Complete On-Page SEO Guide for 2023

I’m a massive proponent of data and research in your content because it adds credibility to your content, builds trust with your audience and gives readers something they can use.

Back up your claims and arguments with data, research, and case studies.

This not only makes your content more credible but also more valuable to your readers, as they can trust the information you’re providing.

Provide Actionable Tips.

When I spoke to Chris Do recently about my YouTube channel, he highlighted how important it is to provide as much value as possible to your audience.

This is because if you provide value to someone for free, then they are more likely to reciprocate by giving you something back.

Make sure your content includes practical, actionable advice that your readers can apply immediately.

This can be in the form of step-by-step guides, checklists, or specific strategies that can be easily implemented.

Address Common Questions and Concerns.

Take the time to understand the questions, concerns, and pain points of your target audience, and address them in your content.

This not only shows your readers that you understand their needs, but by tackling common objections you can also improve your conversion rates.

Offer Unique Insights.

Your unique insights and experiences can be used as original content that nobody else has. This is vital for gaining backlinks and ensuring that whatever you’re writing about is 100% unique.

A winning combination is to have original research and data that can be tied to your life experiences.

So don’t be afraid to share your own perspectives on the topic. This adds a personal touch to your content and helps your readers connect with you and your brand.

Use Engaging Visuals.

Google tracks search engine users to ensure that the content they click on provides them with the information they’re looking for.

A key metric is bounce rate and if people don’t stay on your webpage for long or go back to Google to find an alternative website with better information then your rankings in organic search will take a hit.

Think about the visitor to your webpage and do everything you can to retain them.

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This extends to more than just text.

Incorporate images, videos, infographics, and other visual elements to support and enhance your content.

This makes your content a lot more engaging and helps break up large chunks of text, making it easier to digest.

Keep Your Content Up to Date.

Regularly update and refresh your content to ensure it remains relevant, accurate, and valuable.

For example, this article about on-page SEO will continue to be updated so that it remains relevant to how Google search evolves in 2023 and beyond.

This not only helps maintain the content’s value but also sends a signal to search engines that the content is fresh and worth ranking.

Provide Original Research.

Original research is a powerful way to add value to the content and attract permanent high-quality backlinks from other websites that cite your work.

By conducting surveys, analyzing data, or conducting experiments, you can provide your audience with fresh insights that they won’t find elsewhere.

This will establish you as an authority in your field and will make your content more valuable to your readers (there’s that word again…).

Use Multimedia.

People like all sorts of different ways to consume content.

Incorporate different forms of media into your content, such as images, videos, infographics, and interactive elements, to make it more engaging and visually appealing.

Multimedia can help break up large blocks of text and provide a richer user experience, which can lead to longer dwell times and higher rankings.

Furthermore, Google and Bing index different types of content in their search results including images, videos and podcasts. Having this content in your content expands your reach in organic search driving more clicks to your website.

Readability.

If you use SEO tools or SEO plugins such as Yoast, then you’ve more than likely noticed that they grade your content based on readability.

Content that’s easy to read tends to perform better in organic search results.

This is because people stay on the webpage longer as they’re not confused or bored or feel it’s a grind to get the answer they’re looking for.

So think about your user and if you’re lost with how to make your content easy to read then try this:

Break up your content into short paragraphs – I try to have a paragraph no longer than one sentence
Use subheadings to make it easier for people to skim your content
Use bulleted lists just like this one
Use free readability tools like Hemmingway App to help you to write in a clear and concise way
Make your content accessible to readers of all levels of expertise

On-Page SEO to Optimize for CTR.

Click-through rate (CTR) is important for search engine rankings, as it indicates to search engines like Google, the relevance and value of your content to users.

Here’s how to optimize your content to get a higher click-through rate on Google and improve your search engine rankings.

Write Compelling Headlines.

Your headline is the first thing users see when they encounter your content in search results.

A compelling, well-crafted headline can entice users to click on your link and explore your content. Use numbers, questions, and emotional triggers to create headlines that grab attention and spark curiosity.

Use Schema Markup.

Schema markup is a form of structured data that helps search engines better understand your content and display it more prominently in search results.

Implementing schema markup can result in you having rich snippets.

This will improve your CTR by displaying things such as star ratings, images, and publication dates in your search results.

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This is guaranteed to draw the attention of search engine users and therefore make your website a lot more appealing to click on.

Optimize Your Meta Descriptions.

When it comes to on-page SEO, it’s sometimes easy to forget about your meta description.

However, a well-written meta description can encourage users to click on your link by providing a concise, engaging summary of your content.

Make sure to include your target keyword and use persuasive language to entice users to click through.

A pro tip is to use a hook and clearly state what your content is about in your meta description. This helps with your click-through rates as you’re enticing people to click on your search result to get the answer they’re looking for.

A meta description formula that I like to use is: “This is a [topic]. Learn how to [end result] with this in-depth article.“

It’s sneaky, but it works!

Use Keywords in URLs.

As much as Google hates to admit it, URLs are crucial for higher rankings in search.

There is a lot of evidence that shows that URLs are one of the biggest drivers for on-page SEO.

This tells Google which keywords to rank your webpage for.

But…

Oddly those keywords in your URLs also influence how high Google ranks your webpage…

Descriptive URLs that include your target keywords can also help users understand the topic of your content at a glance, which can lead to higher CTRs.

So, keep your URLs short and descriptive, and avoid stop words or generic terms.

For example, the URL for this article is …/on-page-seo-2023.

Optimize for Search Intent.

Understanding and optimizing for search intent is crucial for creating content that ranks well and satisfies your users’ needs.

Search intent refers to the reason behind a user’s search query – what they are hoping to find or achieve by conducting the search.

To optimize your content for search intent, consider the following steps:

Identify the Intent: Analyze the top-ranking pages for your target keyword to understand the type of content that is currently satisfying users’ search intent. Look for patterns and commonalities among the top results.
Create Content That Matches Intent: Once you have a clear understanding of the search intent, create content that matches that intent. For example, if the intent is informational, create a comprehensive guide or tutorial. If the intent is transactional, create content that helps users make a purchase decision.
Use the Right Format: Present your content in the format that best aligns with the search intent. This could be a blog post, video, infographic, or any other format that effectively delivers the information users are seeking.
Optimize for User Experience: Ensure your content is easy to navigate, read, and understand.

Optimizing On-Page UX Signals.

As content on Google and Bing becomes increasingly competitive, optimizing on-page user experience (UX) signals have become crucial for retaining users and improving search engine rankings.

In this chapter, we will delve into various strategies that can enhance your website’s UX signals and boost your on-page SEO.

Push Content Above the Fold.

When users land on your website, they expect to find relevant information quickly.

Avoid using large images above the fold, as this may push your content further down the page, resulting in a poor user experience.

Instead, place your headline and introduction front and centre, ensuring visitors can access the information they seek immediately.

Break up Your Content Into Sections.

Users tend to skim through content rather than read every word.

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So, make your content easy to skim by breaking it up into smaller sections.

Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and images to create a clear and concise structure that allows users to quickly find the information they need.

If you want to take things to the next level, then at the beginning of your content include a list of anchor links directly to each section of your website.

Using WordPress? There is a tonne of plugins available for free that do this automatically for you.

Encourage an Active Community.

A high-quality comments section can keep users engaged on your website even after they finish reading your content.

Comments add context, introduce new perspectives, and occasionally spark healthy debates, all of which contribute to keeping users on your page for longer periods.

Use Original Images.

Using stock images may negatively impact your SEO.

Consider creating custom images for your website, as unique images have been shown to help improve search engine rankings.

These images also rank in Google Images which can be an excellent source of traffic to your content.

And don’t be worried about original images costing you a lot of resources. AI image tools such as Midjourney make it super-easy to get breathtaking images for your website.

Internal Linking.

Linking from high-authority pages on your site to pages that need a boost can significantly improve your SEO.

Ensure you use keyword-rich anchor text when creating internal links.

Comprehensive Content.

Google prefers content that covers an entire topic comprehensively. To create content that ranks well, consider using latent semantic indexing (LSI) keywords, which are synonyms that Google uses to determine a page’s relevancy.

Boost Your Page Speed.

Google considers page loading speed as an SEO ranking signal. To improve your site’s loading speed, consider moving to a faster host, removing unnecessary third-party scripts, and reducing your page’s overall size.

Image Optimization.

Optimize your images by giving them descriptive filenames and alt text. This helps search engines understand what each image is showing and contributes to your overall SEO.

Rank Your Content in Featured Snippets.

To increase your chances of ranking in a Featured Snippet, first, identify keywords for which you already rank on the first page and have an existing Featured Snippet.

Then, optimize your content to address the format of the Featured Snippet, such as providing a clear definition or structuring your content as a list of steps or tips.

Voice Search SEO.

With voice search on the rise, consider creating FAQ pages to optimize your content for voice search.

Research has shown that Google often pulls voice search results from well-structured FAQ pages.

Be sure to consider that voice searches tend to be long-tail keywords.

This is because queries from voice search are much longer than those typed.

Let ‘er Rip Tater Chimp.

Optimizing on-page SEO is vital for improving your website’s SEO and retaining users.

By implementing these strategies, you can enhance user experience, increase the time visitors spend on your site, and improve your search engine rankings.

As a result, your website will be better positioned to attract and retain a loyal audience.

And the best part about on-page SEO is that it can have a dramatic effect on traffic within a very short period of time.

Do you need help with your on-page SEO or want someone like me to lend a hand?

We have low-cost on-page SEO packages to get you higher on Google in as short a time as possible.