There are so many things to keep in mind when working on your website’s SEO. This free on page seo checklist template helps you keep track of all the elements.
Search engines look for a specific search intent when ranking pages. A webpage should target several keywords, including secondary keywords that support its main keyword.
1. On-page optimization
As the name suggests, on-page optimization is the process of optimizing web pages to improve search engine rankings. It involves a variety of techniques, including keyword research, content marketing, and link building.
The first step in on-page optimization is to identify and select keywords that are relevant to your business and audience. This is done through keyword research, which provides a list of words and phrases that people are searching for. You can then use this information to optimize your website and create new content.
Another important aspect of on-page optimization is ensuring that your content meets high quality standards. This includes checking for grammatical errors and making sure that your content is factual. It is also important to keep in mind that Google is looking for content that is useful to its users. This means that your content should answer the questions they are asking, rather than being vague or irrelevant.
Finally, on-page optimization involves making sure that your URLs are search engine friendly and that they logically relate to each other. This includes avoiding duplicate content and using descriptive keywords in your URLs. It is also important to ensure that your content is organized in a way that makes sense for the user. For example, it is not a good idea to have several posts on the same topic compete against each other in the SERP.
2. Keyword research
Keyword research is the foundation of SEO, and it’s how search engines find your content. The goal of keyword research is to identify the keywords that people are searching for that relate to your products and services.
Then you can use that list to optimize your pages for those keywords. This helps you rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), which can bring in more organic traffic. To do this, you need to include your target keyword in the title and headings of each page. You also need to add it to the text, images, and meta description. And you need to make sure that the word or phrase appears in the first 100 words of the text.
You can use a tool like SEMrush to help you with your keyword research. It has a free version that you can use, or you can upgrade to a premium plan for more features. Another good tool is Google AdWords, which is free to use and can give you some useful data.
The other important aspect of keyword research is tracking your results. You want to make sure that you are getting the most out of your efforts. So keep track of your search engine optimization progress by using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console. And be sure to periodically review and update your keyword strategy.
3. Content
The content of a page is one of the most important factors for SEO. It can help search engines understand what the page is about and it can also influence keyword rankings.
To have the best chance of ranking well for a given query, the page should answer the question in the most relevant way possible and should be unique and useful. The page should be ideally between 250 and 500 words long, with the keywords being used throughout (not overdoing it). Having text content on a page is better for search engine optimization than images or videos. This also makes it more likely to get a Featured Snippet position.
The title of a page is also important for on-page SEO. It should include the primary keyword that the page is targeting. The H1 tag is another on-page SEO element that can help a page rank. It should be an exact match for the primary keyword. The other H2 tags on the page should contain subtopics that support the primary keyword. The URL should be short and concise and should also contain the primary keyword.
Using checklists is a great way to ensure that you don’t forget any of the on-page SEO elements that are important for ranking highly in Google. Pilots use checklists to make sure that they don’t miss anything important when flying an airplane.
4. Link building
In a world where the most important element of SEO is link building, you’ll want to make sure that your site has a lot of high-quality links. This will help Google find, access, crawl, and interpret your website correctly. This is a complex and time-consuming process, but it’s essential for success.
Luckily, there are some things you can do to speed up the process. First, you should look at what your competitors are doing. This will give you an idea of how competitive different keywords are. You can also use this information to create new content. For example, if you see that your competitor is writing about a certain industry development but doesn’t go into a lot of detail, this could be an opportunity for you to fill in the gaps.
One of the easiest ways to build links is to create content that other people will link to. This can be done by creating infographics, videos, and blog posts that are useful to other people. You can also try to get links from sites with high domain authority. This is a good way to improve your own domain authority and rank higher in SERPs.
It’s also important to check for broken links on your website. This can be done using a tool like ScreamingFrog. You can also check if your website is optimized for mobile by using this tool.