There are many potential SEO issues that can harm a website’s ranking. A site is more than just its appearance, backlinks, and keyword-rich content. Every time someone visits your site, numerous factors can either enhance or detract from their experience, ultimately impacting your ranking. To succeed in the competitive world of digital marketing, focus on these seven essential on-page SEO elements this year.
Addressing Keyword Cannibalization On-Page SEO Necessities
Keyword cannibalization isn’t just about repeating keywords; it’s also about page intent. Having multiple pages with the same intent and keywords makes it difficult to rank higher because search engines struggle to choose which page to prioritize. For instance, if you want to rank for “digital marketing agency Brisbane” but have multiple pages using this long-tail keyword, they compete with each other.
Eliminating keyword cannibalization is crucial because it not only hinders ranking for specific keywords but can also negatively impact the ranking of other keywords on those pages, lowering their overall ranking.
Optimizing Images for SEO
Google doesn’t just analyze your text content; it also assesses your images. Therefore, ensure your images are optimized with relevant file names using descriptive naming conventions. Consider image size and quality, especially load times and display across different devices. At a minimum, each page should have relevant main images with appropriate effective use of alt tags that describe the image to both users and search engines.
Prioritizing Readability On-Page SEO Necessities
Readability is complex to measure, and search engine crawlers employ various algorithms to evaluate it, but it significantly influences your overall SEO score. Content goes beyond keyword optimization; Google prioritizes “readable” content.
Whether you’re launching a new site or reviewing existing content, free online readability tests are available. Yoast SEO, a popular WordPress plugin, provides a readability score as you create content.
The Importance of Your Sitemap
A sitemap is a structured list of your website’s URLs, primarily your main content. It helps search engines crawl and index your desired pages. Additionally, it assists them in identifying the canonical version of each page.
Google supports several different sitemap formats, with XML being the most common. Your sitemap is usually located at www.domain.com/sitemap.xml. WordPress plugins and dedicated sitemap generator tools simplify this process.
Eliminating Multiple H1 Tags On-Page SEO Necessities
Your H1 tag is the most important heading on a page, and there should only be one. If a site audit reveals multiple H1 tags on some pages, remove the duplicates.
This issue often arises when the site logo uses an H1 tag. Additionally, ensure your H1 tags accurately reflect the page’s primary keyword target and stay within the recommended 60-character limit.
Ensuring Mobile Friendliness
Considering most web traffic is now mobile, users primarily access websites on their phone screen. This demands design adjustments for optimal viewing on smaller screens, including image and text size and layout considerations.
Responsive design isn’t just about aesthetics; Google penalizes websites that offer a poor mobile experience. Many web builders offer tools to preview your site on different devices, and modern themes often incorporate responsive design principles.
Page Load Time Matters On-Page SEO Necessities
Many factors affect page load time, including hosting server, bandwidth, web design, and the number, size, and type of page elements. You can control the latter three by managing videos, high-resolution images, and multimedia elements.
Page load time is crucial because it directly impacts your bounce rate (the rate at which visitors leave your site upon arrival), a metric Google considers. Compressing images, optimizing for mobile, and using videos judiciously can significantly enhance user experience.
On-Page SEO Necessities Conclusion
While links and content are fundamental for page rank, on-page SEO often gets overlooked. Even small details can have a significant cumulative effect. By focusing on these on-page SEO essentials throughout 2021, you can elevate your website’s performance to new heights.