Beginners Guide From Semalt To On-Page Optimization

The Difference Between Seo On-Page and Seo Off-Page - Independen Computer Group

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. What is On-Page Optimization: Starting with the Basics
  3. What About Off-Page Optimization
  4. 5 Essential On-Page SEO Factors You Need to Know
  5. Why is On-Page Optimization Important?
  6. How to conduct beginner On-Page Optimization
  7. Common Mistakes to Avoid
  8. Conclusion

Introduction

 
Owning a website is paramount for any business or brand that wants to succeed online. This website is not limited to a blog or a web page alone; it includes having a social media page and being on many online platforms. Why is this so? When a business is online, you have a better potential to be visible to your target audience than when you only have a physical store where your customers have to travel far to reach you and your services. But the game doesn't stop there. In reality, owning a website is just the start of the process. The next and most important stage is to optimize this online platform so you can guarantee your visibility to your target market. 

When it comes to optimization, the first thing that usually comes to mind is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Though SEO is essential, it involves the overall standardization of a website to meet search engine's requirements - take note of 'overall'. SEO is generic and might not be what you need while starting. It is a broad topic and you could be lost when trying to take on all 20+ parts of SEO at once. That's why this guide will focus on the most basic, essential, and needed part of SEO; On-page optimization. Read on for everything there is to know about the concept, its importance, and how to conduct a proper on-page optimization for your online platform.  

What is On-Page Optimization: Starting with the Basics

On-page optimization is the process of improving a website's search engine position / ranking by making alterations to the website directly. Also referred to as On-page SEO, it is simply SEO that takes place 'on the page.' Three (3) stand out in the definition; search engine position/ranking, alterations, and the website. 

 

What does search engine positioning mean? Also interchanged for website ranking, search engine ranking, website positioning, and so on, it has to do with the level of a website on Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs). Take a step back and imagine you go on the world's most popular search engine - Google. Then assume you search for 'funny cats'. What will happen is that the result page would load up and reveal a lot of websites as answers to the search query you made - which is 'funny cats'. Those websites are not randomly arranged, they are listed based on their ranking. So every result that pops up on Google is arranged based on search engine positioning. How are these positions determined? They are the out-turn of profitable alterations made to a website. The alterations would be further explained in the coming sections during the process of how to conduct on-page optimization on a website. 

What About Off-Page Optimization

Off-page optimization or Off-site SEO is simply the opposite of on-page SEO. It is the SEO process that is conducted for a website outside of the website. These processes affect the website's positioning positively, but the changes are made to external mediums. Off-page SEO is one of the many other branches of SEO that exist. 

5 Essential On-Page SEO Factors You Need to Know

Factors of on-page SEO are the elements of on-page optimization that need to be modified. Though all these elements or factors are on the website, not all of them are visible to the basic website owner. In addition, some of these elements might sound new to you as a beginner. The most essential on-page SEO factors include:
  1. Content: where you should focus on E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritative, and Trustworthiness), keywords, readability, subheading, images ad other visual assets, and so on. 
  2. HTML factors like title tags, meta descriptions, image optimization, geo-tagging, and so on.
  3. Website structure including the speed of your website's load time, responsive design compatibility, URL structure, and links.
  4. Mobile Friendliness factor that involves the optimization of mobile apps (if available).
  5. UX and other actionable SEO insights.

Why is On-Page Optimization Important?

The terms 'website positioning', 'search engine', 'visibility', 'target audience', and 'SERPs' keep ringing but what do all of these mean for you as a business owner or a brand manager? Here are the hands-on benefits of on-page optimization and SEO generally. 
 

  1. Search engines understand your site better: Search engines have a search bot that scans through the pages of a website (called website crawling) and then uploads the content of the website onto an online library (called website indexing). When a website is optimized with on-page SEO tools, the website becomes readable by search engine bots and understood - meaning that it can be crawled and indexed. But why are crawling and indexing important? It is what determines your website position on SERPs. Recall that it has been established that Website positioning is what makes a website come first or last in SERPs. 
  2. Gives you a competitive edge: For those that read the first benefit and wondered 'so what?' The reason for SERPs is for visibility. When you are first or at least on the first page of SERPs, you would be more visible than those on the second or third page. Statistics have it that very few people click the fourth or fifth result on SERPs. Much less reach the second page. That is why websites struggle to be one of the top 3 to show up as the results when a related query is searched for. However, on-page SEO brings you here without too much effort.   
  3. Targets YOUR Audience: Though there is more to know about keywords, in short, they help audience targeting. Keywords (which are one of the elements of on-page SEO under content) help to ensure that your website contains the phrases and sentences that your target audience uses the most. So for instance, if you have a website on cat food and your audience mostly searches for 'kitten's meal ideas', your audience will find you faster when you use the keywords 'kitten's meal ideas' rather than just 'cat food'. Funnily, if your target audience is cat owners, using 'cat food' can attract shop owners that sell cat foods as well. That's the essence of keywords and on-page SEO.
  4. Increases your customer base: Since on-page SEO brings you to the first page of SERPs, visibility is already a surety. Therefore, you can already begin to count the increase in how much more customers you attract. Luckily, your website is already optimized, so customers are sure to be retained when they visit. 
  5. Increase in sales, view, and revenue: Evidently, on-page SEO boosts visibility, and when your visibility increases, you will get more customers. This further leads to the probability of more website visitors that would become paying customers. In that case, you will likely record more sales and views. All of this then drives up to the accumulation of more revenue for your products and services.   

How to conduct beginner On-Page Optimization 

While these all sound great, it requires a lot of work and processes. Mostly, it is not easy to do these things yourself - especially as a beginner. But there are some things you can start with to help you on your journey. 
  1. Write quality content: Begin from what your users will read when they land on your site. Take note of all that has been mentioned during on-page SEO factors and incorporate them. Use E-A-T content, and use subheadings as well while writing. You can also outsource your content creation to creative experts in the field for better results. 
  2. Use 'People Also Ask': Instead of taking the keyword research step that can seem rather technical, use google to generate your keywords. Browse for the topic you wish to write about and scroll to the section where there's 'People Also Ask'. Include these questions in your blog post and give the most precise and valuable answers. 
  3. Add images to your content: Texts can get boring so make sure to add a quality image under each subheading and point you make. That would keep users engaged. 
  4. Work a proper website for your niche: Ensure that while creating your website, you put into consideration the different pages you'll need, the color balance, and the font balance. Your website needs to be attractive, readable and relaxing, and most of all, it needs to complement your brand. Semalt is a professional company that helps with website design to suit brand goals. 

Conclusion

On-page optimization is a lot of things but it cannot be easy to get everything in a single go; especially as a beginner. But while you take the time to acquire all the knowledge you need, your website can begin making sales and it should. Luckily, you don't have to spend a fortune to get your on-page optimization on point. Certain innovative SEO companies like Semalt can provide an Auto SEO tool that handles the basics of your website just enough to get you the results you need for a beginning website. So hurry and take the shot at a free consultation as well.