Many people understand the power of off-page SEO where links or citations are built.
However, what about on-page SEO? This would relate to internal strategies to optimizing your work for Google and other search engines. Wasn’t there a recent crackdown so that targeting keyword density and other such methods is now taboo?
While this may be true, webmasters can still gain great value from implementing core components of on-page SEO strategies. Here’s how and why I recommend doing so.
Seeing Through the Eyes of Your Viewer
Strategies involved in today’s on-page SEO include content that is over 1000 words in length with more being better. Your focus is on the audience rather than Google. A core component of the entire process involves internal link building where you lead viewers from one page to another based on their links that they select within your content.
The whole process produces at least five baseline results for your audience:
- Readability
- Accessibility
- Convenience
- Likeability
- Engagement
Providing high-quality educational value within a healthy amount of content (1000+ words) with the focus being on the viewer empowers readability and convenience. Along with this structure comes the concept of internal links that lead from one piece of content to another within your site. This structure allows the user to find key concepts related to your niche that they otherwise might have missed.
As they come to see you as the one stop shop for all their related questions, your corresponding likeability within the eye of the viewer will increase. As they come to spend more time on your site, the possibility that they will leave a blog comment reply or engage you in some other way is greatly enhanced.
HOT TIP:
Be sure to advise your reader on best ways to respond to your article. Many people save this for the end, but I know not why. Mix things up a bit by putting a surprise call to action (CTA) right in middle of the content.
Seeing Through the Algorithms of Google
Gone are the days when it was in a webmaster’s best interest to appeal to the search engines first within the confines of on-page SEO strategies. Today, if you are not focused first on the viewer, then the search engines will only not focus on you first within their rankings.
With the new way of defining on-page SEO that Google is driving, what is the result for Webmasters that take heed?
- Usability
- Spiders
- Rankings
- Synergy
- Authority
First and foremost, you provide usability to the viewer which is what Google wants to see. Neglect this critical factor and Google will ignore you when it comes to rankings. Show Google that you are serious about making a difference and the corresponding fruit of your labors will be yours to reap.
While the way things are done may have changed from the early days, methods involve in identifying the various pieces of your existence on the web remain intact. They are called spiders. Those spiders can be aided in finding all your site by the on-page internal link structure that you have set in place for when they arrive.
As Google continues to see the synergy that you are bringing to the table by way of high-quality content and ease of usability your authority within the search engine rankings will escalate. This does take time. When your project is first starting out, I would suggest that whatever you are doing today will realize its beginning fruit 90 days from now. As you plan matures the timeline duration will shorten if you are building your project out correctly.
Seeing Through the Eyes of The Creator
Whatever your purpose for being on the web is you need to be seen. Otherwise, you’re not technically on the internet, or at least not a huge piece of it. If you intend to build your online presence as a major outlet for business, then not being found is simply not an option.
If you do on-page SEO right, you will find rewards in many areas including:
- Branding
- Navigation
- Bounce Rate
- Time on Site
- ROI
As people come to spend more time on your site, it will become branded on their minds. Many times I look things up on the search engines, and before looking at any other ingredient, I scan for any URLs that I have defined to be an authority in the field.
Be the authority in your niche.
What do you do to build authority value in the eyes of your audience?
Please share your ideas in the comments below and let’s increase our knowledge together.
One way to do this is by navigation. Many people think of navigation as it pertains to that bar at the top which leads people places. And it is. However, providing more than one roadmap through your site is always helpful. This is where we once again return to the value of internal link building within your on-page content.
The easier it is for a viewer to use your site, the more they will. As they navigate through from one page to another, they positively affect bounce rate. Visitors that come view one page and leave are called bouncers. You want as little of this as possible.
The smaller your bounce rate, the greater the time on site of your visitor. As Google sees viewers spending more time on your site, they will correspondingly reward you in the form of higher rankings which is exactly what you need to increase ROI (return on investment).
Additional Reasons for Understanding On-Page Optimization
By now you have a solid framework for exactly why on-page optimization done the right way per Google’s requirements today is so important.
There are a few more points I would like to cover before closing, though not in detail.
- Link Wheels
- Top Tier Design
- Like-Mindedness
- Value
The above topics can easily take on entire pieces of content or more all by themselves. However, in brief, as you proceed with building your site content you can create link wheels.
Of course, you would want to link similar content together based on categories. As viewers find one page that they are interested in, it is quite likely that when they see references to other related content, they will be interested in checking that page out also.
- Post 1 links to post 2
- Post 2 links to post 3
- Post 3 links to post 1
Externally, these should be avoided like the plague. Internally they are golden nuggets of value.
If you take all pages within a link wheel and point it as a critical page on your site, Google comes to understand the value of that page as it relates to the rest of your site and ranks it accordingly. This is known as tiers, and it is a critical component of the internal tiered link wheel process.
Closing Thoughts About On-Page SEO
I trust that by now you are more than convinced of the extreme necessity of correctly applying principals for on-page SEO. While many things have changed over the years, one thing remains the same. If you develop strategies to take key places on the front pages of the search engines, you will be found.
On that note, and before you go.
What strategies do you use within your marketing to be seen above the noise?
What has worked?
What hasn’t?
Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below. Feel free to ask a question or two if something is pressing on your mind and enjoy the internal growth of your projects.
Guy Siverson – Author, Blogger, and Online Marketer.
He has been a celebrated Online SEO Marketer since the early 90’s. Guy’s greatest joys are his family, friends and helping educate, inspire and motivate others by writing, coaching & speaking engagements targeting success in entrepreneurial careers of others. — Contact 702-439-4766