On-page SEO

22 March 2024

Reading time: 7 minutes

Senior SEO-specialist

Your website you want to feature catchy content. The content on your website is more important than you may think.

With the right content, you appeal to the right visitor. A catchy slogan or information that the person is just looking for may end in a click toward your website.

It is also relevant to the search engines. The right keywords or information on a particular topic, will ultimately get you higher in search results.

The content on your website is just the articles. Titles, descriptions and URLs are also content on your website that are relevant. The content on and around your site, we call on page SEO. In this article, we tell you more about this.

Table of contents show

What is on-page SEO?

On page SEO is the process of optimizing different parts of your website. On and around the page, that is. These optimizations affect search engine optimization.

We gave above some examples of on page SEO, such as a title or description to a landing page. However, on page SEO consists of many more components that you can optimize on your website. We list all the important on page SEO components for you:

alt text for images;
content;
headings;
url structures;
the title;
meta description;
keyword optimization;
internal links.

The importance of on page SEO

Does on page SEO directly affect your ranking in Google? In some cases this is a direct impact, in others not. This sounds a bit vague. Hence, we explain this to you.

Indirect

The right title or a catchy description to a page can persuade visitors to click toward your page.

Although Google does not see this directly, it is definitely relevant to the visitor and you will receive more visitors with it. This is an indirect way of getting visitors, but a good (and also, according to Google, the right) way of getting visitors.

Direct

Specific alt tags or headers containing the keyword do increase rankings in Google.

Google links specific keywords in your content to searcher queries. So it is good to adapt your content to this as much as possible. Google’s algorithm then causes you to rank higher in Google’s search results.

So you can see that on page SEO exerts direct and indirect influences on your ranking in the SERP (search results pages).

Examples of on page SEO

We list some examples of on page SEO for you.

ALT text for images. Give the images a title so Google knows what the image contains.
Content. Make sure you have relevant content on your website. Use keyword research for this purpose.
Headings. Use proper headings in your texts/content.
URL structuring. Create a clear URL of your slug. That way it is readable by everyone.
The title. Provide a catchy and especially appropriate title.
Meta description. The meta description has primarily a call-to-action function. It gets the (be)searcher to click through to your website.
Keyword optimization. Use the right keywords in your content.
Internal links. Use internal links so that you can quickly go to other pages within your website.

So on page SEO is very important both for your visitors, and for the search engines. On the right on page SEO you will be found. By doing this, you are persuading the visitor as the search engines to rank your page or click on your page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is on-page SEO?

On-page SEO refers to the optimization of a Web page’s content and structure to improve the relevance and quality of the page for search engines and users. This includes using relevant keywords in the content and optimizing elements such as titles, meta descriptions, headers, images and internal links.

On-page SEO focuses on optimizing the elements of the web page that you can directly control and modify, to improve the quality of the page and increase search engine rankings. The goal of on-page SEO is to optimize the content and structure of the Web page for relevant keywords and search phrases, making it easier for search engines to understand and index, and more relevant and useful for users.

How does good on-page SEO affect my website’s ranking?

The effect of good on-page SEO on your website’s ranking can be significant. By optimizing the content and structure of your Web pages, search engines can more easily understand what the page is about and display relevant search results for users looking for that information. Good on-page SEO can also improve the relevance and quality of your pages, increasing the likelihood that users will stay on the page and complete conversions.

By using relevant keywords in the content and metadata of the page, you can also improve the search engine rankings of your website. However, it is important to ensure that the content and metadata of your pages are not only optimized for search engines, but also useful and relevant to users.

Good on-page SEO is therefore an important part of an effective search engine optimization strategy and can help your website rank higher in search engine search results.

Can I improve my on-page SEO myself?

Yes, it is possible to improve your on-page SEO yourself. There are several steps you can take to optimize your website’s on-page SEO, including:

Research relevant keywords: use utilities such as Google Keyword Planner to find relevant keywords that fit the content of your pages.
Optimize your titles and meta descriptions: use the keywords found in the titles and meta descriptions of your pages to help search engines understand what the page is about.
Use keywords in the content: optimize the content of your pages by using relevant keywords naturally in the text.
Use headers: use headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to highlight the structure of your content and help search engines understand what the page is about.
Optimize images: optimize image filename, alt text and description to help search engines understand what the image is about.
Create internal links: link to other relevant pages within your own website to help users navigate and increase the relevance of your pages.

Improving your on-page SEO may take some time and effort, but it is an important part of optimizing your website for search engines and users. If you are not sure how to go about this, hiring a search engine optimization agency or an SEO expert can help you improve your on-page SEO and get effective results.

When is it wise to hire an SEO specialist to improve my on page SEO?

It may be wise to hire an SEO specialist to improve your on-page SEO if you have no experience with SEO or if you have already made some efforts to optimize your on-page SEO but are still struggling to achieve the desired results. An SEO specialist can help you identify the most important keywords and search phrases for your pages and optimize the content and metadata of your pages to achieve higher search engine rankings.

In addition, an SEO specialist can help you improve the structure of your website and monitor and measure the success of your on-page SEO efforts. If you want to compete with other companies or achieve higher rankings and traffic, hiring an SEO specialist can be a wise investment to optimize your website for search engines and users.

How long does it take to see results with improved on page SEO?

It may take some time to see results with improved on-page SEO. Search engine optimization is an ongoing process that requires patience and consistency. It may take several weeks to several months for search engines to re-index your website and for your pages to receive higher search engine rankings. It also depends on several factors, such as competition, niche and the keywords you are targeting.

However, improving your on-page SEO can have direct benefits for the user experience on your website. Good on-page SEO can lead to better structured and organized content, which can help users find what they are looking for faster and improve the user experience. This can result in higher conversion rates and more repeat visitors.

It is important to remember that SEO is a long-term strategy that requires consistency and effort. It may take some time to see results, but if you keep working consistently on your on-page SEO, it will eventually result in better search engine rankings and more traffic to your website.