Are you looking to achieve higher rankings in search engines for 2010 and beyond? In order to improve your current rankings, you should have the proper on-page optimization tactics in place to help spiders associate the right keywords with your content. On-page optimization helps reinforce a page’s content theme through incorporating the target keyword phrase throughout various areas of the page. Here is a basic checklist for utilizing the areas of on-page optimization:
Target Keyword Phrase Selection
Use Google’s Keyword Tool to find the most relevant keyword phrase that encompasses the overall content theme of the page. Be sure to select one that is a strong balance of relevance and search volume. For example, a website for a college in Boston, MA might not rank well for the search term “colleges,” as it is too broad. It would have a better chance at ranking higher under a more specific term such as “colleges in boston.”
Keywords with high search volume are great, but the strategy is to select highly targeted keyword phrases with the right balance of relevancy and volume.
Copy Optimization
Search engines will consider a page more relevant to a particular keyword phrase if it appears frequently throughout the copy. Once you have chosen your targeted keyword phrase, use it several times throughout the page (while it still reads normally), maintaining an appropriate ratio between the keywords and the rest of the content on the page. If the keyword is used too much (also known as keyword stuffing), then search engines will consider the page to be “spammy.” 15%-20% is usually ideal repetition.
Optimize the Meta Title Tag
The meta title tag is one of the first elements of a page that a search engine will index so it is very important to leverage your target keyword phrase here. It will also be displayed in the search results listing as the title as well. The title tag should be short but descriptive so that the search engine can easily identify the focus of the page. Remember to frontload the title tag with your targeted keyword phrase.
URL Optimization
Use the targeted keyword phrase in-tact within the URL. Again, this will help explain to search engines exactly what your page is all about, making it easier for users to find it. Limit the overall length of the URL and make sure they are “clean,” avoiding any unnecessary words or dynamic characters.
Appealing Meta Descriptions
The meta description is not weighed as much as other optimization components in the search engine algorithm, but your website could lose traffic without it. An enticing meta description is a great way to increase your click-through rate (CTR). The description should be appealing to users, contain the targeted keyword phrase, and consist of 16 words or less, as it will appear in the search engine results listing.
Please note: Check out our blog on SEO best practices for writing metadata.
Page Titles
Including your target keyword phrase in your page title is another significant factor in getting higher rankings. The target keyword phrase should be located as close to the beginning of the title as possible. It is also recommended to have the page title built in an <H1> tag within the HTML. The page title will be very similar, if not identical, to the meta title.
Internal Linking
Link to relevant internal pages and other resources that are significant to the copy on your webpage strategically using keywords within the anchor text. This will help attract inbound links naturally by drawing attention to your content. Linking to relevant blogs may help attract links as well if bloggers decide to offer them in return.
Please Note: Read our blog on internal linking strategies for more information.
Optimize Images
If you have images on your page, then you need to optimize them as well. Use specific keywords to create important image optimization elements such as the ALT text, image file name, and image title.
- ALT Text – ALT text is used to describe the image if it is not displayed on the screen because the user has disabled images in their browser. It is also displayed when the mouse is hovering over the image.
- File Name – Use keywords in the file name when you save the image file. For example, save the image as Facebook-logo.jpg instead of FBK0045.jpg.
Write Attractive Copy, then Optimize
Many people are so focused on creating optimized copy that they forget the value of providing unique, quality content that attracts attention and links first. The more (quality) sources you have linking to your page, the higher your webpage will rank. Start with writing engaging copy and then optimize it afterwards. The content body length should be at least 300 words in order to compete with similar pages that have more extensive content.
These on-page optimization tips are a great start to better rankings; however, it is just a start. Search engines are getting smarter and much of what affects page ranking has to do with off-page optimization techniques as well as on-page optimization. Return to the 6th Floor Blog next week for a post on “Off-page Optimization Techniques.”