On-page SEO refers to the practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. On-page SEO involves making sure that each page is optimised for the keyword or phrase that you want it to rank for, as well as making sure that the page is relevant, useful, and of high quality.
Here are 10 on-page SEO strategies you can use to improve your website ranking:
1 Writing a keyword-rich headline
Headlines should be concise, clear, and informative, and should accurately reflect the content of the article or page. In addition to serving as a summary of the content, headlines are also important for SEO because they help search engines understand the subject matter of the content and can influence the ranking of the page in search results.
Here are a few examples of keyword-rich headlines:
- “5 Tips for Optimizing Your On-Page SEO”
- “The Top 10 Benefits of Using Internal Links”
- “How to Use Alt Tags to Improve Your Website’s SEO”
2 Including a keyword in the body content
In terms of SEO, body content is important because it helps search engines understand the subject matter of the page and how it relates to the keyword or phrase being searched for.
To include a keyword in the body content of a webpage or article, follow these steps:
- Identify the main keyword or phrase you want to target: Choose a keyword that is relevant to the content of your page and that you want to rank for in search engines.
- Use the keyword naturally: Include the keyword in the body content of the page, but don’t overdo it. Search engines may penalize you for keyword stuffing, which is the practice of using a keyword excessively in an attempt to manipulate search rankings.
- Use the keyword in subheadings and headings: Use the keyword in one or more subheadings (e.g., H2, H3) or headings (e.g., H1) to help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of the content.
- Use variations of the keyword: In addition to using the exact keyword, you can also use variations of the keyword, such as singular and plural forms or synonyms. This can help improve the relevancy of your content to a wider range of search queries.
- Make the content high-quality and useful: The content of your page should be well-written, informative, and valuable to the reader. This will help improve the user experience and increase the chances that people will share your content.
3 Using alt tags to describe images
Alt tags (also known as “alt attributes” or “alt descriptions”) are used to describe the content of an image to search engines. This helps search engines understand the context of the image and how it relates to the rest of the page. Alt tags are important for SEO because they allow search engines to index the images on your website, making them more likely to appear in image search results. Alt tags can also improve the accessibility of your website, as they provide a text alternative for users who are unable to view the images on your site.
To use alt tags to describe images, follow these steps:
- Choose a descriptive and relevant alt tag: Use a short phrase that accurately describes the content of the image. Avoid using vague or generic terms like “image” or “photo.”
- Include your main keyword: If the image is relevant to the main keyword or topic of the page, consider including the keyword in the alt tag.
- Keep it concise: Alt tags should be no longer than a few words. Aim for a maximum of 125 characters, including spaces.
- Use only relevant alt tags: Don’t include alt tags for decorative or purely visual images that do not convey important information.
To add an alt tag to an image in HTML, use the “alt” attribute in the “img” tag, like this:

4 Internal Linking
Internal linking refers to the practice of linking to other pages within your own website. Internal linking helps search engines understand the hierarchy and structure of your website’s content and makes it easier for users to navigate your site. Internal linking can also improve the SEO of your website by distributing link equity (the value that search engines assign to links) among the pages of your site.
To use internal linking effectively, follow these tips:
- Link to relevant pages: Only link to pages that are relevant to the content of the page you are linking from.
- Use descriptive anchor text: The anchor text is the clickable text of the link. Use descriptive anchor text that accurately reflects the content of the page you are linking to.
- Use a clear and logical hierarchy: Use a clear and logical hierarchy of links to help search engines understand the structure of your website and to make it easier for users to navigate.
- Use internal linking to promote important pages: Use internal linking to promote important pages on your website, such as your homepage or product pages.
To add an internal link in HTML, use the “a” tag and specify the URL of the page you want to link to, like this:
Learn the process on link building here.
5 External Linking
External linking refers to the practice of linking to other websites from your own website. External linking can improve the credibility and authority of your website in the eyes of search engines, as long as the websites you link to are high-quality and relevant. External linking can also help users find additional information and resources related to the content of your website.
To use external linking effectively, follow these tips:
- Link to high-quality and relevant websites: Only link to websites that are reputable and relevant to the content of your page.
- Use descriptive anchor text: The anchor text is the clickable text of the link. Use descriptive anchor text that accurately reflects the content of the page you are linking to.
- Use external linking sparingly: Don’t overdo it with external linking. Too many external links can distract from the content of your own website and may hurt your search engine rankings.
- Use “nofollow” tags for sponsored links: If you are linking to a sponsored or paid website, use the “nofollow” attribute in the “a” tag to tell search engines not to follow the link. This helps prevent manipulation of search results.
6 URL Structure
A clean and simple URL structure can help improve the SEO and usability of your website. A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of a webpage on the internet. A clean and simple URL structure is one that is easy to read and understand, and that accurately reflects the content of the page.
Here are some tips for creating a clean and simple URL structure:
- Use short and descriptive URLs: Aim for URLs that are no longer than 60 characters and that accurately describe the content of the page.
- Use hyphens to separate words: Use hyphens (-) to separate words in the URL. This helps search engines understand the structure of the URL and improves readability for users.
- Include the main keyword: If the page is targeting a specific keyword or phrase, consider including it in the URL.
- Avoid using special characters and numbers: Special characters and numbers can make URLs difficult to read and understand, and may be confusing for users.
- Use a logical hierarchy: Use a clear and logical hierarchy of URLs to help search engines understand the structure of your website and to make it easier for users to navigate.
Here is an example of a clean and simple URL structure:
7 Optimize your website for mobile devices
Optimizing your website for mobile devices is important because more and more people are using smartphones and tablets to access the internet. A mobile-friendly website is one that is designed to be easy to use and navigate on a small screen. A mobile-friendly website can improve the user experience for mobile users and may also improve your search engine rankings, as Google and other search engines now prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their search results.
To optimise your website for mobile devices, follow these tips:
- Use a responsive design: A responsive design is a design that automatically adjusts to the size and orientation of the device it is being viewed on. This ensures that your website looks good and is easy to use on any device.
- Use a mobile-friendly layout: Avoid using large images or blocks of text that are difficult to read on a small screen. Use a layout that is easy to navigate and that puts the most important content front and centre.
- Use large buttons and links: Make sure that buttons and links are large enough to be easily tap-able with a finger.
- Use a fast-loading design: Mobile users are often on the go and may have limited data plans, so it’s important to ensure that your website loads quickly on mobile devices.
- Use mobile-specific features: Consider using features like “click-to-call” or “click-to-map” to make it easy for mobile users to interact with your business.
8 Choosing a website hosting provider
Using a fast and reliable hosting provider is important for the SEO and performance of your website. A hosting provider is a company that provides the servers and infrastructure needed to host a website on the internet. A fast and reliable hosting provider can ensure that your website loads quickly and smoothly, which can improve the user experience and may also improve your search engine rankings.
To choose a fast and reliable hosting provider, consider the following factors:
- Speed: Look for a hosting provider that offers fast server speeds and has a good track record for uptime (the percentage of time that the servers are online).
- Reliability: Choose a hosting provider that has a proven track record of uptime and a history of minimal downtime.
- Security: Make sure that the hosting provider offers robust security measures to protect your website from hackers and other security threats.
- Customer support: Look for a hosting provider that offers 24/7 customer support, in case you encounter any issues with your website.
- Pricing: Consider the cost of the hosting plan and make sure it fits within your budget.
9 Use a sitemap
A sitemap is a file that lists all of the pages on your website and provides information about each page to search engines. A sitemap helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your website’s content and can improve the chances that your pages will be indexed and included in search results.
There are two types of sitemaps:
- XML sitemaps: XML sitemaps are intended for search engines and are written in a specific format that search engines can understand. XML sitemaps can include information about the pages on your website, such as the URL, the last time the page was updated, and the priority of the page relative to other pages on the site.
- HTML sitemaps: HTML sitemaps are intended for users and are typically displayed on a webpage. HTML sitemaps provide a hierarchical list of the pages on your website, making it easy for users to find and navigate to specific pages.
To create a sitemap, you can use a sitemap generator tool or create the sitemap manually. Once you have created the sitemap, you can submit it to search engines using the Google Search Console or by adding it to your website’s robots.txt file.
10 Use schema markup
Schema markup is a type of code that you can add to your website to help search engines understand the content and context of your pages. Schema markup uses a standardized format called “schema.org” to provide additional information about the content on your pages. This information can include details about the page’s content, such as the type of content (e.g., a product page or a news article), the date the content was published, and the author of the content.
Using schema markup can improve the visibility of your website in search results and can provide additional information about your pages to users. For example, if you use schema markup to mark up a product page, the price and availability of the product may be displayed in the search results.
To use schema markup, you will need to add the markup to the HTML of your website. There are many types of schema markup available, and you can choose the types that are most relevant to your content. Once you have added the markup to your website, you can test it using the Google Structured Data Testing Tool to ensure that it is working correctly.
By following these best practices, you can improve the ranking of your website through on-page SEO and increase the amount of relevant traffic it receives from search engines.