What Is On-Page SEO? Key Elements & Best Practices

On-page SEO involves optimizing the content and elements on your webpages to boost their rankings in organic search results and attract more visitors from search engines.

This includes actions you take directly on your pages, such as crafting highly relevant content with keyword-rich headings, adding internal links to other pages on your site, and using descriptive file names for your images.

In essence, on-page SEO focuses on making your pages clear, valuable, and easy to navigate for both users and search engine crawlers.
As a key pillar of any SEO strategy, on-page SEO works hand-in-hand with off-page and technical SEO techniques, like speeding up your website, building quality backlinks, and implementing schema markup. It can help you significantly improve your search rankings and organic traffic.

On-page SEO benefits every type of website, including:

• SaaS companies
• E-commerce businesses
• Small and midsize businesses (SMBs)
• Local businesses
• Bloggers
• Affiliate marketers
• Nonprofits

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to build a strong on-page SEO strategy. By the end, you’ll have the skills to optimize your site like a true on-page SEO expert.

But before diving in, let’s explore what on-page SEO can truly do to boost your online visibility and drive more traffic to your website.

The goal of on-page SEO

The primary goal of on-page SEO is straightforward: to help both search engines and users clearly understand what a webpage is about.
Search engines like Google strive to deliver the most relevant and helpful content to their users. Why? Because showing the best possible results ensures a great user experience, it encourages people to keep returning to the search engine.

On-page SEO is essential for transforming your webpages into content that Google and your audience prefer. It focuses on three key elements:

• Relevance: Your content should directly address what the user is searching for, matching their search intent. Using keywords strategically, organizing clear headings, and providing supporting details signal to search engines that your page is a top answer for a specific query.
• Clarity: A well-structured layout, easy-to-read formatting, and logical flow help both users and search engines navigate your content effortlessly.
• Usability: Fast loading speeds, mobile-friendly design, and accessible media all contribute to a seamless user experience.

When your content aligns with these principles and genuinely adds value, it likely meets Google’s Helpful Content guidelines, which emphasize creating content for people, not just for search engines.

By focusing on these areas, your pages stand a much better chance of ranking on the first page of search results.

Does that seem like a lot of work to put into one piece of content? It might be, but it’s all super important if you want the best chance of ranking in search.

It’s much easier if you take it one element at a time! Use this list of key elements as an on-page SEO checklist.

Key Elements Of On-Page Seo

Title tags

Title tags define the title of your webpage and act as the clickable links that appear in search results.

Your title tags should communicate to searchers what content they can expect when they click on your website, while also encouraging them to click.

Title tags play a key role in SEO by helping search engines understand your page’s topic and relevance.

Here are some best practices for crafting effective title tags:

• Place your focus keyword near the beginning of the title tag whenever possible
• Start with your page or post title, followed by your site name
• Keep the title tag concise—ideally under 60 characters
• Treat it like an ad for your content and make it highly clickable
• Avoid using the same title tag as other pages ranking on the first page for your focus keyword

Meta descriptions

Meta descriptions (also called “snippets”) are summaries of a webpage’s content that appear below the page title in search engine results. Together with title tags, they are part of the meta tags tied to a page.

Although meta descriptions don’t directly affect your search rankings, writing a compelling, keyword-rich summary of your page is still important. Google uses meta descriptions to better understand your content.

Keep in mind that Google often rewrites meta descriptions in search results to better match the user’s query by pulling relevant text from your page. So, it’s normal if the snippet you see isn’t exactly what you wrote.

As Google Search Central explains:

“Snippets are automatically created from page content. Snippets are designed to emphasize and preview the page content that best relates to a user’s specific search. This means that Google Search might show different snippets for different searches.”

Here are a few more key points about meta descriptions:

• Include your most important keywords naturally—avoid keyword stuffing
• Keep meta descriptions under 160 characters for optimal display
• Adding a clear call to action can boost your click-through rate
• Write meta descriptions with people in mind, not just search engines

Headings (H1–H6)

Headings are HTML tags used within your page content to create a clear structure. They indicate the hierarchy and importance of different sections, helping both users and search engines understand the organization and key topics of your content.

H1 is the main title of your page, while H2 through H6 are used for subheadings of decreasing importance—think of it like a traditional outline.

Search engines rely on headings to grasp your page’s structure and the hierarchy of topics. Although headings don’t carry as much SEO weight as they once did, they still play an important role in helping search engines understand what your content covers.

For users, headings make it easier to skim your content and find the sections they want to read, enhancing the overall user experience, which, in turn, benefits your SEO.

Tips for writing effective headings:

• Keep them concise and descriptive
• Naturally include keywords without overstuffing
• Follow a clear and logical heading hierarchy
• Ensure each heading accurately reflects the content that follows

URL Structure

URL structure refers to how your website’s URLs are formatted and organized.

Clean, descriptive URLs are a crucial part of on-page SEO because they help both users and search engines quickly understand what a page is about, even before clicking through.

A well-crafted URL should:

• Include your focus keyword
• Be short and easy to read
• Use hyphens to separate words
• Avoid unnecessary parameters, numbers, or dynamic strings
• Skip common stop words like “and,” “the,” or “in” that search engines often ignore

For example:

Instead of this URL:
example.com/page.php?id=123&category=seo-tips

Use a clearer, SEO-friendly URL like:
example.com/seo-tips/on-page-optimization

Remember that changing URLs on existing pages can lead to broken links and lost traffic, so avoid changing URLs after publishing. Always set up proper 301 redirects if you do need to change your URL structure.

Internal linking

Internal linking is the practice of connecting one page on your website to another page within the same domain. This not only helps search engines crawl and index your site more efficiently but also guides visitors to related content, enhancing their overall experience.

Internal linking is a powerful SEO tool, so make it a key part of your on-page SEO strategy.

Why Internal Linking Matters for SEO:

• Distributes link equity (ranking power and authority) throughout your site
• Helps search engines better index and understand your content
• Improves user navigation and encourages visitors to stay longer (increasing dwell time)
• Establishes a clear information hierarchy and shows relationships between pages

Want to build a smooth internal linking strategy?

Try topic clusters.

A topic cluster starts with a broad “pillar page” that covers a main topic comprehensively. Then, you create several “cluster pages” that dive into specific subtopics related to the pillar.

Example:

Your pillar page could be: “The Ultimate Guide to Building Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn.”

Cluster pages linked from it might include:

• How to Decide What to Post on LinkedIn
• Best Times to Post on LinkedIn

You can also link cluster pages to each other and back to the pillar page, creating a strong, interconnected content network.

Keyword Optimization

Knowing where, how, and how often to place keywords on your page is essential for effective on-page SEO. However, it’s equally important to avoid over-optimization, or “keyword stuffing,” which can lead Google to penalize or even exclude your page from search results.

Place your primary keyword naturally in these key spots:

• Title tag (ideally near the beginning)
• H1 heading (typically your page or article title)
• Within the first 100 words of your content
• At least one subheading (H2 or H3)
• Image alt text (when relevant)
• URL
• Meta description

Semantic Relevance Matters

Search engines don’t just look for exact keyword matches—they understand the relationships between words and phrases. This means they use semantic context to deliver the most relevant results.

To optimize for semantic relevance, you should:

• Include related terms and synonyms that support your main topic
• Cover subtopics that users expect to find when searching for your primary keyword
• Answer common questions related to your topic
• Use Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) keywords closely connected to your main keyword

Example:
If your topic is “how to create a content strategy,” semantically related terms could be “keyword research,” “target audience,” “search intent,” and “on-page SEO.”

Google’s People Also Ask boxes are a goldmine for discovering these related terms and questions. When you search for “content strategy,” the questions that appear reflect exactly what users want to know, making them perfect to include for stronger semantic relevance.

Content Quality and Relevance

High-quality, relevant content is absolutely critical to your on-page SEO success. Without it, even the best keyword strategy won’t get you far.

To create quality content, be especially mindful of:

User Intent

Before creating any content, it’s crucial to understand the user intent behind your target keyword. Every search query falls into one of four main intent categories: informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional. Conduct thorough searches to see what types of content are currently ranking.

For example, if you plan to write about how to create a content strategy, ask yourself:

• Are users looking for a step-by-step guide?
• Do they want examples or case studies?
• Are they seeking consulting services?
• Or are they interested in tools or products related to content strategy?

Make sure your content addresses what the user truly needs by including:

• Clear answers to related questions
• Actionable advice or practical next steps
• Expert insights or unique viewpoints
• Supporting data or statistics

Formatting

Even the most insightful content won’t perform well if it’s hard to read or skim. Online users often scan pages to quickly find the answers they seek—if your content isn’t easy to navigate, they’ll leave and find it elsewhere.

To improve readability, format your content with these tips:

• Write short paragraphs (2–3 sentences max)
• Use bullet points and numbered lists for clarity
• Highlight key points with bold or italics, but use sparingly
• Leave plenty of white space for a clean look
• Use descriptive subheadings to break up long blocks of text
• Add transition words to help readers flow through your content smoothly
• Incorporate original visuals, charts, or media to add context and make your content stand out

Great formatting not only provides value quickly but also keeps users engaged longer, boosting dwell time, lowering bounce rates, and sending positive quality signals to search engines.

Image Optimization

Image optimization ensures your visuals enhance your website rather than slow it down or confuse search engines. Properly optimized images boost accessibility, improve user experience, and make your site more engaging and unique.

Follow these on-page SEO best practices for images:

• Use descriptive, keyword-rich file names to help search engines understand your images.
• Add alt text that accurately describes the image and includes relevant keywords where appropriate. Keep it concise—aim for under 125 characters.
• Ensure alt text provides meaningful context for visually impaired users and those relying on screen readers.
• Compress images to reduce file size without losing noticeable quality to improve load times.
• Choose web-friendly formats like WebP (best balance of compression and quality), JPEG (ideal for photos), or PNG (best for images with transparency).
• Implement lazy loading for images that appear below the fold, so they load only when needed, speeding up initial page load.

Optimizing images this way helps both users and search engines, supporting better SEO and a smoother browsing experience.

Mobile-Friendliness and Page Experience

Though technically part of technical SEO, mobile-friendliness and page experience are crucial on-page factors that deserve special mention.

Google prioritizes sending users to websites that load quickly and work seamlessly, especially on mobile devices. To support this, Google introduced Core Web Vitals, a set of key metrics measuring user experience:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures loading speed. Aim for LCP within 2.5 seconds of page load.
• Interaction to Next Paint (INP): Measures responsiveness. Target an INP under 200 milliseconds.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures visual stability. Keep CLS below 0.1 to avoid unexpected layout shifts.

Alongside Core Web Vitals, Google also considers mobile-friendliness, safe browsing, HTTPS security, and the absence of intrusive interstitials as part of its page experience signals.

Why this matters for on-page SEO

• Fast-loading pages keep users engaged.
• Stable layouts reduce frustration and prevent accidental clicks.
• Mobile-friendly designs ensure content is accessible on all devices.
• Secure connections build trust with users and search engines alike.

Google confirms that page experience signals impact search rankings, so integrating these elements into your on-page SEO strategy is essential.

Common on-page SEO mistakes (and how to fix them)

Even seasoned SEO pros can slip up on on-page optimization. Watch out for these pitfalls:

1. Duplicate Title Tags

Using identical title tags on multiple pages confuses search engines about which page to rank.

Fix: Write unique, descriptive titles that clearly reflect each page’s content.

2. Missing Meta Descriptions

Without meta descriptions, search engines pick random text snippets, and social shares lack proper summaries.

Fix: Craft optimized meta descriptions for every important page, highlighting value and including a call to action.

3. Keyword Stuffing

Overloading content with keywords harms user experience and is easily spotted by Google.

Fix: Focus on naturally incorporating relevant keywords and related terms within valuable, well-written content.

4. Orphaned Pages

Pages without internal links pointing to them are hard for users and search engines to find.

Fix: Immediately link new pages from relevant existing content to ensure discoverability.

5. Thin or AI-Generated Content

Minimal or generic AI content that lacks unique value won’t rank well and won’t attract traffic. Fix: Produce substantial, original content that thoroughly answers user intent.

6. Keyword Cannibalization

Multiple pages targeting the same keywords compete against each other, diluting ranking potential.

Fix: Identify overlapping keywords, then merge similar pages, use canonical tags, or reoptimize for distinct keywords.

On-page SEO vs off-page and technical SEO

There are three main types of SEO: on-page, off-page, and technical. Understanding how these different types of SEO work together will help you optimize your site like an expert.
Here’s how they compare:

Factor	On-page SEO	Off-page SEO	Technical SEO
Focus	Content quality, keyword optimization, user experience	External signals of authority and relevance	Site infrastructure and crawlability
Key elements	Title tags, meta descriptions, content, internal links, images	Backlinks, brand mentions, social signals	Site speed, indexability, mobile-friendliness, schema markup
Control level	High (you directly control)	Low-medium (you influence rather than control)	High (with technical expertise)
Who handles it	Content creators, marketers	PR, outreach specialists	Developers, technical SEO specialists
Results timeframe	Shorter-term	Longer-term	Medium-term

The three types of SEO all work together to give your website the best possible chance of ranking and bringing in valuable search traffic.

• On-page SEO: Works to make your content and entire website super relevant and valuable for both users and search engines.
• Off-page SEO: Builds your site’s authority and reputation across the web.
• Technical SEO: Makes sure search engines can access, crawl, and understand your content.

For the best results, your SEO strategy should include all three SEO types.

For example, great on-page content won’t rank well if your site has serious technical issues preventing proper indexing, and even perfectly optimized pages struggle without quality backlinks from relevant sites.

How to measure on-page SEO success

Figuring out whether your on-page SEO strategy is working or not requires tracking the right metrics and using accurate measurement tools.

Key on-page SEO metrics to track:

• Organic traffic: The number of visitors clicking to your site from unpaid results in search engines.
• Keyword rankings: Your website’s position in search results for target keywords.
• Click-through rate (CTR): The percentage of people who click on your result after seeing it in search results.
• Engagement rate: The percentage of visitors who spend 10 or more seconds reading your content, visit a second page, and/or trigger an event (such as clicking a button or submitting a form).
• Bounce rate: The percentage of visitors who left your website quickly, without completing an event.
• Average engagement time: How long visitors typically spend on your website in a session.
• Conversion rate: The percentage of visitors who complete desired actions like submitting a form or making a purchase.
• Page speed metrics: Core Web Vitals.

FAQs about on-page SEO

Do you need to optimize every page on your website?

Not necessarily. Each page should have a unique title and meta description, but beyond that, focus your efforts on your most high-value pages, content that targets your most important keywords, and content that’s attracting links and shares.

Some utility pages, like privacy policies and terms of service, don’t need much optimization.

How often should I update my on-page SEO?

Regular reviews of your on-page SEO strategy and performance are important. Aim to review your performance metrics monthly, update important articles quarterly, and do more thorough audits every 12 months or so.

Does Google read alt text?

Yes, Google does read and use alt text to understand image content. Alt text helps search engines determine image relevance and can help your images appear in Google Image Search. It’s also essential for accessibility.

Can you over-optimize a page?

You can over-optimize a page. Over-optimization typically involves:

• Keyword stuffing
• Unnatural anchor text
• Excessive internal linking
• Manipulative tactics that prioritize search engines over users
• Focus on creating genuinely helpful content that naturally incorporates relevant keywords rather than trying to game the system.

Is word count a ranking factor?

Word count is not a direct ranking factor in Google’s algorithm, but longer content often performs better because it provides more comprehensive information, improving relevance and user satisfaction. Pages that fully answer search intent tend to rank higher, regardless of exact word count.

Focus on completeness rather than hitting a specific word count target.

On-page SEO is foundational, not optional

On-page SEO might seem like a lot of work (and it is!), but it’s foundational to your search engine success. Without proper on-page optimization, even the best off-page strategies and technical implementations won’t work as well as they could.

The good news is that, unlike many off-page factors, on-page SEO elements are (usually) entirely within your control. You can make small improvements today that start positively impacting your search visibility tomorrow.

For the best results:

• Start with a comprehensive on-page SEO audit
• Prioritize fixes and updates based on potential impact and effort required
• Create a content improvement schedule for older pages
• Develop on-page optimization guidelines for all new content
• Regularly test and refine your approach based on performance stats

Engage Coders specializes in expert SEO services that boost your website’s visibility and drive targeted traffic. Our tailored on-page SEO strategies ensure your content ranks higher and engages your audience effectively. So, what are you waiting for? Contact us today!