On-Page Optimisation Overview

A Step-By-Step Guide to Small Business SEO

In the last chapter to this guide I referenced the importance of ensuring that unique META title tags are written for each individual web page on your site before it launches. Adding META titles is one element of what’s commonly referred to as “on-page optimisation”. On-page optimisation is essentially the process of tweaking HTML mark-up and page content in order to increase the potential for higher search rankings. This is in contrast to “off-page” optimisation techniques such as link-bait promotion. On-page optimisation should be given considerable focus by small business website owners especially in the immediate few months after a new website launches. As a result, the next few stages of this guide will be dedicated to on-page optimisation techniques, beginning here with an overview of the key elements. This article follows on from Part Fourteen: Launching New Websites. To go back to the start of this guide you can read my introduction here.

General Guidelines

If you choose to add or optimise content on your website yourself, there are several key things to consider.

• The content written for each individual web page on your site should be informed by thorough key-phrase research (as referenced in parts five and nine of this guide).
• Use your homepage for your “head” key-phrases (your high volume, high quality, long-term targets).
• Each web page should be optimised for one key phrase term. A high relevance for one key-phrase is far better than a moderate relevance for several.
• Ensure that your web copy matches and fits coherently with the key-phrase term you are optimising for.
• Be careful not to over-optimise. Avoid “stuffing” your web copy and META tags with too many instances of your target key-phrases.

Meta Tags

• Write unique META titles and descriptions for each individual web page on your site.
• Ensure that your META title and description tag is appealing to human beings and accurately conveys the nature of your page content.
• Include your target key-phrase in your META title and description tags.
• Avoid over-long META titles, 65 characters should be the limit.
• Use target key-phrases to the left of your title tag, your company name should appear on the right.
• Remember that the META description tag does not help you to rank higher in the search engines. However a well-written description will assit you with your CTR (click-through-rate), so ensure that your key selling points are included.

Body Copy and HTML tags

• Consider limiting the copy for each page on your website to around 300 to 500 words. This is a more manageable size of text for achieving key-phrase or “keyword density”.
• Do not fuss too much about keyword density. Focus instead on ensuring that your target key-phrase flows and fits naturally into the content.
• Include the target key-phrase near the top of the body copy, ideally in the first sentence.
• Integrate the target key-phrase into your main heading. Make use of subheadings and include different key-phrases in each sub-heading.
• Use the H1 tag for your main headings.
• Be cautious using HTML tags such as bold and italic. Don’t overuse them solely on your target key-phrase.
• Use synonyms and phrase variants throughout your body copy. This reduces the risk of keyword stuffing having a negative impact on page relevance through the use of words related to your key-phrase.
• Repeat your main key-phrase at the end of your copy.
• Most importantly of all, make sure you write good quality, useful content that offers the person visting your site information, prices, advice or ideas specifically related to what they searched for. All ethical SEO projects should aim to deliver a quality on-page experience for the user.

Internal Links

• Use your target key-phrase as the anchor text in your page hyperlinks. Where possible, avoid using neutral terms such as “click here”. Apply the same rule when linking out to third party sites.
• Create page and menu titles that include your target key-phrases.

Images

• Optimise your images with relevant titles, Alt text, and file names.
• Again be careful not to over-optimise your image tags.
• Bigger images tend to feature more prominently on the first page of Google’s image search results.

Review

• Conduct continuing reviews of your web pages to assess visual impact, usability and relevance. Implement calls to action and incentives to explore other pages on your site.

On-Page Optimisation Checklist

• Your earlier key-phrase research must inform your on-page optimisation
• Ensure each individual web page on your site is optimised following these guidelines
• Pay considerable attention to the title tags of your pages
• Provide your customers or users with great content!

Part Sixteen

This overview of on-page optimisation factors is intended to outline the key considerations when creating content for the web with both users and search engines in mind. Start-up companies and small business websites can start to maximise on the potential to drive qualified traffic to their sites through the provision of highly targeted, niche content. In the next few chapters I will look at on-page factors in more detail. Click here to go to part sixteen.