Master On-Page SEO With This 2024 Checklist
With search engine algorithms being more sophisticated than ever, and artificial intelligence making its way onto the scene with additions like Google’s Generative Search, on-page SEO is now even more crucial.
Tackling on-page SEO may seem like an easy task (you just use keywords, right?) but it can involve a lot of moving parts that can seem very daunting when you take a deep dive into optimizing your pages for SEO.
This comprehensive checklist will help you increase your on-page SEO efforts, helping you rank higher, drive traffic, and give your users a stellar experience.
The Main Components of On-Page SEO
The first part of on-page SEO that you want to address are the elements that will affect how users, and search engines, interpret your site. They are:
Crafting Perfect Title Tags
One of the most important on-page SEO components is the title tag. They should accurately represent the page's content, be compelling, and contain pertinent keywords. For example, instead of simply titling your About page “About Us” Why not go for a hook such as “Learn About [Company] [City’s] Number One [Industry].
Be sure to perfect your title tags site-wide and do not just focus on the primary pages of your website. All pages need love when it comes to title tags!
Creating Compelling Meta Descriptions
Optimizing your meta descriptions for search can greatly impact your click-through rates. Aim for succinct, captivating descriptions that sum up the main points of the page and feature your main keywords. To guarantee that they appear appropriately in search results, keep them between 150 and 160 characters otherwise your meta descriptions will be truncated (cut-off).
Remember that this is the first introduction that a user has to your brand so make it engaging but also relevant for what they are searching for.
Optimizing Header Tags for Better SEO
Header tags are an often misunderstood and underutilized part of your webpage. Too usually, headers are all the same size or are one-note in terms of copy. However, proper usage of header tags increases user readability and aids search engines in comprehending the structure of your material.
The core keyword and the page's main topic should be stated clearly in your H1 tag. The material should be arranged logically into sections and sub-sections by the following headers (H2, H3). Always aim for a header that is engaging, not too long, and does not overstuff keywords.
Building SEO-Friendly URLs
Short, informative URLs with pertinent keywords are optimized for search engines. Steer clear of long, complicated URLs that contain extraneous parameters. For example, use something like "starboundseo.com/on-page-seo-checklist" rather than "starboundseo.com/123456?=abc".
You will also want to go back and ensure that your other page SEO URLs are optimized. Oftentimes, we see web owners using page templates without remembering to change the URLs, thus their URLs look something like “starboundseo.com/blog/template-12fsd=abc”
Optimize Your Content for Search Visibility
The next on-page element you want to address is your content. When keeping your copy in mind here is what you need to focus on:
Effective Keyword Research and Implementation
Keyword research is the cornerstone of an effective SEO strategy. Include these headers naturally into your copy, including your headers, meta descriptions, and your content as a whole.
When researching keywords be sure to focus on low-competition, high-volume.
Enhancing Content Quality and Relevance
Relevant, high-quality content is crucial for SEO performance. When creating content, keep in mind the E-A-T principles: expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. This will help you develop valuable material for your audience. Make sure your writing is current, educational, and well-researched.
Remember to also keep your brand voice in mind. A consistent style that is relevant for readers who are searching for that topic will be ranked higher.
Boosting Engagement with Multimedia
Including photos, videos, and infographics can boost SEO and increase user engagement. Use captions, alt image text, and descriptive filenames to maximize multimedia. Make sure that the multimedia on your page loads quickly because slow loading time can make for a poor user experience, which then leads to lower rankings.
Have Good Linking Practices
Both internal and external links will help search engines understand what your site is about, from the structure of your website to its content. You should employ internal links by linking to other relevant pages on your website which will, also link to high-authority websites when applicable.
Technical On-Page SEO Best Practices
While technical SEO is its tactic in search engine optimization, on-page SEO also has technical elements as well. Such as:
Speed Up Your Pages for Better Rankings
One important component in ranking is page speed. Utilize resources such as GTmetrix and Google PageSpeed Insights to assess the functionality of your website. To speed up load times, reduce JavaScript, use browser caching, and optimize pictures.
Ensuring Mobile-Friendliness in 2024
Making sure your website is mobile-friendly is crucial in light of Google's mobile-first indexing. To ensure a flawless mobile experience, test your site across a range of devices, use responsive design, and optimize for touchscreens.
Remember that most searches are now done on mobile, so it is essential to ensure your website is mobile-optimized.
Leveraging Schema Markup for SEO
Rich snippets from schema markup can improve how well search engines comprehend your content and how your page appears in SERPs. Use resources such as Google's Structured Data Markup Helper to implement schema markup.
Using Canonical Tags to Avoid Duplicate Content
While this may not be necessary for all websites, at times you may need to duplicate content on your site you need to source content from other websites (ethically, of course). Google and other search engines do not like this, but they are okay if you properly give credit where it is due.
By designating the preferable version of a webpage, canonical tags aid in the prevention of duplicate content problems, such as ranking drops. To reduce confusion for search engines and to consolidate link equity, use canonical tags. This means using <link rel =” canonical ahref=” link”> to show what the source is.
Ensure Your On-Page Tactics Are Working
Sticking to the checklist above can ensure that you’re on-page elements are search-optimized for 2024 and beyond.
If you want to get an audit done to see what on-page optimizations you can make or want to simply have someone take over the on-page work, let us know! We are always happy to help!
