February 22, 2023 •Devin Dabney
Developing a good SEO strategy is not easy, but it’s not out of reach either. The key is understanding what aspects of your internet presence to focus on—that is, what helps potential customers find your company, and why. Part of why SEO is hard for companies to grasp is that even the way we talk about SEO is misleading. Search engine optimization is not a one-dimensional target to hit, but a four-headed hydra to be slain. And each of those “heads” (on-page SEO, off-page SEO, technical SEO, and local SEO) demand unique approaches, each yielding different ways to reach users. For now, let’s look at on-page SEO: what it is, why on-page SEO is important, and some ways that you can improve it.
What Is On-Page SEO?
On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing your website content to improve your search rankings. As the name suggests, on-page SEO focuses only on what’s on your web pages, and how much that content is helping (or hurting) your chances of showing up in search results. When most people think of SEO, they are usually referring to just on-page SEO, and for good reason; it is the customer-facing, visible component of search engine optimization.
The first thing that usually comes to mind for improving on-page SEO is keyword optimization. While keywords are a piece of the entire strategy for improving your page, they are just one piece. Some other on-page SEO techniques include:
- External & internal linking
- Using appealing and/or informative images
- Writing good metadata (like meta tags and alt text)
- Using a well-structured URL
- Publishing good content
Each of these techniques have their own principles and best practices, but many organizations simply miss out by not doing anything at all for one or two of these techniques. In some ways, writing good alt text is just as important as keyword density or having catchy titles—not necessarily because they carry the same value, but because all of these components work together to form your online presence.
Why Is On-Page SEO So Important?
On-page SEO is, more or less, the core of your digital marketing strategy. As we all know, it’s not enough to have a good product, or even to create good content around that product. You also need to maximize your chances of getting that content in front of customers. Some of your best chances lie in showing up as your audience browses the web. Even if conversions don’t happen the first time they come across your page, the more often you turn up in your audience’s search results, the more familiar you become to them, and the more they begin to trust your brand.
(That, of course, assumes that you’re creating valuable content. We’ll come back to that later.)
Also, while we are focusing our attention to on-page SEO, it’s important to work on all types of SEO. Similar to how all the components of on-page SEO create the product of your rankings, each form of SEO comes together to form your digital marketing strategy. Don’t forget about off-page, technical, or even local SEO!
What Is On-Page vs Off-Page SEO?
While the names may suggest these two types of SEO are opposites, they’re really more like two sides of the same coin. While on-page SEO covers your website pages, off-page SEO refers to how much content links back to you from other websites.
Off-page SEO is focused on practices and concepts like:
- Backlinking
- Guest blogging
- Social media
- PR content
In a way, these two concepts actually feed each other, and both benefit from the other being strong. Having strong on-page SEO makes it more likely others will reference your content, which fuels your off-page SEO. And in a way, those who backlink your content are banking on the strength of your on-page SEO (and off-page SEO) to fuel their own on-page SEO!
It can become a little dizzying if you think about it too hard, but just know that while these two are different, it’s important to focus on both for the best results. And you need to be strong in both to truly do well in your SEO strategy.
Want To Know More? DemandJump Is Here
While all the information above will certainly help you form an SEO strategy, this article is just a small part of developing a good game plan. Arguably, the most important part is creating valuable content. And at DemandJump, when we talk about “valuable content,” we’re not referring to your keyword density. Part of on-page SEO is not just doing all the technical things right, but having something to show for it when you do get eyes on your page. And DemandJump can help make that happen.
Using our Pillar-Based Marketing strategy, DemandJump can make sure your content is well-written, engaging, and informative for your consumer base—all while nailing the necessary SEO tricks and techniques, thanks to tools like our Consumer Insights Platform. Reach out to us today, and see just how great your SEO can be!
