On-page SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Guide For 2024

Search Engine Optimization is one of the most effective of the many digital marketing channels. As you already know, search engines such as Google, answer the endless questions of all the internet users out there. The importance of search engines in our times can’t be stressed enough and using their full power to fuel your digital marketing strategy is a necessity.

Whenever you search something on Google, or any other search engine, the first few web pages that come up in the results are the ones that you usually trust. Why? Because we tend to trust Google’s judgment. Now behind this ‘judgment’, a lot of things happen which work together to provide the results you see on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS).

What is On-Page SEO?

On-page SEO is essentially the process by which you optimize seo pages to make the search engines understand your content better. Search engines search for relevancy and the right keywords in the content present on web pages each time a person hits ‘search’ on Google.

Based on your SEO ranking, the results are displayed by Google and it is decided where exactly your website will lie. Now, On-Page SEO works on optimizing not only the content but the HTML source code of the page as well.

On-page Vs Off-page SEO

The functions of both are very self-explanatory. On-page works on the content present on the page while off-page works on the content which is not.

Also known as on-site SEO, on-page SEO works on optimizing various elements present on your webpage to get better search engine rankings. Meanwhile, off-page SEO works on getting more backlinks for your page from other websites.

Ten Step Process of On-Page SEO

We have simplified the On-page SEO process for you, and explained on-page seo techniques in ten simple steps:

1. Understand what Google Wants
2. Optimize Content Using Keywords
3. Work on the Title
4. Provide Outbound Links
5. Ensure that URLs are Optimized as Well
6. Add and Optimize Meta Descriptions
7. Perform Technical SEO
8. Optimize for Featured Snippets
9. Use Page Experience Signals to Better Engagement
10. Use Structured Data Markup

Understand what Google Wants 

That is the ultimate goal – ranking as high as possible on Google’s search pages. Now in order to do that, you need to understand what the search engine wants first, its algorithm and which elements it focuses on, and then start work accordingly.

There are many factors which the search engine focuses on, such as:

• First impressions, that is, how long do people stay on your website when accessed for the first time, the page loading speed and how quickly are they able to find their way across it
• The content is scrutinized based on relevancy, and the required keywords and phrases

Optimize Content Using Keywords

Using keywords to optimize your content is a delicate art and is one of the main steps for on page seo. It’s not exactly tough but not easy either since you won’t want your content to come across as shoddy. A simple tip is to use your keyword as early as possible, preferably in the first 100-150 words of your content.

It has been observed that Google is more likely to choose web pages which include the keywords early on in the content. However, make sure to never overdo it since it can quickly become very off-putting for your audience.

Work on the Title

The title is a very important part of the SEO optimization process. This is because it is the first thing which catches the eye of any visitor and not only does it have to be catchy, but it has to be optimized too.

Title tags are basically how Google will display the title of your content on SERPs (Search Engine Results Page). It is imperative to optimize it if you want to boost your SEO rankings. Improved rankings lead to more visibility.

Provide Outbound Links

Outbound links refer to those links which you provide to other external sources that will help in establishing your relevance in the digital space. These links can lead to sites which will further explain your point and ultimately, make it easier for your audience to get the information.

Further, not only will it help them in accessing additional information but you can also provide links to the authoritative source to prove your credibility. These links will help Google understand your content on a broader scale based on its relevance with the exciting content, and therefore, boost your rankings.

Ensure that URLs are Optimized as Well

Since keywords are the building blocks of an SEO strategy, including them in your URL can help you in seo of a website and improve your rankings. If their rankings get better, they will be displayed higher on the SERPs and drive more traffic to your site.

Add and Optimize Meta Descriptions

Whenever any title is displayed on SERP, just below it, a short description of what can be expected from the site is written. This is called a meta description which is one of the best techniques for seo and you can also work on it, and optimize it to better your SEO rankings.

Perform Technical SEO

How easily accessible your site is depends on the technical part of SEO. This is the foundation of technical SEO. Search engines go over webpages and then catalog them based on their factors. These webpages are then displayed based on the query of the user.

Optimize for Featured Snippets

When you type a particular query in Google search, the rectangular box which is displayed on top that answers it is called a featured snippet. Using this on page seo technique can give you huge benefits. Just imagine, your content being the one that pops up there when users search for something.

In order to make this a reality, you need to optimize your content to answer very specific queries of the people so that you get a shot at having your work displayed on the top, and thus, get exposure for your brand.

Use Page Experience Signals to Better Engagement

There are many easy changes that you can make to your existing content to create a smoother and better experience for your audience. Some of these are:

• Always be as clear as possible when it comes to creating content and take the help of headlines to effectively segregate the different topics
• Use bullets or lines to explain things whenever possible because it is easier to digest information in this format
• Take the help of visual content (photos, infographics, videos, etc.) to make it easier for the audience to consume the content
• Have an easy to navigate layout, and also add call-to-action cues whenever required

Use Structured Data Markup

Structured data is for the negit of search engines as it is a standardized format which provides information about the content present on a webpage. It helps search engines in understanding your content better and therefore, increases your chances of ranking higher.

You can take the help of the Structured Data Markup Helper feature of Google Console and help search engines to understand your content better and improve your SEO rankings.

Conclusion

The digital space is a vast vast space and you have to continuously keep working hard on your content to stay on top, and remain relevant. On-page SEO can greatly help in improving visibility and getting more traffic.

Search engines are only getting more advanced every passing day and therefore, follow this on-page seo guide and keep yourself updated if you want to survive in this infinite space.