On-Page SEO: The Definitive Guide

What is On-Page SEO?

On-page SEO (also known as “on-site SEO”) is the practice of optimizing web page content for search engines and users. Common on-page SEO practices include optimizing title tags, content, internal links, URLs, and other ranking factors.

This is different from off-page SEO, which is optimizing for signals that happen off of your website (for example, backlinks).

Other examples include social media marketing, guest posting, and PR.

Does traditional on-page SEO still make a difference in 2024?

Yup! Google’s “How Search Works” report states that, even with advancements in artificial intelligence, certain traditional SEO practices, like specific keyword presence, remain integral:

Even though Google is MUCH smarter than it was back in the day, it still uses old-school stuff (like looking for a specific keyword on your page).

And there’s data to back this up.

Our analysis of 11M Google search results didn’t find a correlation between keyword-rich title tags and first page rankings.

But if you search for any competitive keyword, you’ll notice that the top-ranking pages almost all use that exact keyword in their title tag.

How to do On-Page SEO

On-page SEO has changed A LOT over the last few years. Back in the day, you only needed to do four or five basic things to optimize your page (like making sure that your keyword density was high enough). And you were pretty much done.

Today? Optimizing your site’s content is much more involved. There are more steps. And those steps are more complex than before.

But there are ways to make it simple to create content that helps you rank for your target keywords.

Semrush’s On-Page SEO Checker can help you analyze your content and provide actionable insights you can implement in minutes.

This tool lets you know if you have your keyword in all the key locations like the H1 and body content but also offers suggestions for improvement and provides valuable information on semantic keywords to enhance your content.

Semrush also offers a suite of other tools that make it the all-in-one companion for on-page SEO.

But tools aren’t the only way to simplify your SEO process.

Our on-page SEO checklist helps you keep track of all the little things that you need to do to optimize your content.

Download Now: On Page SEO Template

You can use it like a checklist to make sure that you’re checking off all of the boxes that Google and alternate search engines want to see.

In fact, I personally use this on-page SEO checklist to keep track of things. Otherwise, I’ll forget something small (like adding my keyword in an H2 tag).

But when I have my handy on-page SEO template open in one tab and my page open in another, I make sure that every step gets done.

Make Click-worthy Titles

In my opinion, your title tag is the most important on-page SEO factor.

That’s because your title tag gives search engines a high-level overview of what your page is all about.

In my experience, the closer the keyword is to the beginning of the title tag, the more weight it has with search engines.

Here’s an example from my image SEO post.

Your keyword doesn’t necessarily have to be at the very beginning of your title. It doesn’t always make sense to do that.

But the closer your title is to the front of your title tag, the better. For both search engines and users.

Users will know that your content matches their search query. But there are other ways to get them to click on your site.

Using modifiers like “best”, “guide”, “checklist”, “fast” and “review” can help you rank for long tail versions of your target keyword.

For example, our SEO tools post includes the modifiers “best” and “free”.

That way, we can rank for long-tail versions of “seo tools” like “best free seo tools”.

You can even be more strategic than this.

Pro Tip: If you need help generating hundreds (or thousands) of relevant keyword ideas, check out our free keyword generator.

I added the title tag modifier “for SEO” in this list of keyword research tools.

Why? So my page would show up when people used terms like “SEO keyword research tools”. And it worked!

Title tags ensure each individual page’s purpose is clear to Google, and users know what they’re clicking on.

One of the easiest ways to improve your title tags is simply by confirming you have one on every page. And it’s original.

Site crawlers, like Semrush’s Site Audit tool, can help to identify pages that don’t have a title tag or have a duplicate title.

AI tools, like ChatGPT, can be a great place to brainstorm potential titles, offering a starting point for your creative process.

Embrace Uniqueness

When I say “unique”, I’m not just talking about duplicate content.

I mean publishing something that doesn’t just regurgitate the same stuff that’s already out there.

In other words: fresh content that brings something new to the table.

That something new can be:

• A new tip or strategy
• A better list of curated resources
• Strong design and UX
• New case study
• Streamlined step-by-step process

For example, this SEO checklist post ranks as number 1 for the keyword “SEO checklist”.

Do you think I rank because I used my keyword a bunch of times?

That helped. But for a competitive term like this, using keywords isn’t enough.

My page ranks at the top because it’s unique.

Sure, it has tips and strategies that you can find anywhere, but it also has lots of tips and examples that you can only find in my post.

Satisfy Search Intent

Unique, valuable content can get you to the first page of Google.

But if you want to stay there, your page has to satisfy Search Intent.

In other words:

Your page has to be EXACTLY what a Google searcher wants.

Otherwise, your page will likely be buried on the 3rd page.

This is a mistake that I had to learn the hard way.

Some time ago, I published this comparison of the top backlink checkers on the market.

My goal was to rank for the keyword “backlink checker”.

A few days after I published that post, I decided to check out the SERPs for that term.

And I quickly realized that 100% of the type of content on the first page results were tools.

Literally, 10 out of 10 results were backlink checker tools. There wasn’t a single blog post on the first page.

This means the chance of my post hitting the first page was basically zero.

Whoops!

Fortunately, I do rank for a long-tail version of that keyword (“best backlink checker”).

But if I spent more time looking at the Search Intent for that term, I would have realized that my content had zero chance of ranking for “backlink checker”.

And now it’s time for the next chapter…

Use Your Target Keyword In The First 100 Words

This is an old-school on-page SEO tactic that still makes a difference.

All you need to do is use your main keyword once in the first 100-150 words of your article.

For example, in my article optimized around the keyword “email marketing”, I mentioned that keyword right off the bat.

Why is this important?

Google puts more weight on terms that show up early on your page.

Which makes sense. Imagine that you just published an article about The Keto Diet. If your article really was about The Keto Diet would it make sense to first use the term “keto diet” halfway down the page?

Of course not.

This is why you want to drop your keyword somewhere in the first 100 words or so. This is one of those little things that helps Google understand what your page is all about.

Keyword Frequency

Keyword Frequency is just like it sounds: It’s how many times your primary keyword appears in your content.
Google may deny that using the same keyword multiple times helps. But SEO pros with experience will tell you that it definitely works.

Think about it this way:

Imagine that you have a page that Google THINKS is about a specific keyword. But that keyword only appears once on the page.

How confident can they be that the page is about that keyword? Not very.

On the other hand, if the page mentions the keyword 10 times, Google can be more confident about that page’s topic.

To be clear:

This isn’t about keyword stuffing or anything like that.

It’s simply mentioning your target keyword a few times to confirm to Google that your page really is about that subject matter.

For example, one of our posts ranks in the top 3 in Google for the keyword “YouTube SEO”.

How many times do you think I used the exact term “YouTube SEO” in that 3,200-word post?

6 times.

So yeah, there’s no need to go overboard here. As long as you use your keyword naturally a few times, you’re good.

Key places to include your keywords on your page include:

• Title Tags and Meta Description
• Alt Text
• URLs
• Headings
• First Paragraph

The Semrush On Page SEO Checker can provide you with a comprehensive list of recommendations to let you know if your keywords are in these key places.

Use “Question Title Tags”

Few years ago we analyzed 5 million Google search results to figure out why certain pages get clicked on over others.

And one of our most surprising findings was that question-based title tags have an above-average CTR.

So whenever it makes sense, I recommend testing title tags that have a question.

For example, my nofollow links guide uses a question in the title tag.

That’s because anyone searching for “nofollow link” probably just wants to know what that means.

And my title tag shows people that my site will give them what they want.

In fact, that page has a 27% CTR for the keyword “nofollow link”.

Use Review or FAQ Schema

Schema doesn’t directly help your SEO.

But using certain types of Schema can hook you up with you Rich Snippets.

And Rich Snippets CAN help you get more clicks.

As a refresher, rich snippets are enhanced search results that provide additional information beyond the typical meta description.

They can include images, ratings, reviews, and other structured data, offering users a more informative preview of a webpage directly in the search results.

Two of the best types of Schema for getting Rich Snippets are review Schema:

And FAQ Schema:

You can double check if you have your Schema set up correctly using the Structured Data Testing Tool.

Add the Current Year to Title and Description

Here’s an example of what I mean.

Adding the year to your title and description won’t make or break your CTR.

But in my experience, it does help… especially for content that can go out of date really quickly.

For example, someone searching for “Seneca philosophy” doesn’t need something that came out last month.

But for a keyword like “best smartphones”, people want to make sure they’re about to read something current.

And adding the year to your title and description makes it clear that your content is up-to-date.

Push Content Above the Fold

When someone lands on your site from Google, they want their answer FAST.

This is why you want to avoid massive images above the fold, like this:

Instead, put your headline and introduction front and center.

To be clear: it’s OK to have an image at the top of your post. But if it pushes your content down the page, that’s bad.

Have an Active Community

Having a community on your blog is like a Bounce Rate cheat code.

Why?

A high-quality comments section gives people something to read… after they finish reading your post.

That’s because comments add context to your post:

Contribute new approaches and strategies:

And, sometimes, spice things up with a little bit of controversy:

All things that keep people super glued to your page.

To encourage an active blog community:

• Encourage readers to share their thoughts, experiences, and insights related to your content.
• Acknowledge and respond to comments promptly.
• Welcome diverse viewpoints and encourage discussions.
• Recognize and showcase valuable contributions from your community.
• Pose questions or seek their opinions to stimulate engagement.

Implementing these strategies, not only fosters a community. It’s creating an ecosystem where readers actively contribute, adding depth and context to your posts.

Use Original images

Do you use stock images in your content?

Well, those stock images might be hurting your SEO.

Shai Aharony tested the effect that stock images had on Google rankings.

Here’s what went down…

First, Shai created a bunch of brand new websites just for these experiments. These were fresh domain names that had never been registered before.

He used generic stock images on some of the sites. And original images on others.

The results were clear: sites with unique images outranked the sites that used stock photos.

So if you’re using stock photos that a thousand other sites use, consider creating custom images.

This is something we do at Backlinko. And at least according to this little study, these original images probably help us rank.

Write Comprehensive Content

Google wants to show their users content that gives them EVERYTHING they want on a single page.

In other words: comprehensive content.

And if your post covers an entire topic, it has a higher chance of ranking.

And one of the easiest ways to make sure that Google sees your content as complete?

Long-tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are specific, and typically longer phrases, that users might enter into search engines when looking for highly niche or detailed information. Google uses this to determine a page’s relevancy.

I don’t go nuts about long-tail keywords because I usually write REALLY long content.

(Long content increases the odds that you’ll naturally use these keywords and cover the topics.)

But if you want to make 100% sure that you’re using covering the topic fully, search for your keyword in Google and scroll down to the “Searches Related to…” area at the bottom of the page:

And toss any that make sense into your post.

Image Optimization

Image optimization is important for a few reasons:

• Search engine crawlers can’t “see” images, so it’s important to help them to understand all the types of content on your page, including visual content.
• Optimizing your images can help you appear in image search, which can increase your visibility in search even more.
• Properly formatting and optimizing your image files can make a big difference in improving your page loading times.

You want to give every image on your site a descriptive filename and alt text.

This helps Google (and visually-impaired users) understand what each image is showing.

And if it makes sense, make one image optimized around your target keyword. So use a filename that includes your target keyword (for example, on-page-seo-chart.png). And use that same keyword as part of your image alt tags.

Another reason to optimize your images for SEO: it gives search engines another clue of what your page is about… which can help it rank higher.

Put another way: when Google sees a page with pictures of “blue widgets” and “green widgets” it tells them: “this page is about widgets”.

In order to write optimal alt text that is beneficial to both users and search engines, here are a few tips:

• Be descriptive
• Avoid keyword stuffing
• Keep it concise
• Be specific
• Include key details
• Consider the audience
• Avoid repetition

Besides filenames and alt text, you should also optimize your images so they don’t affect your page load speed.

You can check out our image SEO guide to find out about techniques like lazy loading, optimal image file size and types, and more.

Voice Search SEO

Voice search is growing SUPER fast.

And the best way to optimize your content for voice search?

Create FAQ pages.

Our voice search SEO study found that Google loves to pull voice search results from FAQ pages.

FAQ

What is the difference between off-page SEO and on-page SEO?

Off-page SEO focuses on optimizing signals that occur outside your website, such as building backlinks and establishing a social media presence. On the other hand, on-page SEO involves optimizing elements directly on your web pages, like content, meta tags, and internal links.

What is the difference between on-page SEO and technical SEO?

On-page SEO deals with optimizing individual web pages to improve their search engine rankings and user experience. Technical SEO is a portion of on-page SEO that involves optimizing the technical aspects of your entire website, ensuring it’s crawlable, indexable, and performs well from a technical standpoint.

How often should I perform on-page SEO?

On-page SEO is not a one-and-done task. Regular monitoring and updates are essential, with a suggested frequency of at least once a month for routine checks. Conduct more in-depth assessments quarterly to ensure your content stays relevant and aligned with evolving search engine algorithms.

What are the key elements of on-page SEO?

Key elements of on-page SEO include optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, content (including keyword usage), internal links, URLs, images, and ensuring a positive user experience. These elements collectively contribute to improved search engine rankings and user engagement.

How important is on-page SEO for overall website performance?

On-page SEO is integral to overall website performance. It directly impacts search engine rankings, user experience, and the discoverability of your content. Neglecting on-page SEO can hinder your site’s visibility and user engagement.

Are there tools available to assist with on-page SEO?

Yes, several tools can aid in on-page SEO efforts. Tools like Semrush, Moz, and Ahrefs offer features for keyword research, content optimization, and performance tracking. Utilizing these tools can streamline the on-page optimization process and provide valuable insights for improvement.