On-Page SEO Strategy & Optimization Steps

Launched your website but got no traffic? It’s time to create an On-Page SEO Strategy. Follow our easy On-Page SEO Optimisation steps to get started.

We recommend reading our SEO for Beginners guide before implementing these On-Page SEO steps so that you are familiar with the purpose and necessity of On-page Optimisation.

Before we get started, here’s a quick summary of the step by step On-Page SEO Strategy. You should simply start with Step 1 and continue on thoroughly for best results.

1. SEO Keyword Research

2. Analyse Meta Data of Competitors

3. Create Keyword-Rich & Action Oriented Meta Title

4. Create Meta Description with Target Keywords

5. Use Header tags to organize your Website

6. Optimise URL Structure

7. Optimise Images and Add Alt Tags

8. Add Internal links to All Pages

9. Create High Quality Content Consistently

10. Check Mobile Responsiveness and Site Speed

On-Page SEO Strategy: 10 Easy Steps for On-Page Optimisation

Let’s dive into these On-page Optimisation steps in detail -

1. On-Page SEO Strategy - Keyword Research

Keyword research is first and most important step for On page SEO. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to search for your target keywords and niche and aim to find 3-5 main keywords that you want to rank for. For e.g. if your business is related to selling apparel (let’s say men’s shirts), you might see something like this

…. and several other keywords. You will then want to narrow down on the kind of keywords most relevant to you. For e.g. you may specialise in printed shirts or white formal shirts. In that case, it’s better for you to shortlist more niche and relevant keywords rather than trying to rank for generic keywords like shirts.

The purpose of keyword research is to

• Find new relevant topics,

• Niche and target keywords that people search for,

• Check the competition and volume for each keyword,

• Choose the best primary, secondary and long-tail keywords for your content.

This first step for on-page optimisation is probably the most critical. Without the right target keywords, it is unlikely that you will rank in your niche. Then don’t skimp on the research. Be thorough to take the right first step towards on-page optimisation. Once you’ve done your keyword research, you can proceed to implementing the rest of your on-page SEO strategy.

Goal: Shortlist 3-5 keywords that are most relevant to your business and have a significant keyword search volume.

2. On-Page SEO Strategy - Analyse Meta Data of Competitors

Once you’ve done your own preliminary keyword research, a crucial step in on-page SEO optimisation is to analyze the metadata of your competitors. Your competitors who rank on top have already done all the research before you. Why not utilise their time-tested insights to improve your own on-page SEO strategy?

Competitor meta data analysis involves examining the title tags and meta descriptions of high-ranking pages within your niche.

Follow these steps to understand how your competitors are optimising their meta data, which might help you to identify on-page SEO strategies that might be effective for your own website.

• Identify your Competitors - Start by identifying top competitors of your target keywords on search engine result pages (SERPs). Make a list of top 10 direct competitors and 5 indirect competitors.

• Research Meta Data- After identifying your competitors, research the meta data (Meta Title, Meta Description, Headings, Page Content) of each of the competitors and assemble this information about your competitors’s on-page optimisation at one place for easy analysis.

• Examine Meta Data - Next step is to analyse the above researched meta data. While analysing your competitors’ meta data you should note

  • Structure used by them

  • Common target keywords

  • Common action phrases

Goal: Create a summarised table for common keywords, phrases, and USPs used in the meta data of your competitors for understanding their on-page SEO strategy at a glance.

3. On-Page SEO Strategy - Keyword-Rich & Action Oriented Meta Title

You should now have a list of target keywords for your website, and also a list of keywords and meta data of your competitors. Take some time to analyse both thoroughly before you begin to start to create your Meta Data.

It’s time to start implementing our on-page optimisation strategy -

First Step - Meta Title

Meta Title is a crucial part for optimising on-page SEO. If you write an eye-catchy meta title that compels users to click on your webpage then this can increase overall traffic and engagement which leads to increased visibility on search engine result pages. Meta Title is written in Title tag, which is an HTML element used to indicate what is the title of the page. Google displays this title on the search engine result on SERPs. Following points should be considered while creating Meta Title :-

• Keep it concise - We suggest that you keep the Meta Title between 55 to 60 characters. Google’s results are limited to 60 characters, so that it’s best that you keep your Meta Title within that limit so that Google doesn’t cut it off.

• Primary Keywords - Ensure your primary keyword is included in the meta title to let search engines and users know what your webpage is about. We suggest that you place the keyword in the beginning of the title for better visibility.

• Consider Competitor Research - While crafting your Meta Title, consider the competitor research analysis and try to use those common keywords, phrases and action words.

• Unique Title for each webpage - Avoid using duplicate title tags so that Google understands what each page is about.

Goal: Create a Page Title <60 characters that is keyword rich and also enticing for users to click on.

4. On-Page SEO Strategy - Meta Description with Target Keywords

Similar to Meta Title tags, Meta Descriptions have the power to influence a user's decision to click on your website on SERPs or not. Which means they can encourage more traffic to the page if crafted well. A page’s Description is entered in the Meta Description HTML tag (which is an HTML element that indicates a brief summary of the page, and it is usually shown below the title in search engine results) Following points to be consider while creating Meta Description for on-page optimisation of your website :-

• Character Limit - We suggest that you write a concise summary of your webpage to make Google and users understand what the page is about. Meta Description should be between 155 to 160 characters to ensure it displays fully in search results.

• Include Target Keywords - Make sure your target keywords are included in the Meta Description to help search engines and users gain additional information about your page other than what they get from the Meta Title. This help users determine if your webpage suits their search intention. Also note that Google highlights the ‘search keyword’ and synonyms of keywords that matches the user search query within your description - which is why it is doubly important to include your target keywords within the Description.

• Consider Competitor Research - While creating the Meta Description, consider what kind of information your competitors included within their description. Maybe they’ve concluded that including the price of the product, or add-ons like Free Delivery increases Click-through rates. Look how they summarize their content and the keywords they incorporate. Try and improve on what already works.

• Include USPs - You should include key points that differentiate you from your competition within the Description. While Meta Title is meant to act as a short summary of your page, Description should also allude to your unique selling points that set you apart from your competitors.

• First Crucial Information: For maximum effect and visibility, start with the most important details at the start. This ensures that the user does not lose interest at the start.

• Unique description for each webpage - Avoid using duplicate description so that Google can determine the purpose of each page.

Goal: Create a Description <160 characters that contains other keywords and describes how you stand out from your competitors

5. On-Page SEO Strategy - Use Header tags to organize your Website

You have finalised your Meta Title and Description. Now you should also align your landing page content with the target keywords and title & description. Structure your page content with clear headings and subheadings for users readability, and for search engines to understand the hierarchy of your page and to index and rank your pages. HTML Header tags (H1, H2, H3 and so on…) are like chapter titles - they help organise your page, which is essential for a seamless users experience as well as from SEO on-page optimisation perspective.

This should be your on-page SEO strategy when we talk about Headers -

• H1 tag should be used for your page’s main title or main heading.

• H2 tag for subheadings and if you need to cover more information in detail about a topic use subheading tag H3, H4, etc.

• Include target keywords in each header tag naturally to attract your target audience, as this will not only help reader but also search engine to understand what your content is about.

• Sequence of header tags - Make sure you use the header tag in sequence order don’t miss any header in between (H1, then H2, then H3 and so on…)

• Avoid overuse of header tags - Typically your page should have only 1 H1 tag, 3-4 H2 tags, and <10 H3 tags. The H2 and H3 tags can be modified per your needs but use of multiple H1 tags is strongly discouraged.

Heading tags will help crawlers index your page more effectively and improve your page’s ranking in search results. For e.g this page has

• H1 Page Title - On-Page SEO Strategy & Optimization Steps

• H2 as Page Context for Content that follows - 10 Easy Steps for On-Page Optimisation

• H3 Tags for each of the 10 steps for On-Page Optimisation

Goal: Unique H1, H2 and H3 tags that organise the information on your page effectively and also contain you target keywords.

6. On-Page SEO Strategy - Optimise URL Structure

Another important element of your on-page SEO strategy that cannot be ignored is your page URL. Arguably it is more important to get the page URL right the first time that even Meta Title and Description. That’s because while Meta Title, Description and Header Tags of a website can be changed easily, but it is not straightforward to change the page URL. Search engines identify pages by URL. Once a page gets indexed on Google and other search engines, changing the URL will mean the page has to be re-indexed, and you might lose all good link equity you have amassed. It might also lead to broken backlinks towards your page - which gives a very bad signal to Search engines. Hence, it’s best to finalise a URL and stick to it.

Optimising URL structure is one of the most important steps for On-Page SEO Optimisation as well. URL of a webpage is shown above the Meta Title in search engine result pages, so it is necessary to use words that are relevant to that page as it is the first impression of the page to users.

A user-friendly URL is easily understandable by humans as well as search engines I’s able to match the search intent of the user to the relevant webpage.

Here’s how to create user-friendly URLs :-

• Keep URL short and clear. URL slugs should ideal contain 3-5 words.

• URLs must include your main target keyword of the page.

• Use hyphens (“-”) instead of underscores (“_”) or any other characters to separate words in your URL.

• Use lowercase characters only. It is also best to avoid numbers and special characters in the URL altogether. Some characters like ‘&’ and ‘%’ are reserved for special purposes in URL structure, and hence may create confusion

• Last, URLs for all pages must be unique.

Goal: Create unique, clear and concise URL slugs of 3-5 words each which contain the target keyword.

7. On-Page SEO Strategy - Optimise Images and Add Alt Tags

Including Images in your content will not only enhance users’ experience and engagement but also increase your chances of ranking in Google Images, which will lead to more traffic and improve search engine ranking of your page.

Additionally, don’t forget to add image alt-tags for all your images. Image Alt-tags are HTML tags for images that specify what the image is about. They’re critical for search engines to understand the content and context of the images. They are also helpful when images may not load due to any reason - in that scenario, alt tags can help provide meaningful context instead of a broken image.

Here’s how to optimise Images for your on-page SEO:

• Image Quality: Include high quality, original and relevant mages

• File Names: Make sure that File names of the images are descriptive and include your target keywords

• Image Sizes: Make sure your image sizes are under 100 kB and images are in JPEG or other commonly used format to ensure that images load correctly on all browsers.

• Mobile Friendly: Ideally images should be mobile-friendly or mobile responsive.

• Image Alt Tags: Write descriptive Alt Text that accurately describe the content of the images. Don’t use unnecessary words like “image of” or “photo of”, include relevant target keywords naturally. Avoid keyword stuffing, and keep Alt text under 125 characters.

Goal: Include images on your page to make it visually appealing, but also add keyword-rich file names and Alt Tags.

8. On-Page SEO Strategy - Add Internal links to All Pages

Internal links are hyperlinks that navigate from one page of your website to another i.e. navigation within the same website. Adding internal links is not strictly necessary but adds immense value to your on-page SEO efforts since it helps disperse your link equity.

• Link Equity: Adding internal links to other pages on your website will help you boost your low-authority pages by creating link from high-authority pages.

• Easy Navigation: Easily accessible internal links help a user navigate to other pages on your website. It increases the time the user spends on your website, page engagement ad ultimately increase value you provide to the user. It will also help reduce your bounce rate as the user may discover more relevant content to keep them engaged.

• Page Indexation: Along with navigation, internal links also help search engines crawl other pages of your website easily. They assist search engines in understanding your website's structure and how pages are related to one another. This in turn leads to quick, pain-free indexation of all pages of your website.

You can add internal links by either adding the links in a crisp navigation bar, or you can also add internal links within the content of the page/ articles where relevant.

Consider following points while adding internal links to boost on-page SEO of your page:

• Anchor Text: Use keyword-rich anchor text where you add internal links

• Link Structure: Create logical and hierarchical link structure that is easy for users and search engines to understand.

• Avoid Over-linking: Try to create internal links naturally in the middle and end of the page as much as possible, but avoid over-linking.

Goal: Clear link structure in the navigation bar of your website and inclusion of a few internal links naturally within the page with keyword-rich anchor text.

9. On-Page SEO Strategy - Create High Quality Content Consistently

Once you are done with keyword research, and incorporating your target keywords on your landing pages as above - you are done with the basics. But that does not ensure that you will rank on Google. To increase your chances of ranking on Google, you should create high-quality, informative, helpful and engaging content that perfectly matches the search intent of readers.

While creating content for your website, consider these points :-

• Incorporate naturally primary, secondary and long-tail keywords into your content (avoid keyword stuffing)

• Include visual content to make it more compelling, understanding and engaging.

• Divide your content into short and concise paragraphs to maintain readers engagement.

• Use bullet points and infographics for easy scanning.

• Fully address the query that you are aiming for, ensuring that your content is truly valuable to users.

• Create detailed, unique, informative content that stands out from your competitors.

• Encourage user interaction by providing comment, share, and feedback options.

• Update your content frequently to maintain its relevance and freshness.

Goal: Creating 3-5 pieces of engaging, user-oriented content per week that gets indexed on search engines

10. On-Page SEO Strategy - Check Mobile Responsiveness and Site Speed

Last but not the least, we may not know all factors that Google consider for ranking a page, but we know that mobile responsiveness as well as site speed is considered for ranking. While this may not strictly be a part of On-Page SEO, for your On-page optimisation to be successful, page speed and mobile responsiveness is a must.

Ensuring that your website is Mobile Responsive which means that your website is designed to work well on all devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones. You can check this by any free Mobile friendly test tool. Google's Lighthouse also shows whether your pages are mobile friendly.

• Search engines like Google prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their rankings, especially after the introduction of mobile-first indexing algorithm.

• This is important because most of the users access your website through their mobile and if your website is not mobile friendly then they will step out from your site.

• Mobile-responsive site is important for better user experience, which can lead to higher engagement, longer session durations, and lower bounce rates.

Like Mobile responsiveness it is important to optimise speed of site, because site speed refer to the speed at which your web pages load and show content. Faster site speeds contribute to a better user experience and can significantly impact your SEO and conversion rates. You can check the speed of your website pages with the help of Google Search Console → Core Web Vitals

Here’s how you can optimise site speed :-

• Optimise images by compressing the size of images

• Remove unnecessary characters and spaces from your code to reduce file sizes and improve load times.

• Optimise server response time

• Use browser caching because it reduces the load time as it store web page resources in user’s device.

• Less use of redirect option

Goal: Ensure that your website is easily accessible and usable on mobile to reduce bounce rate and increase session duration.

There you go. Follow this on-page SEO strategy step by step to get the best results. Here’s a useful checklist of the on-page optimisation steps we have outlined above

1. Find 3-5 target keywords

2. Conduct and analyse competitors’ Meta Data

3. Create a Meta Title of <60 characters including your target keyword

4. Create a Meta Description of <160 characters including other keywords and USPs of your products/ services

5. Organise the page using appropriate H1/ H2/ H3 Header Tags

6. Create a consistent and clear URL structure that is readable to both humans and search engines

7. Include high-quality images with descriptive alt-tags and file names

8. Add internal links to other pages on your website and include a navigation bar if possible

9. Create new content in the way of blogs and articles to provide value to users

10. Optimise your website’s usability on mobile by ensuring that it works on all devices seamlessly and fast

We hope this on-page SEO strategy helps you achieve your SEO goals. If you need any help, please reach out to us on always@rewaqe.com!