What is on-page SEO and how do you boost your page rankings?
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is critical if you want your website to gain more visibility on search engines and generate more leads, traffic, or conversions. On-page SEO is especially valuable for your website because it is relatively easy to implement and often yields quick results. Using the checklist below will help ensure that you take advantage of all opportunities to maximise your digital presence.
In this post, I will provide a clear explanation of on-page SEO and the changes you should make to your website. Sometimes a few small tweaks can make all the difference, such as a change to a heading or refining the focus of a keyword. By checking off this entire list, you are likely to see a significant difference in your keyword rankings. So, without further ado, let us get started!
What is on-page SEO?
In simple terms, on-page SEO is the practice of optimising individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic. While it still involves keywords, now it is more about Topic Authority. It is about ensuring your content answers the user’s intent so clearly that both search engines and AI models recognise you as a trusted source.
This process is different from technical SEO, which focuses on your site’s backend architecture: speed, mobile-friendliness, and indexing. On-page SEO is what your content editors manage every time they publish a new post or service page.
On-page SEO means optimising individual web pages or blog posts. The content must be written specifically about that topic to help the end user reach their goal or answer their question. It is a focused, page-by-page approach designed to increase your visibility on search engines.
An on-page SEO checklist
When you update your page, follow this easy checklist to cover all the essentials.
1. Select one target keyword or phrase per page
This is the foundation of your strategy. You must define a keyword phrase specific to your page. Use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner to find the best options based on search volumes and difficulty. The keyword must be relevant to your topic: if your page is about bespoke design, do not try to optimise for generic templates! There are three things to consider during your research:
- Relevancy: Your chosen keyword should be perfectly aligned with the page content.
- Search volumes: Pick a phrase that people are actually searching for to drive visitors to your site.
- Competition: Try to choose keywords with medium or low competition so you have a better chance of ranking on page one of Google.
2. Include the target keyword throughout your page structure
Once you have defined your phrase, insert it naturally into the following areas:
- The URL (Slug): Keep it clean and include your primary keyword.
- The META title: Include the keyword phrase as close to the beginning as possible (aim for 50 to 60 characters).
- The META description: Write a helpful summary of roughly 155 characters that includes your keyword without being “spammy.”
- Headings (H1, H2, H3): Use your keywords in your main titles and sub-sections to help Google understand the content hierarchy.
3. Only write great content
If you are going to do it, do it right. On-page SEO must prioritise the user, so create well-written, useful content. We always recommend writing substantial pieces: a few short paragraphs are rarely enough to rank well. At our web design agency in London, we aim for high-quality, long-form content that provides real value. Link to a valid external authority website where relevant, as this can improve your credibility.
4. Optimise your images
Adding images makes your content more engaging. To help your SEO, ensure you:
- Save image file names containing the target keyword (e.g. on-page-seo-tips.jpg).
- Add “alt text” to every image in your CMS media area to help search bots and screen readers understand the visual.
5. Add internal links
You can optimise your pages further by cross-linking to other relevant content on your website. For example, if you are discussing digital growth, you might link to our SEO and marketing services. These links help search engines crawl your site and keep users engaged for longer. Always use descriptive “anchor text” that relates to the destination page.
6. Keep your content up to date
Google wants to provide users with the most relevant and usable results. Revisit your older posts to fix broken links and eliminate outdated statistics. This methodical process ensures your site maintains a positive ranking signal over time.
Conclusion
On-page SEO is about optimising single pages with a highly focused approach. By choosing your keyword phrase carefully and following this checklist, you can methodically improve your search engine performance.
Useful links:
https://moz.com/blog/category/on page-seo
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/on page-seo/essential-factors/