If you're still not worrying about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), it's likely you are missing out on potential customers without even realizing it.
More and more of business traffic is being driven online as technology becomes increasingly prevalent in our daily lives.
Your rank in Google is critical, and that means it is essential to ensure that you do as well in Google searches as possible.
Optimizing a web page for SEO has many components, and it can be overwhelming if you are new to optimization.
It can help to focus your attention on one element of a strong SEO campaign at a time, and there's no better place to start than with your on-page SEO habits.
On-page SEO is the process of optimizing the structure of your web pages to get more relevant search engine traffic and higher rankings.
It refers to both the HTML source code and the content of your pages.
Below are some of the most critical factors to pay attention to when it comes to your on-page SEO.
Your URL Structure
Not every bit of optimization requires fancy SEO tools. The simplest way to give your pages a boost is to use SEO-friendly URLs.
Your URLs should be short and include your keywords.
Brian Dean at Backlinko suggests that because Google bolds keywords that appear in URLs, you should include only your target keywords in the page URL.
For example, the link above is to Brian’s page about on-page SEO, and the URL is https://backlinko.com/on-page-seo. In Brian’s words: “short and sweet”.
The Earlier the Better
Just as you want your keywords to appear in your URLs, you should also include them in the early elements of your posts.
That means placing your keyword phrase near the beginning of your title as well as your content.
Using your keyword within the first 100 words is ideal, but be sure it is natural and is being used in the right context.
Stuffing your content with keywords which don't fit and are not relevant can lower your search result ranking.
Catch the Eye
Effective SEO practices can land your page on the first set of results on Google, but modern algorithms are about more than just checking boxes.
The increasing use of AI factors in more complicated metrics, like how long visitors stay and how often they click in the first place.
Work on creating a catchy title for your piece as well as using engaging meta descriptions which inspire browsers to click through to your page.
A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words
One of the most commonly overlooked sources of optimization are the pictures you include on your site.
By adding alt text for the images, your post and including descriptions which contain your target keyword, you can give a substantial bump to your optimization.
Fit All Formats
An increasingly large portion of web browsing is done on mobile devices now. Devices ranging from mobile phones to tablets to computers.
Responsive design is a must to ensure that your site looks good no matter where it is being viewed.
A non-responsive website will trigger poor performance for those on devices it is not well-suited to which in-turn harms your site's ranking.
A poor user experience will yield poor optimization results.
Link It Together
Linking between sites is a crucial factor in ranking higher with a website.
This means you should be sure to link out to other reputable and relevant sites which help search engines determine the authority and ranking of your website.
Also, you should link to relevant internal pages on your own website.
The Need for Speed
A slow-loading web site is a killer for your site's ranking. Not only is loading time directly factored in by some search engines, but a slow loading site will also lead to users backing out of your website quickly, which harms your ranking.
When most of your users quickly leave your site and return to the search results, that's called a high bounce rate, and it will cause your page to plummet.
Spread the Keywords
While it's important to use the target keyword for your post, it should not be the only phrase being targeted.
The more popular a phrase is the more competition you will face and the harder it will be to rank for that phrase.
By targeting less common keywords which still receive some searches, known as long-tail keywords, you can earn domination over these lesser phrases and aggregate many clicks by combining them.
Building SEO is a must in the modern business world. The days when you could afford to let your web site's ranking be an afterthought are in the past for good.
By keeping these simple principles in mind, you can improve your ranking and gain a leg up on any competition still living in the past.
