On-Page SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Factors
- The content of the page itself
- Title tags and other meta-information
- The URL of the page itself
- Relevant images with alt-attribute text (more on that later)
- Links (both internal and external)
Optimizing The Page Content for Your Subject
The content of your page is the meat of it and should be hyper-relevant to the subject you wish to explore. For example, if your website is for plumbers, then the page content you’re crafting should be hyper-focused on plumbing and relevant sub-categories. You should clearly state the subject of your content in the following sections of your webpage:- The meta title tag
- The URL of the page
- The header (H1) of your page
- At least one sub-header (H2) for your page
- In alt attribute text for all your images
Creating Unique Content is Important
Optimizing on-page content for the subject in question is not the only thing to consider when you’re writing your page. For instance, when you’re writing your page, make sure to provide some unique information on the subject of your choice. The more unique and in-depth the information your site offers, the more likely Google (and other search engines) will give your page a high-quality signal for ranking authority.The Nitty Gritty – Meta Titles, Descriptions, and the URL
After creating unique, in-depth, and hyper-relevant on-page content for your site, the next step is to take care of the nitty-gritty things like your meta titles and descriptions.Meta Titles
Meta titles are what search engines will read as your web page’s title. These are also the titles that Google and other search engines will display your page in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page). The title should be:- Less than 512 pixels/65 characters in length
- Hyper-relevant to your subject
- Include your main keyword
Here is an example of a well-written meta title:
Meta Descriptions
After you have written an engaging and attention-grabbing meta title that accurately depicts the subject of your page, the next step is to craft a meta description. The meta description describes what will be found on the page in question. Google (and other search engines) use the meta description for your page on the SERP. Your meta description should be:- Around 680 pixels/120 characters for mobile results
- Up to 920 pixels/158 characters for desktop results
- Contain your main keyword
- Be hyper-relevant to the subject of your page
Here is an example of a well-written, topic-centric meta description:
URL Optimization
After you have written engaging meta titles and descriptions for your page (that also follow the guidelines laid out above), then it’s time to create an SEO-optimized URL. When assigning a URL to a webpage, follow these simple steps:- Make sure it isn’t too long. Optimum URL lengths are always less than 2,048 characters.
- Include the subject of the page in the URL
- That’s it.
Check out an example of a well-crafted URL:
Images and Alt-Attribute Text
Another important factor for on-page SEO optimization is ensuring that your content has engaging images that all contain alt-attribute text pertaining to your page subject. Alt-attribute text is what web browsers use to describe visually impaired image when they visit your website. They also help optimize your images for ranking on Google image searches. The images you pick for your page are equally important as the alt-attributes you assign them. Images should load quickly, be visibly free of any artifacts or problems, and be placed in strategic locations in your content. They should also pertain specifically to the subject of the page. For example, don’t include pictures of air conditioners on your plumbing page!Links – Internal and External
- Internal
- External
Internal Links
Internal links go from one of your pages to another one on the same website. To optimize your internal linking structure, you will have to figure out what you want for your most important pages. Then, once you’ve determined what pages you want visitors to land on, you will need to make sure that the rest of the content on your site links back to those important pages. But, don’t overdo it! Internal links distribute their authority evenly between themselves. The more links you have going to one specific spot, the more spread your link authority becomes. Keep this in mind when structuring the internal links on your website. You will want to strike a careful balance between funneling visitors to your best and most important pages and ensuring that your link authority doesn’t become too diluted. Generally, the best practice for internal linking is to:- Link back to the category or parent of the page you’re creating
- Link to the homepage of your website
- Link back to the sub-category or parent page (if applicable)
- Link visitors to your contact page (or area of your website)
External Linking
External links are linked to sites outside your website or links that come into your site from an external website. You won’t directly influence who links back to your website, so let’s focus on which websites your content links out to. You don’t want to link out to any pages with a low page authority (don’t rank well). The more authoritative and trustworthy a website is, the better off you’ll be linking out to it. Some examples of high-authority places to link out to include:- Angie’s List
- Consumer Reports
- Yelp
- Wikipedia (depends on the subject)
- The Better Business Bureau
- Google My Business
Sounding too Complicated? Contact Contractor-Advertising for Help
Well, there you have it: a breakdown of what good on-page SEO optimization is. If this all seems like it is too much for you to handle, or you don’t have time to make sure each of your web pages follows these guidelines, you can always hire the SEO professionals here at Contractor-Advertising. Our team of on-page SEO specialists is always standing by to help. So call today or fill out the form below!Looking for help with Fort Collins plumbing? Well, check out our friends at Lion Home Service today!