Whether you are an entrepreneur taking your first steps towards starting your website or a small business transitioning into the digital world, chances are, you have heard of on-site SEO.
Let’s delve into the details of this key to digital success, including what it is, and why it's so important.
What is ON-SITE SEO?
On-site SEO (also referred to as ON-PAGE SEO) essentially means adapting all of your webpage content to make it more visible and searchable for users.
Search engines like Google evaluate the content on a website to see how relevant it is for a user’s specific search. The more relevant and useful the information is, the higher it will rank.
On-site SEO elements include keyword-sprinkled content, meta descriptions, images, subheads and internal links.
Off-site SEO covers everything that happens externally from your website – think backlinks, Google reviews, social media shares, etc. On-site SEO encompasses any optimisation you can make on your website.
Why is on-site SEO critical?
Search engines are looking for people-first content, so they check SEO on-site to find content that is relevant to the user. If optimised, this content is ranked higher.
Having a website that is fully optimised with on-site SEO puts your content at the forefront for an interested audience. According to statistics from backlinko.com, the top result on Google receives 27.6% of all clicks for a specific search. So, if you want to get traffic, you need to get ranked near the top.
How do I use SEO on my website?
When it comes to knowing how to perform SEO for a website, you first need to know what your audience is searching for.
To identify keywords, you must know what specific words or phrases users are typing into a search engine. Then, by analysing them using a combination of search volume, competition and commercial intent, you can drill down on the relevant topics you should be targeting to attract your core audience.
Clear headings
Readability and structure are key, which is why search engines look for websites that structure their content with clear and correct headings, especially headings called H2 and H3. Using a keyword within headings further improves SEO, as it makes your content easier for search engine algorithms to scan.
Search engines cater to user experiences. Take SEO steps to ensure paragraphs are short, easy to read, engaging, relevant and informative.
Clear, captivating keyword-sprinkled meta
A meta description that explains what the website is about, in a clear, concise and engaging way, is crucial. It should inform and interest the user which, in turn, drives your Google ranking. Keywords inform algorithms that the content is particularly relevant to your audience.
Optimising on-site SEO for the user experience
Image optimisation
Compress images to keep your website smooth and user-friendly, and include:
Alt text, which describes the appearance or function of an image and allows search engines to better crawl and rank your content.
Geotags, which apply location data to your images, improving local SEO and driving targeted traffic.
Logical file names, which provide short descriptive indicators to help search engines locate relevant content for users.
Loading speed
The user experience is pivotal. If your website’s performance is poor, with slow loading times, users won’t stick around, and you’ll have a high bounce rate. Choosing a quality, performance-optimised hosting provider is key, as is reducing redirects and having a simple, coherent website structure.
Eliminating duplicate content
Search engines reward originality. If the same content appears more than once, whether on your website or duplicated on another, your ranking will be affected, so make sure all your content is original and high quality.
Design with mobile in mind
Over 55 per cent of website traffic comes from mobile devices. The mobile experience matters more than ever before, so your website needs to be optimised for mobile use. Many modern web builders can help make this simple for you to do.
At Contese, we take pride in being dedicated experts in SEO content. Our on-site SEO services are specifically designed to optimise websites and ensure long-term visibility for brands.
Contact our SEO content agency to learn more.