On Page SEO

The Guide to Creative & Technical SEO

To achieve a strong position on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), you must be willing to experiment. While creativity is key, technical optimization provides the foundation.

Understanding the Basics

Optimization is the process of improving your website to rank higher. It is generally split into two primary categories:

1. On-Page SEO: Focuses on elements under your control, such as content structure, articles, tags, and meta descriptions.

2. Off-Page SEO: Focuses on external activities, such as link building, backlinks, and brand mentions.

Note on Strategy: SEO practices change constantly. Staying updated daily is crucial for success.

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How Google Search Results Work

When a user searches for something, the main elements they see in a result are:

1. The Subject/Title: The clickable headline.

2. The Blog Post URL: The web address.

3. The Page Description: A brief summary of the content.

The Golden Rule: Quality vs. SEO

If you consistently provide helpful, high-quality content (including media), you will naturally earn backlinks.

"If you must choose between quality and SEO, always prioritize quality. However, good SEO combined with great content helps you build authority faster."

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8 Key Pillars of On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is a top ranking factor, and the best part is that 100% of these factors are under your control.

1. Page Title Optimization

The page title appears in the browser tab and as the blue link in Google results.

1. Best Practice: Place your main keyword at the beginning.

2. Separators: Use the pipe symbol (|) to separate multiple keywords.

Type	Example
Correct	“The Best Powerbank for iPhones: A Complete Guide”
Incorrect	“Where to Buy the Best Powerbank for iPhones”

2. Header Tags (H1–H6)

Header tags structure your content, making it readable for humans and understandable for search bots.

1. H1: The largest heading. Use only one per page. Must contain the main keyword.

2. H2: Subheadings containing secondary keywords.

3. H3–H6: Used for detailed breakdowns or less important topics.

Benefits of Header Tags:

1. Improve readability.

2. Highlight important sections.

3. Allow natural keyword placement.

4. Help search engines understand content hierarchy.

5. Maintain consistent structure.

3. URL Optimization

A clean URL structure is vital.

1. Format: Use hyphens (-) to separate words.

2. WordPress Tip: Go to Settings → Permalinks, select Post Name, and save. This ensures keywords are automatically included.

4. Meta Description

While Google states this is not a direct ranking factor, it heavily influences CTR (Click-Through Rate).

1. Goal: Write a compelling description that attracts clicks rather than just stuffing keywords.

2. Content: Include the primary keyword and 1–2 secondary keywords naturally.

5. Meta Tag (Title Tag) Optimization

1. Length: Keep it between 60–70 characters.

2. Relevance: It must match the content and contain keywords naturally.

3. Context: It helps search engines understand your topic.

6. Alt Tag Optimization

Search engines cannot "see" images; they read the Alt Text.

1. Action: Add targeted keywords to your image Alt attributes.

2. Result: Improves visibility in Google Images and boosts overall SEO.

7. Internal Linking

Internal links connect pages within the same domain.

Why it matters:

1. Helps search engines crawl your site.

2. Improve user navigation.

3. Increases the time users spend on your site (lower bounce rate).

4. Passes authority (link juice) to important pages.

8. Sitemaps

A sitemap is a blueprint of your website that helps search engines index your content.

1. Placement: Ensure your sitemap is referenced in your website’s robots.txt file in the backend.

2. Outcome: Improves indexing speed, search visibility, and overall SEO performance.