ON-PAGE SEO: Guide & Tools for On-Page Optimization

Hello! I’m Alexandru Marcu, SEO expert, and today I’ll talk about the importance of on-page optimization for your site and how you can check your SEO efficiency.

In this article, we’ll explore key strategies to achieve higher rankings in search engines and how to maximize your SEO impact.

WHAT DOES SEO DO FOR YOU?

Before we dive into technical aspects, let’s better understand what SEO means and how your site can benefit from effective on-page optimization. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a set of techniques and strategies applied to increase a site’s visibility and relevance in organic search engine results, such as Google. With SEO, you can attract more qualified visitors, thereby increasing your site’s traffic and conversions.

Read more about What is SEO

HOW DOES A SEARCH ENGINE RANK A SITE?

To optimize your site, it’s important to understand how search engines evaluate and rank pages. This topic will be covered in a separate article to ensure you gain a deep understanding.

WHAT ARE KEYWORDS?

Another essential element of on-page optimization is keywords. These are terms or phrases relevant to your content and site goals, which users use in their online searches. Choosing the right keywords and integrating them strategically into your content can significantly increase your chances of being found by potential customers. What are keywords – 9 types of keywords

CRAWLING AND INDEXING

Soon, we’ll dedicate a separate article to explore this topic in detail, since understanding how search engines crawl and index sites is essential for your on-page optimization strategies.

SITE STRUCTURE

Your site’s structure is an important factor for SEO. Make sure to organize your content clearly and logically, use the correct tags, and make navigation easy for users. A well-structured site helps search engines understand your content and display it in relevant searches.

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN DOING ON-PAGE SEO

On-page optimization is one of the essential pillars for SEO success. Google’s algorithm analyzes and understands your site’s content based on various elements, and proper optimization can help you achieve better positions in search results. Here are some important aspects to consider when doing on-page SEO:

Tags and Content – How to Help Google Algorithms Better Understand Your Site

HTML tags such as H1 (the main page title), H2 and H3 (subtitles), and meta tags (like meta-title and meta-description) are essential for informing Google’s algorithms about your content’s structure and relevance. Make sure to use these tags wisely and integrate relevant keywords to help Google better understand your page.

Meta-Title – the most important thing in SEO optimization

The meta-title is the main page title displayed in search results. It’s crucial for it to be concise, relevant, and to include important keywords. A well-optimized meta-title can attract more clicks and improve your position in search results.

Meta-Description

The meta description is a brief summary of your page content and appears under the main title in search results. Make sure the meta-description is compelling, attracts users, and includes relevant keywords.

Slug – the SEO-optimized URL

The slug is your page’s URL address. Choose an SEO-optimized slug that includes relevant keywords and is easy to read for both users and search engines.

Site Content

First, identify the user’s search intent: Analyze the top organic results for the keywords found during Keyword Research or Keyword Analysis, then create quality content that’s relevant for that query.

Quality content is a key factor in SEO. Make sure you provide valuable and relevant information to users. Create unique, well-structured content with strategic keyword use—but avoid over-optimization.

Semantic HTML Tags

Generally, search engines try to understand what the page is about with or without semantic HTML tags (including headings and subheadings), but using them correctly gives search engines an extra signal and helps them more easily identify the page topic.

Google’s crawler can index pages with non-semantic HTML, but it’s preferable to use Semantic HTML Tags.

Subpage Title – H1

Each page should have a relevant and descriptive main title (H1). This should reflect the content and include suitable keywords.

The First 100 Words

The first 100 words of your page are considered critical for determining its subject and relevance.

Make sure the first 100 words are engaging, include important keywords, and capture the user’s attention—The time a user spends on your site can also be a ranking factor.

Is the Page Easy to Scan for Users?

Some users read the beginning of an article and continue if they’re hooked, while others prefer to scan the article to get an idea before deciding to read the whole thing.

The key is that an important Ranking factor is also the time users spend on the page.

Subheadings – H2 and H3

Using subheadings (H2 and H3) helps organize and structure your content. They provide clues to both users and search engines about the content’s structure and hierarchy.

Content – Site Text

Make sure your site’s text is easy to read and understand, with relevant and quality information for users. Avoid duplicate content and provide value to your users.

SEO Optimization of Images

Make sure all images on your site have relevant ALT tags and proper descriptions. This helps search engines understand visual content and can bring additional traffic from image searches.

How to Improve User Experience

A pleasant user experience is an important aspect of SEO. Ensure your site is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and offers useful information and content to users.

Write Quality Content

Creating high-quality, original content is essential for SEO success. Focus on providing useful and interesting information for users, which will attract links and user engagement.

A crucial aspect of on-page optimization is the strategic use of keywords. It’s important to include relevant keywords in H1, H2 titles, and your page content, but you must avoid over-optimization, as this can negatively impact rankings.

Focus on creating useful and informative content that meets users' needs.

Follow Google’s guide on Creating helpful and valuable content

In the end, remember that SEO is about providing value to users, and search engines appreciate sites that improve the user experience.

Optimize Your Site for Mobile Devices (Responsive Web Design)

Since most searches are done on mobile devices, make sure your site has a responsive design that adapts perfectly to any device.

Secure Your Website

Make sure your site uses security protocols (HTTPS) to protect users’ data and build their trust.

Improve Your Site’s Loading Speed

Optimal loading speed is crucial for a pleasant user experience and for better search rankings.

TOOLS FOR ON-PAGE OPTIMIZATION

1. Google Search Console: This is a tool from Google that lets you monitor and report your site's performance in search results. You can identify relevant keywords, track page indexing, and detect crawl and indexing issues.
2. Marweb Audit: This is a tool still in testing but FREE for now, available only to users who create an account. It shows everything about on-page and technical SEO and gives recommendations based on its analysis.
3. Google PageSpeed Insights: This gives you an evaluation of your pages’ loading speed, both on desktop and mobile. Loading speed is important for on-page optimization and can impact user experience and search rankings.
4. Screaming Frog: This is a site crawler that gives you a detailed view of your site’s structure, meta information, link errors, and other important on-page optimization aspects.
5. SEMrush: A complete SEO platform that offers a variety of tools for keyword analysis, competitor tracking, SEO audits, and more. It can help you identify on-page optimization opportunities and monitor your site’s performance over time.
6. Yoast SEO (for WordPress): If you use WordPress, Yoast SEO is an excellent plugin for on-page optimization. It provides tips and suggestions for each page or post, helping you improve meta information, content structure, and more. I could mention any other SEO plugin for WordPress, but it depends on each site’s specific needs, your SEO knowledge, and how much control each plugin offers.
7. Ahrefs: Another complete SEO tool offering advanced analyses for keywords, backlinks, competitors, and more. For on-page optimization, it can be used to identify relevant keywords and track rankings over time.
8. SE Ranking: An all-in-one SEO tool with on-page audits, rank tracking, keyword research, competitor analysis, and more. It’s an accessible alternative to Ahrefs/SEMrush, ideal for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small teams. Our recommendation if you want something powerful yet intuitive.