The Only On-Page Optimization Checklist You Need

You too are making every effort to ensure that your content is perfectly optimized for search engines, but are you still facing issues in ranking your website?

Does that sound correct to you? This may be because of your On-Page SEO issues. 

There are almost 200 distinct signals that are used by Google’s algorithms to rank content. It is nearly impossible to try to respond to each and every one of these signals, and the majority of them are outside your control.

What you do have complete control over are the on-page signals Google looks for when crawling your content. This post will assist you if you’re unsure whether your material is reaching each one of them.

You don’t have to worry any longer because I’ve put together a comprehensive On-Page optimization checklist that will help you better understand and apply it.

What Is On-Page Optimization?

On-page SEO (also known as on-site SEO) is the practice of optimizing web pages in order to improve a website’s search engine rankings and generate organic traffic.

Look at the image below. All these factors are considered in On-Page Optimization.

In short, On-Page SEO improves your website’s user interface and user experience while also enhancing its rating. As the name implies, on-page modifications and tweaks are those that are visible to you or your visitors.

You have complete control over every aspect of the on-page. So, to do it correctly, you must first comprehend the significance of each component. 

What Is The Importance Of On-Page Optimization?

On-page optimization is critical because it aids search engines in crawling and comprehending your website and its content. It also aids in determining whether the website is related to the search query and, as a result, whether it should rank for it. 

As search engines improve, on-page SEO and its relationship to the search engine results page are becoming more important.

To decide to rank, Google continues to concentrate increased emphasis and weight on how well a page’s content answers the search query.

On-page SEO is critical for those attempting to increase their ranks. Optimizing with the wrong intent can tell you the difference between ranking well and not ranking at all.

On-Page Optimization Checklist

Conduct SERP Research

A proactive approach to SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is required for the success of On-Page SEO. SEO and Google’s algorithms are constantly changing, so make sure you’re optimizing all of your pages correctly before you start.

Begin by looking through the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). See what comes up when you type one of your keywords into Google.

For example, I type this keyword on Google and check the outcomes.

I got lots of blogs as a result of the search query. I will go through it and do some fine research. 

The results will show what Google thinks are the most relevant results for that particular search term. Examine the top few results closely to see what it’s doing right, such as the URL, Title, and Featured Excerpt.

Choose one of the first few results and go to the page it takes you to.

• How does the page appear to you? 
• Is this a lengthy blog post? 
• A product page that’s been optimized?

Look for any gaps you can fill, more significantly. If you believe there is a question concerning your term that isn’t being answered in the search results, this could be an excellent opportunity for you to develop content that will rank well. 

Read More: Tweaks For Page Title & Meta Description That’ll Boost Your SEO Traffic & CTR

Keyword Research For On-Page SEO

One thing constant in the world of ever-changing SEO strategies is the requirement for keywords and keyword research. When it comes to SEO, keyword research is one of the most significant factors.

Not all keywords, however, are created equal.

If you don’t include long-tail keywords in your section headings, you may be missing out on a lot of search traffic. Long-tail keywords are made up of three to four keyword phrases that are specific to the product or service being sold.

Longer versions of your keywords have lower search numbers than primary keywords, but they often have higher conversion rates.

Let me explain to you with the help of a demo:

Just look at the image above. See how keywords impact the conversion rate. The short tail keywords may have higher search volume, but the conversion rate is lower due to unclear intent.

On the other hand, long-tail keywords have low monthly searches but a higher conversion rate because they have clear intent. So, use long-tail keywords as much as possible in your content or website. 

Long-tail keywords that are very related to the page’s topic also provide fantastic insights on how to organize your page, both for user experience and to rank better for the long-tail searches that people use when seeking the same information.

To avoid keyword stuffing and indirect search manipulation, consider utilizing synonyms in addition to your specialized long-tail keywords. That’s how you can find the right keywords for your business. 

In today’s world, you must also consider voice search. You can also go with Voice Search Marketing.

Here are the factors that impact voice search rankings:

The way the question is phrased is one of the most significant distinctions from a regular search. The query in voice search is frequently in the form of a question.

That involves thinking about all the questions your content could address and providing straightforward responses throughout your copy (especially towards the top).

Use H1 Tags And Short Page Titles

One of the most important on-site SEO variables is the title. Your title tags are one of the things that web crawlers look at when determining the intent of your page for a search query.

Make sure it is optimized properly as it is one of the main factors in the On-Page Optimization checklist.

i. Make Your Titles Distinct And Appealing

It should also be descriptive of the content of your page. Keep in mind that title tags should incorporate the page’s principal keyword.

Remember to include an H1 title tag in your title, which tells search engines that the copy you wrapped is the page’s title copy and an essential part of your content.

You can take an example from this blog on our website:

This is one of the blogs published on my website. The H1 title tag is descriptive and not too long as it can clearly appear on the SERP.

ii. Subheadings And Header Tags Should Be Used Properly

It is advisable to include subheadings in your content for a better user experience. You’ll be able to incorporate your keywords into your writing as a result.

iii. It Will Also Make It Easy To Scan Your Content

Because most people don’t have the patience to read an entire post, subheadings act as road maps for your readers, allowing them to quickly gain an overview of your material and access the information they need.

Also, you can add an index column to your blog or page like this:

This will help the readers just scan your content, which is even helpful. 

Remember to break up your content into logical, scannable sections that your audience can readily comprehend.

Also, similar to how you’ll wrap your page title in the H2, H3, and so on tags of your HTML, remember to wrap your subheadings in the H2, H3, and so on tags of your HTML. 

This tells search engines that the copy you prepared is important and relevant to the page’s topic.

Use Meta Descriptions To Improve CTR

Meta descriptions are yet another crucial SEO component to consider. Meta descriptions are short text snippets that explain the content of a web page. Its function is to inform search engines about the content of a page.

See the image below:

This is how a meta description should be. 

These descriptions are occasionally, but not always, found on Google. Meta descriptions are quite important as Google takes them as a piece of content on the page to be more relevant. 

Your meta description can have an impact on your SEO and Click-Through Rate(CTR) in either case.

It’s best to keep meta descriptions as short as possible while still being sufficiently descriptive.

A meta description should be between 100 and 160 characters in length. Meta descriptions that are longer than 150-160 characters are frequently chopped off by Google.

Google is inconsistent in how it displays meta descriptions, with short and long meta descriptions appearing on the same SERP.

The length at which it shuts off descriptions today varies a lot from one result to the next. Much depends on how Google reads the description of the query. Google may decide not to use it if it is judged irrelevant.

Google changed the maximum description link length from 160 to 320 characters towards the end of last year (twice what it was previously).

Snippets that were previously cut off can now be seen in their entirety, providing users a more complete picture of what a page is about. As a result, this new adjustment may also be beneficial. 

Create A Long-Form And Relevant Content

This is something I can’t emphasize enough. Long and relevant content is a part of the On-Page Optimization checklist as long content has an opportunity to rank for lots of keywords as compared to short content. 

Your content is the lifeblood of your website, and it will ultimately determine where your page ranks in the SERPs. Longform material, in particular, should be prioritized in the current On-Page SEO checklist.

There is no set length for a post to be called long-form, but it should be at least 1,500 words long.

Or, it would be even better if it was 2000+ words. Longer posts may appear to be paradoxical. Given readers’ limited attention spans, you would believe that the shorter the post, the more likely it is that they will read it.

When it comes to On-Page SEO, however, this is just not the case. Posts that are longer perform better.

According to a study conducted by Moz, over 85% of online content that exceeded 1,000 words earned more shares than shorter content pieces.

SerpIQ looked at the average length of content in the top 10 search results and discovered that the most popular posts were typically over 2,000 words long.

Longer posts generate more backlinks than shorter ones, increasing the page authority and ranking position.

That said, ensuring that each post provides relevant, high-quality information for your target audience is even more critical. The usefulness and applicability of the information to your target audience will determine its relevance. This is to be kept in mind if you create an On-Page Optimization checklist.

And, as Google’s search results become more intent-based, the length of the search results is growing. 

That is, if you can accurately and simply discuss a topic in about 300-500 words, it is preferable to keep it short rather than cram in extraneous details.

Make sure you include evergreen content in your article to keep it relevant. Content that is evergreen is not popular, seasonal, or news-related. It should be regarded as a living, breathing organism that demands regular feeding. 

Use Multimedia To Appeal To Your Audience

The importance of your content cannot be overstated. However, the material you add with it could make the difference between a bounce and a convert.

Let’s Have A Look At It In Detail:

Visual content is 40 times more likely than other sorts of content to be shared on social media, and infographics alone are liked and shared 3 times more than any other type of information.

When you add a video to the equation, the numbers become even more remarkable.

Video content is consumed completely by 55% of consumers, 51.9 percent of marketing experts globally name video as the sort of content with the best ROI, and marketers who use video grow revenue 49% quicker than non-video users.

All of these statistics point to one conclusion: Readers Enjoy Multimedia. The more you use it on your page, the more likely readers will stay on it and read (or watch) what you have to say.

This results in lower bounce rates and longer time spent on the site, both of which are crucial ranking considerations.

It also implies that they’ll become more familiar with your brand and content as a result of spending more time on your site, which could lead to a conversion down the road.

Video Enhancement

To get the most out of your videos, they must be properly optimized just like any other piece of content. Not everything you say in person will translate well on video.

According to Search Engine Land, businesses should concentrate on two types of videos, Emotive and Informative.

You also want your video to be simply comprehended and indexed. Pay close attention to the following points:

Your video title should be succinct, entertaining, and include your goal keyword, just like your page titles.

• Include A Detailed Description—A detailed description should adequately define your video’s content and what viewers can expect to see. That requires more than a few sentences, not simply a few paragraphs. Utilize your target keyword, as well as any secondary keywords, throughout your writing.

• Choose A Suitable Thumbnail Image—More than your title, your thumbnail image could determine whether or not someone views your movie.

• Choose One That Corresponds To Your Theme—for example, if it’s a product demo, display the product.

Make sure it is similar to the rest of your content. Videos are excellent, but don’t include them just for the sake of having them.

If you’re embedding a video in a blog post or category page, make sure it’s not too long. 

Use subtitles (if available): Since many people watch videos without sound, make it easier for them by incorporating subtitles if your platform permits it. These things are to be kept in mind as an On-Page Optimization checklist for the blog post.

Add Alt Tags To Images

While we’re on the subject, image alt tags and descriptions are other important aspects of multimedia SEO.

The goal of alt tags and descriptions is to describe the appearance and function of an image on the page. You want to make sure they accurately portray the image because this is what will show if an image doesn’t load properly.

They also help search engine crawlers index the image more accurately by supplying more information, which is why they are important for SEO.

Can you envision the image properly if the words are read to you without seeing it?

If you answered yes, you’re set to go with your alt tag.

Tips To Write A Good Alt Text: 

• Write specific and succinct.
• Never start with “image of” or “picture of”
• Don’t repeat the description in all the images. 
• Don’t use heavy words.

To improve your chances of ranking for the term you’re seeking to rank the page for, the accompanying image description should always include the keyword you’re trying to rank for. 

Include Internal Links To keep The User On Your website

Backlinks and Internal Links are the two types of links that are important in SEO. Though backlinks are an important part of off-page SEO, I will avoid them for now and will only discuss internal links. 

Internal links are handled by on-page SEO. Internal links are hyperlinks within your content that go to other pages on your site.

Internal linking, like most SEO-related topics, necessitates a strategy. Try to split down your structure into multiple tiers as you make yours:

See the image above and you will get an idea of how an internal link works. When a user visits a homepage, he will also visit the other pages linked with it. This is a strategy to keep users on your website. 

Each post should have several links to related information. Your template should have a “related posts” or “similar posts” section, as well as internal links throughout the body of the post.

An HTML sitemap will assist Google in crawling your site more efficiently and will link to various pages on your site.

The most crucial aspect of internal linking is ensuring that each connection is used in a natural and relevant manner. Each succeeding page should be relevant to the topic at hand and useful to the audience. 

Mobile-First Indexing

Making sure your site is mobile-friendly is no longer an option but a necessity, is a first step toward On-Page SEO success. 

Mobile-first indexing means that Google will index and rank your pages primarily based on their mobile versions. While there is still a single index for both mobile and desktop, if your site is not mobile-friendly, the ranking will be nearly impossible.

When it comes to mobile-first indexing, there are a few factors to think about:

• Is your site mobile-friendly on both the desktop and mobile versions?
• What do your sites look like when viewed on a mobile device?
• Is the type legible?
• Is the size of the buttons appropriate?
• Is your website’s content written in a mobile-friendly format?

(Are the sentences and paragraphs succinct and to the point?) If you haven’t yet optimized your pages for mobile, now is the time to do so, and if you’re unsure, do Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. 

Read More: An Introduction To Mobile SEO Best Practices

Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines – E-A-T

Does your website convey E-A-T? The notion of E-A-T—Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness—is heavily mentioned in Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines, which provide crucial insight into what Google considers high-quality material to content creators and webmasters.

You don’t need a formal education to participate in the expertise section of E-A-T. It simply means that you can be proactive in fact-checking and linking to trustworthy sources.

High-authority domains include those with extensions like.edu and.gov, as well as media outlets like The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and Time.

In certain instances, Google will even evaluate trustworthiness by comparing websites to a list of known facts and determining how many are correct.

Wherever feasible, cite your sources at the bottom of your articles. Include the date of the review or publication, as well as a link back to the original piece.

Keeping a careful eye on your E-A-T, both on and off your website, could help you improve your search rankings.

Conclusion

If you check all of the boxes on our SEO on-page optimization checklist, your website will be ready for 2022.

Here are some important points to remember when it comes to on-page SEO activities :

You can have low-cost marketing that increases your return on investment (ROI).

Having an optimized website will assist you in generating buzz because of the specific and focused keywords associated with your business.

Consumers will be encouraged to visit your site more frequently if it has cleaner, faster page performance, thanks to smart SEO strategies. Do not forget to include these points in your daily SEO tasks.