Optimizing your webpage for improved search engine ranking is a never-ending process. Search engines like Google constantly change their ranking metrics, and you must constantly refine your content to match these requirements. Data suggests that you can get up to 748% return on investment within nine months with in-depth keyword research and at least eight blog posts per month.
The process of improving the content of a web page alongside other properties to increase search visibility is known as On-Page SEO. Search engines have bots that they send to explore different websites and gather information about the content on these sites. These bots evaluate website content, determine if the information on the site is valuable, and create a ranking for your site, visible to internet users when they type in a search query.
On-Page SEO is essential for every online business, and this article highlights the factors contributing to better search engine rankings and tips to improve them.
What is On-Page SEO, and Why is It Important?
On-page optimization specifies all the measures taken directly within the website to improve its position in the search engine results pages (SERP). This includes optimizing individual web page titles and providing quality content, to name a few.
Reasons You Need to Pay Attention to On-Page SEO
Adopting on-page SEO has many benefits, including improved search engine ranking, increased website traffic, and better user experience. When done correctly, on-page SEO can help a website achieve its full potential.
Better Conversions
When you optimize your website for conversions, you concentrate on directing users toward a particular objective, such as signing up for your email list or making a purchase. That largely relies on how you can deliver a quality experience to each customer once they visit your website. According to one Study, 70% of customers are willing to pay more if they get an excellent user experience.
More Organic Traffic
Optimizing your photos, HTML elements, and headlines are all part of on-page SEO. As well as optimizing your meta description and title tags, ensure your images support your text. Your posts are easier and more fun to read thanks to your header tags, which may affect your rankings. Overall, on-page SEO will raise your website’s exposure in the SERPs and increase website traffic.
Improved Click Through Rate
The click-to-impression ratio for a particular piece of content, such as an ad, search result, email, etc., is known as the CTR (Click Through Rate). In a word, it demonstrates the number of readers that clicked on the link to learn more about your content after reading it. SEO’s CTR measures the number of website visits concerning the number of times an organic search result has been displayed. It is a key tool for determining how effective a website is.
Local Visibility
Local visibility is the ability to appear in search results for someone in a specific geographic location. For example, if you have a physical store or a local business in New York City, you want to show up in search results for people who are searching for businesses like yours in NYC.
A few factors go into local visibility, including location-based keywords, NAP (name, address, and phone number) data, and reviews. If you want to improve your local visibility, you can start by ensuring that your website is optimized for location-based keywords and that your NAP data is up-to-date and accurate. Such approaches form the basics of on-page optimization.
4 Metrics Search Engines Measure for On-Page Optimization
While there are several metrics for improving search engine ranking, this section covers four key metrics you should leverage to improve your page ranking performance. These metrics include:
1. Page Relevance
Google reveals that providing relevant and reliable information to searchers globally forms the core of its mission. To help searchers access quality information, Google first interprets the meaning of the query and identifies the search intent. Next, its algorithms index web pages on the internet and present them on the search result page in order of relevance. One way Google identifies relevant pages is by identifying keywords on the web page.
After identifying keywords in content, Google measures the information in the content quality to determine how useful they will be to the searcher. Following the tips below will ensure your pages match Google’s relevance assessment.
Conduct Keyword Research
Having “relevant” keywords in your content is critical for optimizing your web pages for search engines. A keyword is considered relevant when it targets specific search queries, making them appear when users request related information on search engines.
In that light, you will need to discover the questions searchers are asking and the words they commonly include in their queries. Simply put, you will need to conduct comprehensive keyword research. The following bullet points highlight steps you can take to discover the right keywords.
- Create a list of topic ideas that relate to your niche.
- Visit Google Trends to discover the keyword volume and competition.
- Find related search terms
- Analyze the keyword strength
- Get a list of other relevant keywords you can use to build your content.
Match Search Intent
Search intent describes a person’s expectation when searching for a query on a search engine. Understanding the type of answers the searcher is looking for helps you tailor your content accordingly. One way to determine the searchers’ expectations is by analyzing the keyword modifiers. For example, “how to make a latte coffee drink” suggests that the searcher will expect content that provides direction for making latte coffee.
Another trick to determining the search intent is by analyzing top search results for related topics. Seeing how other people approach the topic can give you inspiration on how to optimize your content.
Further Reading: 17 AI SEO Software Tools to Help Your Content Rank
2. Content Quality
Quality content contains a depth of information that accurately addresses the searchers’ questions. Google defines the standards for quality content using these primary metrics: Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
Further Reading: What is SEO Content Writing? 27 Tips to Help You Adapt Your Writing Style to Better Rank
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Expertise
For formal niches like the legal, tech, business consulting, and medical fields, Google recommends that subject-matter experts write your articles because they know to provide in-depth information on the topics. For other less formal niches, Google assigns expertise to authors that write from a first-person experience.
There are many ways to demonstrate expertise in blog content.
- One way is to write comprehensive, well-researched posts that offer insights and perspectives into various aspects of the topic.
- Ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and informative and that your ideas are well-supported by evidence
- Avoid plagiarising other web pages, and 100% create unique content.
Authoritativeness
The authoritative metric measures the website’s reputation around a niche. Typically, Google ranks government parastatals, renowned organizations, and popular in-niche sites to have more authority.
One way to build authority is to provide unique and valuable content you can’t find everywhere. For example, you may conduct research or surveys around various industry topics and publish them. The goal is to increase the number of backlinks your page gets as other creators cite your page to validate their ideas. You can also build a reputation by regularly writing on a specific topic.
Trustworthiness
Since Google is committed to providing reliable information to searchers, it tends to rank web pages with a better reputation. A critical approach to making people trust your website is to feature the content creator’s bio or credentials on each page. You must also avoid simple factual and grammatical errors.
3. Keyword Density
As you optimize your content for search intent, keyword density is another metric you must consider. Keyword density refers to the percentage of times a keyword appears on a given web page compared to the overall word count on the page.
Considering the importance of keywords in SEO, you may be tempted to believe that the higher the keyword density, the more relevant the web page is to that keyword or phrase. While Google does not provide a standard for keyword density, it frowns against keyword stuffing, a term that describes overloading a web page with keywords to rank higher on Search Engine Result Pages.
As such, experts recommend that you keep the main keyword density at 2% or less. The main keyword is a word or phrase that represents the primary topic of a piece of content. Main keywords are usually chosen based on what people are likely to search for when looking for information on a given topic. For example, if you were writing an article about starting a company, your main keyword might be “business startup.”
Other types of keywords you can also use include long-tail keywords and LSI keywords. There are several ways to optimize your web page for a specific keyword or phrase. One way is to incorporate the keyword into the page title, headings, and throughout the body of the page.
Further Reading: Social Signals and SEO: What You Need to Know (and 7 Steps to Take)
4. User Experience
The user experience is another critical metric that Google measures to rank websites. It measures the users’ experience by monitoring the bounce rate and dwell time.
Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page. On the other hand, dwell time is the amount of time a visitor spends on your site. Both of these metrics help Google understand people’s impressions of your website.
A high bounce rate usually indicates that something is wrong with your site. It could be that your content is irrelevant to your visitors or that your site is not easy to use. On the other hand, a high dwell time indicates that visitors are engaged with your site and find what they’re looking for.
To achieve better optimization and ranking, the goal is to achieve better engagement and dwell time on your web pages. The following strategies should help you achieve that.
Further Reading: 9 Best Ways How To Improve Your SEO in 2025
Use Captivating Headers
Your headline is the first impression you make on a prospective reader. With that in mind, it’s important to ensure it’s both captivating and accurate. A good headline will attract readers to click and read more, while a bad one will cause them to scroll on.
Here are a few tips to create headlines that will grab attention and accurately reflect the content of your article:
- Use strong keywords that accurately sum up your article
- Keep it short, sweet, and to the point
- Use an active voice and avoid ambiguity
- Appeal to emotions
Further Reading: 7 SEO Copywriting Tips for 2022
Create a Strong Introduction
To create a strong introduction for your website, it is important to first understand your audience and what you hope to achieve with your writing. Once you have a clear understanding of your purpose, you can then begin to craft an introduction that will grab your readers’ attention and ensure they keep reading.
There are a few elements that can help with that. First, you want to make sure your opening sentence is interesting and engaging. This can be done by using a strong verb or by asking a question. You also want to provide some background information on the topic you’re writing about. Finally, you want to state your main argument or point clearly and concisely.
Adopt a Slippery Slides Strategy
If you want to engage readers, there are a few things you can do to ensure this. First, keep your writing concise and to the point. Be clear and concise in your writing, and avoid using overly complex language. Remember that your readers are likely skimming your content, so make sure it is easy to read and understand.
Second, use strong headlines and subheadings to grab attention and keep readers engaged. Help readers follow your argument by breaking up your text into manageable chunks. And finally, use external sources to add credibility to your argument and engage readers further. By following these tips, you can ensure that your readers will stay engaged.
Include Images and Videos
While high-quality writing is essential for a successful website, incorporating videos and images can also help to boost traffic and engagement. It has been shown that adding images and infographics to your content can increase traffic by 12% — and revenue by 400%. Visual content can help to break up long blocks of text, making your content more visually appealing and easy to skim.
Further Reading: Video Marketing SEO: 11 Ways to Optimize Your Video for Search
Do Not Forget Your Call to Action
To maximize the effectiveness of an article, it is important to implement a CTA button, or call-to-action, at the end. A CTA is a statement or question that encourages the reader to take some specific action. For example, an article about the benefits of Yoga might end with a CTA like “Ready to give Yoga a try? Find a class near you today!”
Embedding CTAs in aesthetic buttons or images are some creative ways to ensure they are noticeable. Including a CTA at the end of an article helps to ensure that the reader will take some action after reading it. As a result, you lead readers to other parts of the website, reducing the bounce rate and increasing the dwell time.
Ready to Optimize Your Web Pages?
On-page optimization is a critical aspect of SEO. By optimizing your website for search engines, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in the search results. On-page optimization can be complex, but luckily there are a few simple things you can do to get started.
While there are many different aspects to on-page SEO, some of the most important factors include the website’s title, content quality, keyword density, and overall design and layout. By improving these elements, you can increase your website’s chances of being found and ranked highly by search engines.
Author Bio
Darko Dodig is the founder of Wisevu SEO agency and has been specializing in technical SEO since 2008. His expertise includes teaching advanced SEO tactics and creating SEO processes and SOPs that result in consistent SEO success.
Hero Photo by Adeolu Eletu on Unsplash
