Hey there,
Yesterday I told you just how important on-page SEO is. In fact, there are some aspects of on-page SEO which can immediately boost your rankings by up to 300%.
So, what exactly is on-page SEO?
It’s making sure that your pages or posts have meet some specific criteria which helps Google rank you higher. It’s stuff such as:
- keyword density
- how long an article is (word count)
- content uniqueness
- the use of visual content (images, videos, etc.)
While there are numerous factors, here are just ten you can instantly apply and improve your rankings:
0. Setting up Google Authorship
Setting up Google authorship has been proven to increase click-through rates by 150%, which means more traffic and more revenue.
While it can be a pain setting it up, it’s well worth it in the long run.
1). Content should be the #1 priority
This is the most important aspect. Without quality content you can have the best links and the best on-page optimization – you’re not going to succeed.
2). Keyword Density
You should include the keyword in the title of the article, and mention it in the content naturally without pushing it. Some experts say it’s OK to have a density up to 3% but I feel that’s way too much. I’d say 0%-1,5% is what you should be aiming for, including a lot of variations and LSI keywords.
3). The Title
The title (and the title tags) should be unique and appealing. While it’s been said that you should include your keyword at the beginning of the title, I’d say you should go with your personal feel and not ruin a beautiful title just for the sake of maximizing SEO – because in the end, you may actually be hurting it.
4). Meta Description Tag
Meta tags are no longer effective for rankings, but they can get you penalized if you use them incorrectly.
Every page should have a unique meta description, and include a different keyword variation than your main one.
Moreover, don’t write all the descriptions. Let some of them be grabbed by search engines themselves, as it will appear more natural.
5). URL Structure
You should definitely go with using the entire title inside the URL using the permalink option in WordPress as %postname%.
6). Header Tags
- The H1 should be always used for the title of the article only
- The H2 tag is great for subheadings, so is the H3 tag
- You shouldn’t bother with H4-H6 but you can share your opinion on those in the private forum.
- Bolding or italicizing your main keyword has been a taught SEO tactic for years, and nowadays may actually hurt your rankings by being considered over-optimization. Don’t overuse it.
You should always have some alt image tags for each graphic you upload to your website, and they should include variations of your main keyword.
8). Social Buttons
There are so many plugins that do the job for you, and I recommend you use Slick Social Share Buttons because that’s what I have been using. Add whatever social sharing buttons you’d like, but I usually just stick with Facebook, Twitter and Google+
9). Internal Linking
You should always link to your own, existing content when writing new articles, the way Wikipedia has been doing it for a long time. It’s super effective. Make sure you have at least one internal link in every post. It doesn’t have to be a keyword as the anchor – keeps things natural!
10). Post Regularly
If you want to outsource 50 articles each 500 words long and upload them all at once, you are going to have a bad time.
I suggest you try and update your site on a regular schedule – doesn’t matter if it’s once a day or once a month
Bonus – Content length
You should definitely ignore your word count. Just write as much as you feel you should. This way you’ll create natural diversity with your content, exactly the way it should be. Don’t have all articles with the same word count – it will raise a red flag!
Note: Try to get as many of your articles above 300 words though!!
Alright, hopefully this draws your attention to the importance of on-page SEO.
I’ll have plenty of awesome proof to show you of how effective on-page SEO is in just a few days!
