On-Page SEO Tactics

Do you have a top goal of ranking your content on the first page of Google? Perhaps your digital marketing entails generating more traffic to your website, driving engagement, and improving your SEO strategy.

Here’s the bad news: It’s going to be pretty darn hard to rank your content for the best keywords. They’re likely already dominated by big players in your industry…and many more trying to rank for the same keywords.

But, here’s the good news: There are several proven strategies and techniques you can leverage to show up on the first page of Google!

Of course, one of the best ways to get Google’s attention is by creating fresh content that gives the search engine a reason to consistently visit your pages. With a consistent content marketing cadence, you give your website more opportunities to rank for various keywords and to show up when your audience is looking for you!

The key is ensuring you’re implementing the right tactics during your content creation to give it a fighting chance on Google.

With that said, here is your six-step on-page SEO checklist to use to better your digital marketing strategy and goals.

 

#1 Focus on a Long-Tail Primary Keyword (and a Few Secondary Ones, too)

Before cranking out content, it’s important that you focus on a long-tail keyword that your audience is actively searching for in Google.

You see, publishing content without a keyword strategy is a guaranteed way for your page not to be found in search. Google is only interested in showing content in search results that their users are asking about.

To do this, start with Google Keyword Planner to discover long-tail search phrases (between 4-5 words) that your target market is likely using. Long-tail keywords are much easier to rank for because they’re not as competitive.

Choose a primary keyword and focus on your content around that term. Also, have a few secondary keywords that are similar to your primary one so you can naturally include them throughout your content.

Killer tip: Be sure to include your primary keyword within the first 100 words of your content!

on-page SEO tactics

#2 Use H2 & H3 Subheadings

Did you know that mobile accounts for approximately half of web traffic worldwide? This means that a good chunk of your website visitors are viewing your content from their mobile device with small screens.

So, it’s important to use proper formatting to enhance readability, especially for this audience. Long, clunky paragraphs will quickly overwhelm your visitors, and they’re more likely to hit the back button than to consume your message.

This will kill your dwell-time metrics.

Yet, using subheadings (i.e. H2 and H3) along with bullet-points and numbers help break up the text while bettering user-experience. It’s also a strong way to boost your SEO strategy.

Oh, be sure to mention your primary keyword in one of the subheadings!

#3 Include Inbound and Outbound Links

Another on-page SEO best practice is including internal and external links in your content.

First, outbound (external) links give your content credibility. Also, by linking to related, authoritative link, it helps Google figure out what your page’s topic. Again, the goal is to capture Google’s attention…this is a sure way how!

The same concept goes for internal links (ones from your own pages). Wikipedia is a great example of a brand who consistently links to other pages within their website to improve SEO while keeping people visiting more of their content.

#4 Add Multimedia Pieces to Improve User-Experience

Images, videos, and other multimedia content are a must-have if you want visitors to stay engaged with your message. Images enrich your website experience and make your content much more appealing.

SEO tactics

Here’s another fact about multimedia: it keeps your audience on your pages longer, a key ingredient to bolstering your SEO strategy.

Google determines the usefulness of your content by the length of time people remain on your page. If your bounce rate is high (meaning, folks are quickly leaving your content), it reveals that your content is not answering the searcher’s question or providing value.

However, if people are sticking around, then your message is spot on…at least to Google.

Therefore, commit to adding visual pieces like videos, stock images, and infographics to your content. Your visitors–and Google–will love it!

#5 Optimize Your Images

Now, once you’ve added your images, your next step is to optimize it so it shows up in the Images search result pages!

Here are your steps:

  • Before uploading your image, be sure to save the image file name as the primary keyword
  • After you upload, include the primary keyword in the Alt Tag and the Title Tag
  • In the description, write 1-2 sentences about the post. Naturally include the primary keyword as well

#6 Aim for Long-Form High-Quality Content

Google absolutely loves long-form content. According to QuickSprout,

“Articles that rank in Google are typically 2,000+ words and filled with pictures, embedded videos, and internal links.”

So for content you want to rank, you’ll want to go for quality-rich, deep-dive pieces that you would treat as an “Ultimate Guide” rather than a simple blog post. You’re sharing all of the goods to make your content stand out and get noticed.

You see, long-form content gives you an opportunity to showcase your brand’s expertise and give the reader more than what they came for. Additionally, it allows you to insert more of your secondary keywords to really show Google what your post is about, bolstering your SEO strategy.

Finally, long-form is the perfect digital marketing tactic. You can slice and dice your message to serve as social media posts, email content, and promote on other platforms such as LinkedIn.

The opportunities are endless!

On-Page SEO is Within Your Grasp!

Implementing search engine optimization techniques in your digital marketing does not have to be a complicated task or difficult feat. Use this checklist when creating content. With consistency, you’ll start to rank for certain long-tail keywords that will drive organic traffic to your pages. Looking to learn more ways to improve your Google rankings? Click here for the anatomy of a #1 Google result.

Much success!