Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential in attracting attention to your brand. It’s a strategy that helps you direct your prospective customers or clients to your website, where they can find out more about the products or services you provide. There are two elements of SEO that you should focus on: on-page and off-page SEO to ensure that your prospects find you on the web.
Both on-page and off-page SEO play a vital role in ensuring that you achieve success in your SEO strategy. If you want to learn more about these two elements and how they can impact your ranking on search engine results pages, you’re in the right place! We’ve outlined some essential pieces of information that every website owner, digital marketer, and SEO expert should know about them. Let’s get started!
On-page SEO, also known as on-site SEO, is the process of optimizing web pages for search engines and users. It refers to any measures taken within a website to improve its position on search engine results pages. One of the most common techniques involved in it is optimizing content, URLs, title tags, and internal links. According to SEO experts Advanced Digital Media Services, these are some on-page SEO factors you need to focus on:
1. Content
It cannot be emphasized enough that content is king. SEO without it is like an expensive new car without an engine. It might look great, but it doesn’t work. Here are the key content elements you should consider in order to make the most of your on-site SEO strategy:
- E-A-T: Google weighs your website based on E-A-T, also known as expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. It’s mentioned 135 times on the 175-paged Google Search Quality Guidelines. This should give you an idea of its role in the search engine’s algorithms.
- Keywords: The search terms used in a query are likely to be found on pages that include the right keywords in the headings or body. You need to find out what your target customers are looking for so you can create content that matches their search intent.
- SEO Writing: It can be difficult to create copy that is both well-written and adheres to the best SEO practices, especially if you have never done it before. Some key takeaways to take note of are emphasizing readability, not overstuffing your content with keywords, and writing concisely.
- Visual Assets: Images, videos, and infographics can do more than just make your site appealing to visitors. They give you the opportunity to improve your ranking. More than 36% of consumers use visual search to find products online. If you don’t use visual elements, your website will miss out on traffic.
HyperText Markup Language, or HTML, is the code that structures your webpages and their content. It tells the user’s browser which elements to show and where they should be displayed. HTML also tells search engines about your page and where to rank you. Here are some HTML factors that you need to optimize for a better ranking:
- Title Tags: This code snippet that gives a webpage a title won’t help you climb up the SERP rankings. However, it can be useful when used in conjunction with other elements on the page to help you create context and show your site’s relevance.
- Meta Description: Meta descriptions that are more descriptive give search engines a better idea of your page, which leads to more clickthroughs. While they’re not a ranking factor, you shouldn’t neglect them.
- Image Optimization: We’ve already touched on the importance of visual assets, and it’s time to examine their technical aspects. To optimize yours, include SEO-friendly alt tags, customize file names, and use mobile-friendly images.
- Geotagging: Optimizing your local SEO will help you connect with your neighborhood. Make sure you include your target location’s name in your keywords. Then, place them wherever they are needed in your content.
A well-structured website offers two main benefits: first, search engines will be able to crawl your website more efficiently, and second, it will provide richer user experiences. Here are the factors you need to focus on when optimizing website structure for better rankings:
- Site Speed: Slow-loading, clunky sites are not only frustrating for visitors but also hurt your search rankings.
- Responsive Design: Google recognized that mobile users are more active than ever and started to favor responsive design sites in its mobile search results.
- URL Structure: While you may have heard that URLs don’t hold the same prominence as they did before, search engines still include them in your score.
- Links: Links, whether internal, outbound, or inbound, are a great way for your website to establish authority, trustworthiness, and expertise.
Off-page SEO, also known as off-site SEO, refers to the actions that are done outside your website and have an impact on your search engine results pages. When you optimize for off-site ranking factors, you improve the perception of search engines and users on your website’s popularity, trustworthiness, relevance, and authority.
Here are some of the practices to focus on when it comes to off-page SEO:
- Social Media Marketing
- Guest Blogging
- Link Building
- Social Bookmarking
- Influencer Marketing
- GMB and Citations
- Customer Reviews
While you may have more control over your SEO on the page, it is important to remember that you also need to manage your off-page SEO. Both are essential to getting where you want to be.
Before you start spending time and money on promoting your website or building links, it’s important to first build a relevant, useful website. If you don’t know where to start, you can always seek help from experts.
