On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization is the process by which various elements on an individual web page are established and structured so that the page can be found by search engines for a given keyword or key phrase. On-page optimization involves modifying keyword frequency in the URL, title, headings, links and body text. It also involves technical aspects like reducing redundant HTML codes produced by web design tools, advising on how to use technologies like Flash and JavaScript and restructuring the site to produce better-linked and more focused page content.

On-page optimization is necessary to gain visibility in Search Engine Results (SERPS), helps to generate a higher ranking in a search engine, and also increases the overall readability and Click-Through-Rate (CTR) ratio of the website. Without on-page optimization and promotion of relevant content that speaks to your target audience, your web property will have a difficult time getting noticed as an authority on a given topic. Without being an authority, chances are you will lack online visibility. Without visibility you will miss out on traffic, and thus, page views.

It is best to consider the aspects of on-page optimization you wish to implement before your web site goes live; however, effective changes can also be made to a live site. Surprisingly, on-page optimization is often either classified as the magic pill when it comes to SEO or overlooked by a lot of internet marketing experts. A recent industry survey by seomoz.org, of 72 leaders in SEO methodologies, found that 66 percent of the experts agree that keywords need to be part of the title tag, yet a lot of websites blatantly ignore this simple advice. To get a better understanding of the different areas of a website where keywords are important, please request our Free SEO Report that explains how to use 14 other simple on-page factors to improve your ranking.

Site Structure

Each page should target between two and four keywords directly related to the content. If you feel the need for more keywords, then consider splitting your content into separate pages. The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) should contain keywords, separated by hyphens, without being too long, approximately 128 characters is probably a sensible upper limit for the entire URL.

The content should be properly structured with the use of Heading (H1, H2, H3 etc) tags containing relevant keywords. Search-engines will only index a limited amount of text in HTML tags, and using too many keywords will dilute the focus. Do not spam any of these tags, this will not be effective and could result in a penalty.

Page Copy

The importance of page copy cannot be over emphasized. Write natural content aimed at the end user and not search engines. This is why people come to your site. They are looking for information, as are the search engine crawlers. Providing well-optimized copy that is keyword rich, somewhat unique and informative will help your site gain visibility in search engines. You want to become an authority on a given topic; so you need to create content about it. The great thing about page copy is that it can take different forms. HTML text is still preferred for search engine optimization, but this can come in the form of blog content, user generated content, articles and news releases. In addition, you can have images and videos to provide a richer content experience on your site. Don't worry too much about keyword density for the content, but take the opportunity to include keywords that are combined in different phrases and orders, and create anchor text to related internal pages. Keep the number of links to fewer than 50, probably even less, and don't repeat identical outbound-links. Theme-related pages should be at the same level in the site hierarchy and should be linked through the site's menu structure and site map. At least one page at the same level should link back to the home page, so that search engines that have traversed a deep-link can index the rest of the website.

Keyword Optimization & Synonyms

Stuffing the site with too many keywords can make the site unreadable. To that end, it is essential to have a good balance between keywords & content.

Important Elements of Keyword Optimization:

• Research: Do proper research before you decide on the keywords.
• Keyword Density: Try to have moderate keyword density so that the term can help a search engine determine that your page is indeed related & relevant to the keyword that you are targeting.
• Synonyms & Related Keywords: Search engines like to see synonyms instead of having a high keyword density. Synonyms help to make content sound natural but still help with SEO.
• Long Tail Keywords: It’s often good to target some long tail keywords, as they are comparatively easier to rank for. During the keyword research we will recommend some good long tail keywords that you can optimize your site for.

MarkTheGlobe's team of professional internet marketing consultants will be happy to develop a customized marketing plan for you or help you get started with one our standard packages.