Lesson 1 What is On Page SEO?

Summary:
On-page SEO is the process of optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. It encompasses everything from keyword usage and HTML elements (titles, headings, meta tags) to content structure, media optimization, internal linking, site performance, mobile-friendliness, and structured data. By adhering to best practices—grounded in Google’s own guidelines and supported by scholarly research—you can both improve crawlability/indexing and enhance user experience, laying a solid foundation for your site’s search visibility.

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What is On-Page SEO?

On-page SEO is about making each page on your website as clear and relevant as possible to both users and search engines¹. It differs from off-page SEO (like backlink building) by focusing exclusively on elements within your own site that you can directly control².

Core Elements of On-Page SEO

1. Keywords & Content

Effective on-page SEO begins with understanding user intent and selecting primary and secondary keywords that match what your audience is searching for³⁴. Integrate these keywords naturally into your content—avoid keyword stuffing—and aim for depth and relevance to satisfy both readers and search algorithms³.

2. Title Tags & Meta Descriptions

• Title tags appear in search results and browser tabs; they should be unique (50–60 characters), include your target keyword, and clearly convey page topic⁵.
• Meta descriptions aren’t a direct ranking factor but can improve click-through rates by summarizing your content compellingly (120–155 characters)⁵.

3. Header Tags & Content Structure

Use HTML heading tags (<h1> through <h6>) to create a clear content hierarchy. Each page should have one <h1> (your main headline) and logical subheadings (<h2>, <h3>, etc.) to break up text for both readers and crawlers⁶.

4. URL Structure

Clean, readable URLs help users and search engines understand page topics. Include primary keywords, use hyphens to separate words, and keep URLs as short as practical⁷.

5. Images & Media

Optimize all images by:

• File names that describe the image (e.g., blue-running-shoes.jpg)⁸
• Alt text that provides concise, descriptive text for accessibility and context
• Sizing and lazy loading to improve page load times⁸

6. Internal Linking

Link related pages with descriptive anchor text to establish topical relevance and distribute link equity throughout your site. This supports deeper crawling and helps users discover more content⁹.

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References