The Little Guide to On-Page SEO
On-Page SEO refers to all the optimizations you can make directly inside your website to improve its ranking in search results. Unlike Off-Page SEO (backlinks), here, you have full control.
1. The Basic Technical Structure
Even before talking about content, the skeleton of your page has to be solid.
- The page URL: It should be short, descriptive, and include your main keyword.
- Example: monsite.com/seo-on-page is much better than monsite.com/p=123.
- The Title Tag (SEO Title): It’s the blue title that appears on Google. It should be about 50 to 60 characters long and put the keyword at the beginning.
- The Meta Description: It doesn’t directly affect rankings, but it boosts the CTR (click-through rate). Be catchy!
- The HTTPS Protocol: Security is an official ranking criterion. No padlock, no chocolate (or traffic).
2. Content Optimization
Content is king, but a king who has to be well-dressed.
The Hierarchy of Titles (H1-H6)
Organize your text with HTML tags to help robots understand the topic:
- H1: Only one per page (the main title).
- H2: The major sections.
- H3: The sub-sections.
Semantic Wealth
Google doesn’t just look for exact keywords anymore, it looks for context.
- Use synonyms.
- Answer users’ secondary questions.
- Aim for a text length that covers the topic in depth (often more than 1000 words for complex subjects).
3. SEO for Images
Google’s robots don’t ‘see’ images like we do. They read the code.
- Alternative Text (Alt Text): Describe the image for visually impaired people and robots. This is where you naturally place your keywords.
- The Weight of Images: Images that are too heavy slow down your site. Use formats like WebP.
- The File Name: Rename IMG_001.jpg to guide-seo-on-page.jpg.
4. User Experience (UX)
Google favors sites that offer a pleasant browsing experience.
- Loading Speed: If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, you lose 50% of your visitors.
- Mobile Friendly: Your site has to be perfect on smartphones. This is ‘Mobile-First’ indexing.
- Core Web Vitals: Keep an eye on the visual stability and interactivity of your pages.