Companies are increasingly concerned about search engine optimization, because a sEO strategy can effectively generate free traffic.
The SEO optimization strategy should be divided into two different categories: On-page and Off-page. Although distinct, they are related and complement each other.
In this blog article we’re going to take a closer look at what On page SEO and Off page SEO are, why they’re so important and what tactics to use in each to achieve better positioning in search engines.
On-Page SEO
On-page SEO is the set of search engine optimization strategies carried out within web pages, with the aim of improving organic traffic.
A good on-page SEO strategy, even from a more technical point of view because it involves optimizing pages and their content, must always be based on user satisfaction. Search engines don’t favor standardized content, but rather give priority to content that meets the user’s needs and satisfies them.
We can therefore conclude that on-page SEO is something more technical, but it can’t neglect the more user-friendly side either. It’s important to optimize in order to achieve better positioning and, above all, to offer the best possible user experience.
On-Page SEO Optimization Tools
Title tags
Put your keywords in the title tag of each page on your site. Limit the tags to 55-60 characters and move the keyword closer to the beginning of the title if possible.
Headings (H1)
Headings are usually the biggest words on the page and, for this reason, search engines give them a little more weight. Insert the desired keywords in the headings of each page and make sure there is only one H1 per page, all other headings are H2 or H3.
Key words
An essential part of content production is the choice of keyword. It must match users’ search intentions in order for the text to be found. Once you’ve chosen it, it’s time to position it in the best possible way.
But don’t add it too often. Rather, the greater the presence of the keyword, the better. However, this is seen as a black hat and is heavily penalized by Google.
Meta Description
This is a short summary that appears right after the title tag of an article on search pages.
It’s not considered a direct factor in ranking, but because of its importance for the click-through rate, it ends up becoming an essential item in optimizations. Please note that it cannot exceed 160 characters.
Page content
The content of your pages needs to be useful to users. If they search for something very specific and find your page, they expect it to bring value and satisfy their need.
URL structure
If possible, put keywords in your URL, but don’t repeat them. Repeated keywords can affect the user experience. Last but not least, keep URLs as short as possible.
Alternative text for images
Writing an ALT attribute for each image keeps your site compliant with the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). Before writing it, please note the following:
- Describe the image in detail in 8 to 10 words
- Include the targeted keyword where it looks most natural
- Include, if relevant, a geo-locator
Page loading speed
Google aims to help users find what they’re looking for as quickly as possible to provide the best experience. Therefore, optimizing your pages to load faster helps your site rank higher in search results.
Google offers a tool called PageSpeed Insights which will analyze your site and suggest tips for optimizing page speed.
Mobile optimization
Faced with an ever-increasing use of mobile searches, Google has prioritized mobile page loading speed as a key ranking metric.
In addition to page loading, the layout of the site needs to take the user experience into account.
Internal links
Creating internal links to other pages on your site is useful for users to visit more pages and for search engines to improve your organic position.
Social Tags
If your content is shared on social networks, it tells Google that those who shared it consider the content to be relevant, useful and trustworthy.
Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO is the set of optimization strategies applied outside your website to demonstrate your relevance in the market and thus improve your positioning in search engines.
It is currently one of the most critical stages in the process of optimizing websites for search engines, as Google is increasingly looking for external signs of relevance to confirm the ranking made by its algorithm.
For search engines, it’s not enough to have good content and structured pages, it’s essential to understand how the pages relate to the rest of the Internet through links.
The more links and mentions of pages you have on your site, the better you will rank on Google. For example, if you have a blog about cell phone accessories and in an article about iPhone cases you include a link to the page that you think is the most likely to make a purchase, you’re conveying authority to that page, which will consequently be valued by Google.
However, an off-page SEO strategy is not just about links. All measures taken outside your site, which imply a relationship with other sites, such as mentions of the site or the brand, are considered valid for optimization and are taken into account in Google’s ranking.
Off-Page SEO Optimization Tools
Link Building
Creating external links to your site helps to increase its popularity and consequent Google rating.
Blogs
Take advantage of blog articles to create links to authoritative pages that are relevant to the topic you are talking about.
Online Reputation
Mentions of your brand and external links generated on social networks are driving factors for Google’s SEO ranking.
Although more technical, we hope this article has been useful to you. If you’re looking to implement these services on your site, check out our digital marketing solutions and get your quote.
