idea.
On-site SEO is extremely important to do ethically while still promoting your keywords in a user-friendly and informative manner. Focus on providing information that others need, both humans and indexing bots, and the rest will fall into place soon after.
