On-Page SEO Optimization: What Is It, And How Does It Work?

On-page SEO is a part of SEO optimization that combines the art of writing with techniques to improve the positioning of individual web pages for specific keywords. On the page, SEO includes everything that makes up the web page: the meta tags, the HTML formatting of the contents following the SEO strategies and the fundamental keywords. Its purpose is to improve the page so that it can be found more easily in search engines, thus enhancing its positioning without forgetting the quality of the content to ensure that the public always finds them helpful and exciting.

Although it is only a part of the vast iceberg that makes up SEO, and of which only the emerged part is often seen, on-page SEO guides the creation and formatting of content so that it corresponds to user searches and leads to intentions and involvement, as well as the application of tactics to increase conversions… because let’s remember. Every site exists for one or more specific purposes to be pursued. To start any SEO activity, you need a precise scheme of actions and a well-defined strategy. Let’s see a list of the fundamental elements that you need to have on hand even before approaching the optimization of your web pages:

1. Keyword strategy: is the list of keywords for which you want to position your website
2. Positioning analysis: it is the analysis of the positioning achieved, not overall, but specifically, page by page and keyword by keyword
3. priority: table of on-page SEO optimization priorities, i.e. which pages to optimize for which specific keyword, in order of importance
4. Novelty: table of wonders, of keywords not yet covered, for which to create new pages or new articles, SEO optimized on a page, which does not end up in cannibalization with the contents already created

It’s the same concept as a map or navigator when traveling to a destination. We need to know how to structure content on our website to shape search results and meet the needs of our users/customers to drive more conversions.

Content Is King, But The Content Must Be Optimized With On-Page SEO

Writing content that ranks on Google and generates conversions takes time and effort. Still, by following a few simple steps, we will already be well on our way to good positioning, thus generating more impressions (our pages appear on Google response pages) and possibly more clicks (with good titles and good descriptions that invite you to choose us as the best result) and thus attracting people to our pages, obviously from all types of devices! 

On-Page SEO: Formatting Content For Readers And Bots

An SEO strategy must be built based on our customers’ needs to achieve ranking/positioning goals on Google and convince our readers to interact with our content. It’s challenging to achieve these two goals, but we can do our best by formatting our pages in a way that helps robots and readers scan content and focus on information, even from different devices. While we can spend time doing “SEO hacks,” the best way to improve online visibility and increase conversions is to always format your content for web actors: readers, people, and bots, like search engines. The first trick is to divide the text, keep the paragraphs short and use the lists to make the contents easier to read and improve the positioning on Google!

We Optimize The Page By Dividing The Text With H2 And H3 Tags

One of the first things we can do to improve on-page SEO is to divide the text into several paragraphs, adding H2 (or H3) subheadings to each one. These headers allow us to insert keywords to feed the technical side of SEO while helping your readers crawl your content when they first land on a specific page. Are there rules? There are no strict rules because each piece of content deserves the proper attention, also based on the type of information that the page offers, but if we want, we can start with some exercises:

1. We add an H2 subheading at least every 300 words or so.
2. We insert H3 headings every 50/100 word of content for each section we created with H2 subheadings
3. We insert keywords in the subtitles (if possible, if sensible, if not too redundant)

We check our on-page SEO optimization effectiveness with Google Search Console (GSC).

Taking advantage of H2 and H3 subtitles helps us optimize on-page SEO for Google and makes our content much easier to read.

We Keep Paragraphs Short

If we want to engage readers and generate more conversions, we need to optimize every inch of our content based on the needs of our target audience. Blocks of text that are too long are difficult to read online and on monitors, and this is even more noticeable on smartphones or tablets. We limit paragraphs to 2-3 sentences each to ensure the content looks great on mobile devices and the reader is free of a hard-to-follow wall of text.

We Use Bulleted And Numbered Lists

Lists are a powerful copywriting tool because they allow you to summarize information while drawing attention to essential data in a punchy format. Here are a few reasons to use bullet points in our content to boost on-page SEO optimization:

1. We break up content and make text blocks easier to read on mobile devices
2. We highlight key points to increase interest in specific areas of web pages
3. We add internal links to bullet points to guide people along the path we expect them to follow

However, it’s best to do just what is necessary! We keep lists of points that are short. Usually, 3/7 points is a number that is exhaustive and reasonable. Shorter lists look silly, and long lists are hard to read… but if there’s a good reason to go overboard, that’s fine. It’s often helpful to include a bullet point in the first paragraph of each page to help readers understand your content. If it is a list with anchor links to specific areas, it also becomes a navigation aid. A bulleted list next to the CTA (Call To Action) with all the benefits obtained in carrying out that action attracts attention and guides them.

On-page SEO: Optimize For Featured Snippets

As online search changes, Google updates its algorithms to quickly get us the correct information. A featured snippet is a bite-sized snippet of information that Google places above organic listings based on specific search queries. Featured snippets are our best friends if we want to establish our authority and drive as much organic traffic to our site as possible. Here are a few reasons to format and optimize our content by enabling featured snippets:

1. The snippet dominates the “zero position” above paid ads and other organic search results.
2. We build our authority by ranking at the top of the search engine results page for keywords that are important to us
3. We drive more qualified traffic to our site
4. We build progressively more backlinks so that more people click and link to our content
5. We effectively push competitors’ Google Ads down

There are different types of featured snippets that Google can display based on your search intent, search query, and search history. Let’s look at how you can format your content in specific ways to protect the three main types of featured images.

Snippet: Featured Paragraph Of Text

Snippets featuring a featured paragraph of text display 40-50 words based on a search query with a link to the website content being rendered/synthesized. This type of snippet can be generated with proper on-page SEO optimization and excellent content formatting. Unlike printed paper or standard communication, the web thinks the opposite: we start from the conclusions and then explain them step by step. Inserting a first paragraph on your web pages highlighting the key points that will be covered helps position yourself with a snippet of this type.

It’s a very concise summary.

Snippet: Featured Listings

If we pay attention, most “how-to” search types will trigger a featured snippet of the type list. In practice, Google provides us with a series of information ordered in a list, numbered or bulleted, which is very effective for generating traffic, especially for recipe sites or, in any case, for process-oriented content.

Snippet: Featured Table

Google may include a table at the top of the SERPs for search queries on pricing options, comparisons, and miscellaneous data. Most featured snippets of this type are up to 3/4 columns wide and 6/7 rows long. If we need to summarize a process, show price comparisons or provide a summary of different types of data, we can insert tables in HTML format within our web pages so that Google can exploit them (yes, better to insert the classic tables in HTML format rather than tables made in CSS or other languages, because currently, Google seems to prefer them).

Also Read: How To Do SEO On WordPress?