On Site Optimization is simply the process of telling the search engines what you want to show up for.
Many people don’t have a good understanding of SEO or why it is necessary. Some people seem to think that SEO can get them in trouble with Google. Google genuinely wants you to optimize your site so that they know what your site is about, what you do and who you do it for. So many sites get this section wrong and just never rank for anything. Every single web designer thinks they know all about SEO and they just do not. So you were probably told that your site would be optimized but for some reason its just not ranking. Bellow are some of the more important on page optimization requirements.
SEO Essentials
#1 – Title Tags
Title tags are quite literally the very first thing that should be done in SEO. There are some guidelines for title tags but they are a little malleable, Google says do not exceed 60 characters including spaces but we have found that they can be longer and still effective. The key is good keyword research and relevance. If you’re optimizing for phrases that have no bearing to the content on the page, you probably won’t succeed. You must use relevant and descriptive title tags. If it properly explains the content on the page and still entices people into the site its a good title tag.
#2 – Content on the Page (Keyword Density)
You want to provide unique information, that means don’t copy and paste from Wikipedia if you want to rank. Put it in your own words if you want to have success online. We have found that if you write it in your own words its going to work. Do not write it with optimization in mind, write it to be a good explanation of what you are doing or offering. You know your business better than any copywriter ever could. So use that knowledge to explain your offerings on your site. Taking a little time to write out your content will pay dividends down the road. Your expertise will come through, I have been doing this for clients for over a decade and for my own interests even longer. The team here eat sleep and drink what SEO just as I suspect you do as well. When your knowledge and experience is on display it has a big impact and best of all, any good description will end up being naturally optimized.
#3 – Meta Descriptions
This is what appears under your title tags in the search results. It should contain the same keywords as the title tags but expanded upon. This will allow you to rank for a few additional terms or locations. It is visible on the search results pages under the URL and is also part of enticing people into your site so it should also be descriptive so people know what that page is about.
#4 – Heading Tags
These act as secondary title tags and will show up in search results when properly done. This is the bigger text at the top of the page don’t use “Cosmetic Dentist Houston” at the top of the page you do not need to do that. Use natural headings that make sense for the content of the page. Those keywords are already in the title tags and meta descriptions. The heading tags need to be about what the people are about to read.
#5 – Photographs, Banners, and Any Type of Image
If your images are optimized it can help you rank higher for search terms. Everyone talks about alt tags but an even more effective method is to name the images properly, be descriptive of the actual image, it will help in Google image search and it will help in your rankings. There are some more technical things you can do especially if you are wanting to rank in a specific area but the most important thing is being descriptive.
#6 – Geo Tags
If you are wanting to rank in a specific market adding geo tags is vital. This used to be something we did separately but now its included in schema markup. By letting Google know exactly where you are its easier for them to use you in “near me” searches. Those have grown exponentially over the last few years and show no signs of slowing.
#7 – Internal Linking
Linking key phrases within your own website. This tells the search engines that this is an important phrase for your site and helps direct the search engines through your website to relevant content.
If you tie all of this together you will see an improvement in your rankings over time. On-Site SEO is not the end of the process by any means, it’s just telling the search engines what you want to show up for, yet in many cases it will get you first pages. For the more competitive terms there is more work needed that’s where off site SEO comes into play, earning those positions.
Keyword Research
This is a step far too many people skip or don’t even begin to understand. Your site should be optimized for all of the important keywords not just a few keywords that you you would search.
Your customers don’t always know what to search.
Another mistake we see all the time is just going after the peacock phrases. By that we mean the terms with the most searches and the most obvious, while we will help you get those as well, the more specific searches should not be underestimated for building your business.
Most people will start with a very general search then if they don’t see the specific thing they are searching for right away will modify their search to include more specific terms.
Showing up for everything that’s relevant to your business will help establish you as the leader in your field and help you find your ideal customers.
There is another important factor of on site optimization and that is Schema markup or structured data. Follow that link to read more.