On-page SEO is the technique of optimizing your website to learn more organic traffic from search engines by ranking high in search results. So what does that mean? Well, let’s start with a basic idea. In the world of online marketing, a page one ranking on Google is the highly-sought-after golden fleece. But how do you get there? One way is through on-page SEO.

On-page SEO refers to what you do on your own website that makes Google push it up the page rankings. (This is in contrast to “off-page SEO”, which is other sites linking to your website.) It is about providing quality content on your site in such a way that, when someone types a particular query into a search bar, the search algorithms utilized by Google will find your page and decide that what you have on your site is a better match for the query than myriad other websites strewn across the world wide web.

On-page SEO, however, is not just one website trick, but the utilization of a range of techniques that influence how Google perceives your website. Moreover, on-page SEO is not the only factor determining your website’s ranking. Nonetheless, it should be one of the key components in your website design and content, and that means it is essential to understand it if you want your website to perform well. Implementing an on-page SEO strategy is part of the long game: getting more traffic now, and moving you up in ranking over time. Here are some ways on-page SEO services can help you attract the right audience.

The Right Keywords

When it comes to picking the right keywords for your website, it is essential to consider user intent. When a user types in a query and Google scans your site, Google is trying to make sure that the user is getting what he or she is looking for.

For a very simple-minded example, suppose you’re selling shoes. If you use a phrase like “shoes on sale” as a keyword, your site will found by people looking to purchase shoes. But if you use something like “stylish shoes” as a keyword, some of the people typing this in a search bar may just be looking to keep up on the latest fashions, and may not necessarily be wanting to purchase shoes. Moreover, your site might end up being lumped in with fashion sites or someone’s Pinterest page. Depending upon how that all works out, that may not be a bad thing, but the point is that you want to use keywords that bring users to your site who will buy your shoes.

For a search engine to provide a user with a list of websites that provide what the user is looking for is not as easy as it sounds, and if you have ever done a search and found that none of the sites listed at the top provide what you were looking for, you’ll understand just how difficult it can be to match user searches to the right sites. So how do you know which keywords to use? Well, some may be clear, but others may require some trial-and-error. As you try certain keywords, an SEO ranking report can tell you which keywords bring the most traffic and conversions to your site.

The Right Metadata

Metadata is, essentially, data about your content, such as date, author, title, and so on. When you create your website content, much of what you put in on the backend constitutes your metadata. Your title and description are two of the most important pieces of metadata for your website, but there are other components. By selecting the right metadata, you can increase your website’s visibility and attract more of the right visitors from search engines.

Again, to provide a simple example: if you’re a plumber in Los Angeles, it won’t help your business at all if someone in Buffalo, New York finds your website at the top of the rankings. Although Google does some location mapping for users who use location services, for a business like a plumber, hair salon, restaurant, or other personal service, location-relevant keywords in your title and description will help you attract more of the right visitors. For businesses that ship products across the nation, of course, location metadata is not helpful, and may be counterproductive.

The Right Links

While off-page SEO from other sites is an important factors in search engine rankings, outbound linking from your site is actually a good practice for on-page SEO. While you certainly do not want to link to a competitor’s site, a quality outbound link to a website or news article that is on-point and supports your content can be helpful. An outside authority adds value and credibility to your content and, at the same time, helps Google to evaluate your site in terms of what your own content offers to users.

In addition to outbound linking, internal linking is also a helpful factor. This is the practice of linking to other relevant pages on your own website. These links improve the user experience by giving visitors more content to consume, and they also help Google crawl and index your website more effectively.

The Right Content

Creating great content is the core of good on-page SEO. Google’s search algorithms are designed to produce the best, most relevant results for queries. If you want your website to rank well, you need to produce high-quality content that’s useful and interesting to your target audience.

By using a stellar content creation service, you can consistently publish first-rate, engaging content that attracts more visitors from search engines. Not only is good content essential for SEO, but it’s also an opportunity to educate your visitors about how your goods or services can benefit them.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to optimizing your on-page SEO to generate more leads and customers. Are you looking for more help with your on-page SEO? Contact us today at Blue Zone Marketing!

‍