On-page SEO, or on-site SEO, is the definition of optimizing an individual page on your website to rank higher on search engines. This allows you to set different goals from the overall websites, such as target audience segments, specific keywords or phrases, or even topics.
While many Michigan SEO services offer an efficient SEO strategy, you can follow these simple tasks in the on-page SEO checklist to make your page Mobile-friendly.
Why Understanding On-page SEO Process Is Important?
Understanding on-page SEO is crucial because it is the tool that informs Google how valuable your site is among the audiences. Once Google recognizes your site, it will optimize for both human eyes and search engine bots, increasing your presence to online users.
While off-page SEO makes you connect third-party sources to get traffic, on-page SEO is all about what to do with your website to attract traffic actively. This process requires optimizing elements like content, meta tags, HTLM, keyword research, and alt-text to make it SEO-friendly.
Since you get to control every part of on-page SEO, it is vital to do it correctly. Now, let’s go over your to-do SEO list.
11 Tasks In On-page SEO Checklist
To ensure your page is Google-friendly, here are 11 tasks on a basic SEO checklist you should follow:
- Format URL using main keywords
- Optimize title tag
- Add meta description
- Avoid lengthy content with headers
- Insert engaging visuals
- Use alt-text for visuals
- Include main keywords in the body content
- Pay close attention to the content quality
- Enhance navigation with internal links
- Add external links
- Apply schema markup
- Format URL Using Main Keywords
Users consider the URL as a preview of the page content. So, by adding the main keyword to the URL, it shows users and search engines what your content is discussing.
For instance, if you publish a blog containing the main keyword “What is SEO,” your URL should be formatted like this: what-is-SEO.
Here are a few tips for creating an SEO-friendly URL:
- Only use main keywords as the URL slug,
- Add “-” to separate between words
- Avoid changing your slug, especially those with numbers like years (2023).
*Note: Google prefers HTTPS as a positive ranking factor.
- Optimize Title Tag
The title tag is the page title visible in the SERP. It should let Google understand your page’s topic and entice users to click through.
The title tag represents a page title appearing in the SERP, which notifies Google what your page is about and encourages users to click.
In fact, a title tag is a user’s first impression of your page. Hence, never miss to create a good one while doing an on-page optimization checklist.
Here are some “must” notices to optimize the title tag:
- Include the page’s primary keyword (the main term you aim to rank for). Suggested to put in the beginning
- Keep under 60 characters so it won’t be cut out on the search engine (recommended by Google)
- Avoid overstuffed semantic keywords. The main keywords should be fine.
- Avoid Lengthy Content With Headers
In on-site SEO, headers organize your content structure as they separate text and make it easiest for readers and search engines to scan through the content.
The content should contain at most one H1 header and as many subheaders as necessary, depending on the length of your content. Besides including main keywords in one of the headers, adding semantic keywords in your H2 is recommended, too.
- Add Meta Description
Meta description is usually a short description displayed on the SERP that summarizes the page’s content.
Though this is not a ranking factor, it is among the important elements of on-page SEO analysis. An attractive meta description explains your page’s interests and why users should click on it.
But to best implement it, try these hacks:
- Keep it ranges from 120 – 160 characters (recommended by Google)
- Include main keywords and one semantic keyword. Don’t overstuff.
- Write in a complete sentence (can be two)
- Avoid special characters
- Insert Engaging Visuals
Never doubt the role of visuals in a Google checklist.
Incorporating relevant images, videos, illustrations, etc, helps to enhance how users approach the discussion. Moreover, inserting images between paragraphs prevents your page from being lengthy and makes it easier to understand.
SEMrush’s recent report stated that the article received 70% more traffic when including at least one video than the one without. These visual optimization tips will improve user experience and your visibility on search results:
- Compress all files for faster loading time
- Use descriptive filenames
- Write informative alt-tags
- Consider attaching Geo-Tags
- Use Alt-Text for Visuals
As mentioned earlier, visual is important when doing a basic SEO checklist. However, it requires alt-text to optimize best.
Alt-text describes an image on a webpage simply by adding relevant keywords that describe its appearance or function. This addition contributes to the SEO performance and might allow your page to rank on image search.
Here are a few tactics to apply:
- Be specific, relevant, and informative on what the image represents
- Maintain under 125 characters
- Avoid overloading with excessive keywords
- Include Main Keywords In Body Content
Besides adding to URL, title, or headers, main keywords should be present throughout your content. In fact, Google determines if the page is relevant based on keywords.
If your content doesn’t contain enough target keywords, search engine bots can miss ranking as they think it is irrelevant.
However, optimizing keywords does not mean you can place them wherever and whatever you want to the content since it might cause back effects. Using excessive keywords can harm your website’s SEO, leading to a spammy and unsmooth reading experience.
Nowadays, search engine bots are highly detected and penalize content unnaturally filled with keywords.
Keep in mind that you are aiming for the reading experience. Therefore, the smoothness of your content should be the number one priority.
- Pay Close Attention to The Content Quality
To produce high-quality content, you must know users’ search intent.
In recent years, Google has stated many evaluating standards for a page’s content. But their priority is always to be how valuable the content is to readers and maintain their engagement.
Whether you are writing a blog, webpage content, or a product description, here are some content site factors you should consider to evaluate:
- Accuracy: Make sure the content is correct and up to date, and avoid any spelling and grammar errors.
- Originality: Avoid duplicating content across your website. Also, ensure there is no plagiarism.
- Length: Keep your content short and straightforward to the main points because readers prefer shorter articles.
- Readability: Remember that overly complex or simplistic writing may cause readers to leave your page. Using easy-to-read words can acknowledge users better.
- Formatting: Use paragraph breaks, subheadings, tables, bullet points, and other formatting elements to organize your content structure.
- Tone of voice: Remember, it’s not just what you say but how you say it. Determine the appropriate tone for your subject matter and target audience.
See more: What is SEO?
- Enhance Navigation With Internal Links
Internal links are links that connect readers to other pages on your site.
It is always a way for search engines like Google to discover the relationship between different pages on your website.
Don’t think of these as randomly linked. When doing on-page SEO analysis, there are tactics when attaching:
- Insert on anchor text: You must determine the most relevant text to represent the intended links. Usually, it is semantic keywords or a whole phrase.
- Determine the linking page: Know what and where you are linking to. For best results, link to a contextually relevant page to support the information currently discussed.
- Don’t place all at once: Place internal links throughout the page; don’t overstuff them all at once. Avoid excessive linking cause it might consider spam.
- Add External Links
For the best on-page optimization, external links are necessary.
Though this might seem a way that can lead your users to competitors, external links are more worthy than you think. Google values pages that can external link to high-credibility sites, as it considers your website trustworthy. Well referencing increases your trust among Google and users and provides information that acknowledges readers.
- Apply Schema Markup
Schema markup or structured data is a coding language that helps Google understand the type of data presented on your site. By improving Google’s understanding of your page, it can more accurately rank your content. Additionally, Google utilizes these code snippets to generate rich results or “rich snippets.”
Google supports 32 schema types, and we highly recommend these: Article, Event, FAQ, How-to, Product, and Local Business. While this is one of the more advanced tasks on the on-page SEO checklist, Google provides a Structured Data Markup Helper to assist you in adding schema to your page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Checklist for On-page SEO?
There are many versions of on-page optimization, but these tasks are basics and must-haves on a Google checklist:
- Format URL using main keywords
- Optimize title tag
- Add meta description
- Avoid lengthy content with headers
- Insert engaging visuals
- Use alt-text for visuals
- Include main keywords in the body content
- Pay close attention to the content quality
- Enhance navigation with internal links
- Add external links
- Apply schema markup
What Is The Main Part of On-page SEO?
While many site factors contribute to on-page SEO, pay close attention to URLs, title tags, visuals, and keywords as they are most commonly used.
What Are The Top 3 Considerations For On-page SEO?
Page speed, content, and mobile-friendliness are the top 3 considerations for on-page SEO analysis recommended by experts.
In fact, on-page SEO is only part of your optimization journey since there are managing parts, such as indexing, on-page SEO audit, page speed, etc.
However, on-page SEO analysis is the ultimate beginning for your website to rank on Google.
By following our in-depth on-page optimization checklist, we are sure you will have a great pathway!
Co-Founder & General Manager @ ROI Digitally
3 Common Customer Behaviors & 4 Key Customer Personas