On-page SEO  is optimizing a website and its content to achieve a higher rank in search engines such as Google, resulting in more relevant traffic (volume of users visiting a website).

This blog article provides you with an on-page SEO checklist with 6 essential elements.

Why is On-page SEO Important?

On-page SEO is an essential part of search engine optimization (SEO) as it helps Google & other search engines to understand each piece of content on a website. 

When Google understands the content on a website better, it will help to rank higher on search results. 

That means you will get more organic traffic, and conversions & your sales will be increased.

But most importantly, the user experience will be better. When users are satisfied with your website, your bounce rate will be reduced.

On Page SEO Checklist

1.Keyword Research

Any On-Page SEO checklist is incomplete without conducting Keyword research. Keyword research aims to identify relevant keywords that enhance your website’s online visibility and boost search engine rankings.

What is a keyword?

A keyword, in the context of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), refers to a specific word or phrase that summarizes the main topic or theme of content.

Search engines like Google use them to understand what your content is about and to match it with relevant search queries from users.

You can learn more about Keywords using our blog article: What are keywords and how to use them?

As more people search for products and services online, earning a high rank on search engine results pages (SERPs) becomes more crucial. By conducting thorough keyword research, you can find the best and most relevant keywords that are both popular and specific, capturing niche markets effectively.

You can refer to our blog article to learn how to perform effective keyword research: Click here.

2.Keyword Placement

Keyword research helps to find the most effective keywords relevant to your business. But do you know how and where to use those keywords? Well, this step in our On page SEO checklist is dedicated to that area.

Through keyword research, identify the main target keyword for that specific web page. Then, there are specific places where you should strategically place your target keyword:

Page title: The page title is the main title of your webpage that appears at the top of the browser window.

For example, in the below blog article, the page title is “How to find the best keywords for SEO?” 

In the title, the main keyword has included.

Title tag: This is the title displayed on search engine results pages (SERPs) and is crucial for attracting clicks from users.

First 100 words of the page: It’s essential to naturally include your keyword early on to signal to both users and search engines what your page is about.

Headings (H2s): Using your keyword in subheadings helps organize your content and reinforces its relevance.

Meta Description: This is a brief summary of your page’s content that appears below the title on SERPs, influencing click-through rates.

Image alt text: This is the alternative text describing an image, essential for accessibility and SEO.

Image file name: Give your image files descriptive names relevant to your content and keyword.

By strategically placing your target keyword in these areas, you help search engines understand the relevance of your content to users’ search queries, potentially improving your rankings and attracting more relevant traffic to your website.

3. Image Optimization

Optimizing images involves enhancing the images on your site to attract more traffic. To rank on Google’s first page, you need to go beyond optimizing just your written content. This is where Image SEO comes in. Image SEO helps you improve your images, enabling them to boost your site’s rankings rather than hinder them.

How can you optimize images for search engines and a better user experience? The following image optimization tips can help you get started.

Choose Relevant Images:

Selecting the right images to complement your content is essential. While it may be straightforward for e-commerce businesses, service pages and blog posts might require extra consideration.

Use custom screenshots, branded infographics, charts, and tables for your content. These improve the visual appeal and provide a more engaging and informative experience for your readers.

Select the Right image format:

The image format you choose can significantly impact your site’s SEO and user experience. JPEG and PNG are the most commonly used file formats for web images. Choose JPEGs for blog posts and product images to ensure faster page loading speeds. Choose PNGs or SVGs for your brand logo and other key images where high quality is a MUST.

Scale your image:

After selecting the appropriate image file type, ensure you scale down your image to fit the maximum pixel width required by your website. Properly sizing your images helps maintain a good balance between quality and performance.

Compress file size:

To provide an optimal experience for both users and search engines, compress your images before uploading them. Aim for an image size under 300 KB to maintain quality while enhancing page load speed.

Add Alt Text:

Alt text is a text description for an image, crucial for both SEO and accessibility. It helps Google and other search engines understand the content of the image and enables screen readers to convey the image’s purpose to visually impaired users. Ensure your alt text includes the keyword you’re targeting to improve your site’s search engine visibility and user experience.

4.Title optimization

There are two key titles for any given web page on a website:

Title Tag: Also known as the meta title or SEO title, this is the title that appears in search results. You can learn more about Title tags by referring to our latest blog article,

What is a Title Tag & how to write title tags for SEO?

Here is how a title tag appear on Search engine result page,

An optimal title tag should be 60 characters or less and include the keyword you’re targeting. It’s important to place the keyword at the beginning of the title to ensure it isn’t cut off on smaller screens.

H1 Tag: This is the main title that visitors see when they land on your page. You have more flexibility to be creative and convey value here, but it should still include the keyword to align with SEO best practices.

5. Meta description optimization

A meta description is an HTML element that provides a brief summary of the content on a webpage. It typically consists of a short description that serves to:

– Offer a quick overview of what the page is about.

– Help internet users understand the content of the page before clicking the link.

– Help search engines understand the relevance of the page’s content to the search query.

An effective meta description is essential for both improving click-through rates from search engine results pages (SERPs) and ensuring your page’s content is accurately represented.

Learn more about Meta Description using our latest blog article: Click here.

A meta description appears as a snippet below the page title in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Refer to the example below,

When writing your meta description, try for a length of 155 to 160 characters, as Google typically truncates longer text. Begin with crucial information, such as action-oriented phrases or key brand details.
Ensure each meta description includes the primary keyword (the main search term) you want the page to rank for. Avoid keyword stuffing, which can make your description sound unnatural and harm your brand image.
Instead, seamlessly integrate the keyword into the meta description.
Include compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) in your meta descriptions to encourage clicks and engage users effectively. For example,
– Shop online
– Discover our latest collection
– Get your free trial
– Sign up for exclusive offers
– Start saving today
– Book your appointment online
– Contact us for expert advice

When crafting a meta description for a product page, provide essential details about the product’s features, benefits, and availability to inform potential customers effectively.

Conclusion 

About 75% of people who use Google never go beyond the first search engine results page. That is why you have to focus more on your SEO efforts.

You can rank higher on search engine result pages by using better SEO practices. 

You can easily do on-page SEO practices to rank higher on SERP. Understanding the importance of on-page SEO is essential to get maximum benefits out of them. 

If you do it correctly, on-page SEO will give the following benefits,

• Boost Search engine rankings. 
• Attract more local customers. 
• Generate more & more website traffic.
• Increase brand awareness.
• Increase click-through rate.
• Reduce bounce rate. 

This blog post provided you with the most essential on-page SEO checklist. The six on-page SEO elements I described in this blog will help you in your SEO strategy. 

If you need help related to your website’s on-page SEO strategies, you can reach out to us at any time. Our team at DigiFix is more than happy to assist you. 

Check out the below articles for similar content:

The Ultimate Guide to SEO 

Key Benefits of SEO for Businesses

10 ways to improve organic click through rate