{"id":13878,"date":"2022-06-10T19:10:17","date_gmt":"2022-06-10T19:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/on-page-seo\/essential-factors\/"},"modified":"2022-06-10T19:10:17","modified_gmt":"2022-06-10T19:10:17","slug":"12-essential-on-page-seo-factors-you-need-to-know-via-sejournal-lorenbaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/?p=13878","title":{"rendered":"12 Essential On-Page SEO Factors You Need To Know via @sejournal, @lorenbaker"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Did you ever play Tetris? If so, you probably remember how there was no real way to \u201cbeat\u201d the game. It basically just got faster and faster with every level.<\/p>\n

In some ways, search engine optimization (SEO<\/a>) is the same.<\/p>\n

Not in that it has a catchy 8-bit soundtrack or that it rewrites your dreams<\/a>, but in that, it never ends.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no point at which you can sit back and relax, content that your site is at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs<\/a>) once and for all.<\/p>\n

Sure, you might have reached the pinnacle today, but an SEO pro\u2019s work is never done.<\/p>\n

Every change to Google\u2019s algorithm<\/a> or competitor content could knock you off that top spot, which means you have to keep up with changes.<\/p>\n

And that means your on-page SEO needs to be on point. But before we dive into that, it\u2019s important to have a high-level overview of how Google and other search engines work.<\/p>\n

Search Engine Basics<\/h2>\n

Search engines send out crawlers, or spiders, to explore the internet. They follow links from one site to another, building a map of the content called a search index.<\/p>\n

In the process of exploring sites<\/a>, these crawlers are also evaluating their content, determining what kind of information it contains.<\/p>\n

This data is then used by the search engine\u2019s algorithm to determine how well the content of that specific site answers queries from users.<\/p>\n

The better it answers the query, the more highly it will be ranked on the SERP.<\/p>\n

In Google\u2019s never-ending quest to provide better results to users, its algorithm is updated frequently<\/a>. This inevitably leads to changes in rankings, which then requires someone to optimize the website to improve or ensure rankings.<\/p>\n

What Is On-Page SEO & Why Is It Important?<\/h2>\n

On-page SEO, which is sometimes called on-site SEO, is the process of tweaking a page\u2019s content, tags, and internal links to improve search visibility and increase traffic.<\/p>\n

In other words, it\u2019s a means of optimizing your website to help search engines better understand your website.<\/p>\n

And this, of course, comes with a whole host of benefits.<\/p>\n

The first is in the amount of traffic.<\/p>\n

The first five organic results on a search page get 67.60%<\/a> of all clicks. The next five account for only 3.73%. And it drops from there. So, if you want to get traffic, you need to be near the top.<\/p>\n

Secondly, high-ranking sites have much better click-through rates (CTR). The first Google mobile search result has an average organic CTR of 26.9%<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now consider that 92.4% of internet users<\/a> who search on their mobile phones for something nearby visit that business the same day and you can start to see the impact organic SEO can have on your bottom line. And on-page optimization is an important factor in your organic ranking.<\/p>\n

Hopefully, by this point, you\u2019ve grasped the importance of on-page SEO. Now it\u2019s time to get started. Let\u2019s dive right in\u2026<\/p>\n

12 Essential On-Page SEO Factors<\/h2>\n

On-page SEO can be broadly divided into three categories: content, HTML<\/a>, and website architecture<\/a>. We\u2019ll look at each individually.<\/p>\n

Content<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ve heard it before: Content is king<\/a>.<\/p>\n

SEO without it is like a beautiful new sports car without an engine \u2013 it might look nice, but it\u2019s going nowhere. But, not all content is not created equal.<\/p>\n

Here are the content factors you need to consider to maximize your on-site SEO:<\/p>\n

1. E-A-T<\/strong><\/p>\n

One way Google weights your site is based on E-A-T, or expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.<\/p>\n

In 175 pages of Google Search Quality Guidelines<\/a>, it\u2019s mentioned 135 times, which should be an indication of the role it plays in the search engine\u2019s algorithms.<\/p>\n

While Google has only confirmed a few elements of E-A-T (PageRank and links), it\u2019s generally accepted in the SEO field that on-page signals play a big part in its evaluations.<\/p>\n

For a deeper dive on E-A-T, read this piece<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Keywords<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most basic way to tell them your website\u2019s content answers a user\u2019s question is in the language you use.<\/p>\n

Pages that feature the keywords used in a query, whether in the body, headings, or both, are more likely to be relevant to the search.<\/p>\n

Sometimes this is easy to determine. If you\u2019re optimizing the website of a furniture store, you\u2019re probably going to want to include keywords like [sofa], [dining room set], and [end table].<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s a specialized furniture store, you\u2019ll want to make sure you\u2019re including long-tail keywords<\/a> like [contemporary art-deco sideboards].<\/p>\n

In short, you need to know what your target customers are searching for and create content that includes these terms. It\u2019s always a good idea to do research, so you\u2019re not missing any opportunities.<\/p>\n

Get started by downloading our ebook on keyword research<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. SEO Writing<\/strong><\/p>\n

Creating the type of content that both prioritizes search engines and converts human visitors to your site is something of an art.<\/p>\n

Unless you\u2019ve done it before, it can be quite challenging to write copy that reads well and still adheres to SEO best practices.<\/p>\n

We have an entire piece<\/a> dedicated to helping you master the art, but some of the key takeaways include:<\/p>\n