Use On Page SEO to Improve Search Engine Rank, Part One
On page SEO or search engine optimization is one of the most efficient ways to improve your company’s search engine ranking. Why? Unlike other SEO tactics, if done correctly and thoroughly, on page SEO can be completed just once, with minor upkeep, for lasting results.
Consider taking the following steps to rank higher in search results like those on Google today.
How to Optimize for Search:
Start with Clarity and Common Sense
Assuming your web page is already built, take a look at the content that already exists there. (If it’s not already developed, these steps will still work.) Ask yourself the following:
- What is this page about?
- What do I want the visitor to learn?
- What do I want the visitor to do?
If you have a page that covers many topics, you may or may not need to adjust the content to more clearly answer these questions. Often times, if you cover several topics on one page, creating several pages that link from the main page can be more effective. Sometimes, you can also write half of what you’re trying to communicate and instead add graphics or images to make the same point in a clearer way.
Be careful not to overthink this step. If it is hard for you to wrap your mind around, it will be hard for the visitor.
When you’re done with this part, you should have one keyword phrase that describes your page.
Add Research
Next, do a little research. There are several online keyword tools available for the average non-marketer. Keywords, and really keyword phrases, are the terms searchers type into a search engine to look for certain services and products.
If you are a Hubspot customer, their service provides an excellent, easy to use platform for keyword research. Additionally, Google Adwords Keyword Planner is another tool. (You will need to create a Google Adwords account even if you don’t plan to develop a PPC campaign.)
But, if you are trying to accomplish this quickly, there is another way to choose a keyword or keyword phrase to optimize a given web page.
- Open a browser to Google search.
- Begin to type the keyword phrase you chose in step one. Go slow.
- Notice as you start typing that several phrases pop up below the search bar.
- Is the keyword phrase you choose among them? Is there a better one?
- Write down the ones that best fit what you are talking about on your page.
Here’s an example. If I am a lawyer and I am optimizing my “about page,” I might choose to optimize for the keyword “lawyers near me.” You can see as I begin to type the word “lawyer,” several options pop up. Including the one I’m thinking about.
When you’re done with this step, you should have a keyword that not only fits the content of your page but also appears in a keyword tool or on a list like the one in the Google image above.
Disclaimer: There are more things to consider than the above exercise when choosing a keyword phrase to optimize your web pages for. That’s where a digital marketing agency like Above the Fold Media comes in. Learn more about our SEO services here, or keep reading to continue learning how to optimize your pages on your own.
A Natural Fit
Go back to your web page with the keyword or keyword phrase you chose or the variation on it you may have decided on in step two. Look at the following areas of your web page:
- Page Title. This is the bold or large header text at the top of your page.
- Page Subtitles. The smaller headers further down the page.
- Paragraph one of your content.
Does the keyword fit naturally into these places? It’s important your page does not suffer from keyword stuffing. If the answer is yes, you have a good keyword or keyword phrase for your on page SEO project. At minimum, include the phrase in the title and the first paragraph of your content at a minimum. If there is an appropriate place to include the keyword or a slight variation of it in a subtitle, do so.
When you’re done with step three, you should have a page with the keyword phrase mentioned at least three times in written form on the page.
If not go back to the drawing board! If you didn’t use a more advanced keyword tool like Google Adwords Keyword Planner, you may consider that tool on your second attempt to support you.
In the meantime, if you have questions about on page SEO or more advanced search engine optimization techniques, feel free to reach out to us Above the Fold Media’s 30-minute consultation now.
