Want to rank on page 1 of Google? First, you need to have a good on-page and off-page SEO strategy to succeed in SEO.

But how do you begin? For starters, you should work on your on-page strategy.

What is On-Page SEO?

On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing a web page for search engines. It includes everything from choosing the right keywords to using the correct tag structure. There are a few important on-page factors that can help you rank your website. This includes having a good title, meta description, and URL. You should also consider the search intent of the user whenever you work on your on-page content.

Thanks to an excellent on-page strategy, our SEO agency now ranks #1 for the keyword
"SEO Singapore".

You too can have your webpage rank #1 on Google. Try these 11 tried and tested tips from our On-page optimization SEO checklist to help you achieve that goal!

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Start using it to to improve your business's ranking on Google today!

On-Page SEO Checklist Explained

1. Title Tags

Add title tags to your web page to help Google find your page.

Ensure that your title tag is optimised for search engines. This appears on the search engine results page when people search for your website. Here are five things to do:

Place the keyword at the front of your page title when possible. But remember that distinguishing your title tag from other top searches is more important than having a keyword at the beginning.
Aim for 50-60 characters in your title tag. While Google measures titles using pixel width, the number of characters is an excellent gauge to ensure your title tag is not cut off or shortened in the search results.
Make your title tag unique. To differentiate from other top searches in Google, highlight your company's unique selling point. Be clear about what you sell and why it's better than your competitors—this helps improve click-through rates!
Consider the search terms that your target audience will use. Your audience will likely search for features important to them. For instance, they may search for results based on their location (e.g., "restaurants in bukit timah").
Use relevant and precise keywords. This will increase your chances of ranking higher. For instance, "ABC Home and Office Pest Control" is better than "ABC Pest Control". Your keywords should describe your page clearly so visitors can easily find it.

2. Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are important for the search engine to find your website.

The next thing is meta descriptions. This is a short excerpt that tells your site visitors what your web pages are about. Here are four tips to rank higher:

Include keywords. These keywords will help your website be more visible and improve the click-through rate! Try searching for "SEO Singapore", and you will find our page on top with the meta description. Did you notice that the keywords are bolded by Google?
Keep it short, and sweet. Limit the description to 160 characters, and make sure your keywords are there!
Think of your meta description like an advertisement. It has to be appealing yet useful. The perfect meta description will entice visitors to click on your link.
Include relevant information commonly associated with your services. For example, someone looking urgently to fix their air conditioning will surely search for "24/7 Aircon repair". Benefits such as free delivery, specific brands, and after-sales services help as well!

3. Add Headers

Use H1 and H2 headers & other header tag with the target keyword in them.

Headers are the first thing users see on a page, so it's important to ensure they contain content that users expect to find.

Match headers to search intent. Users want headers to include content that helps them find what they're looking for. The more relevant and helpful your content is, the better your chance of ranking higher. Just think about what you were searching for before you found this page. How did you decide that this page was worth reading? By scanning the headers, you probably thought, "Okay, this is what I need!"
Use H1 and other header tags. In a webpage, the H1 tag is the most important and should contain keywords. Subheadings that are in H2 onwards help to organise the site. Together, these headers help Google search engine crawlers understand what the page is about.

4. Edit Website URL

Include your target keyword in your page URL structure

Your website's URL is a critical part of your SEO strategy. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Include the keywords you want to rank for in your URL. If you're targeting a specific keyword, make sure to include that keyword in the URL of your webpage.
Keep it short, but descriptive enough to be easily understood. A shorter URL means fewer characters for Google to index, which means less overhead and faster user load times!
Don't use any terms that might change over time. Avoid using years and numbers in your URLs. For instance, rather than "7-restaurants-in-dempsey", you should simply use "restaurants-in-dempsey". You should also avoid unnecessary words unless it is part of the target keyword (e.g., "and" or "is").

5. Run Content Audit

A content audit will help you know if your web pages are relevant to Google.

If someone searches "how to change a lightbulb," they should be able to find the answer within the first few sentences of your blog post. If you run a content audit, you can ensure that your website has the right information on them. Here is how:

Make sure your site's content matches what people expect to see. When you're trying to rank for a specific keyword, the main goal of your website is to match that user's search intent as closely as possible. That means ensuring that your website includes information that people are looking for when they search for your product or service.
Your content should be organised. One way to do this is to have a good page structure. You can do this by adding the headers and sub headers mentioned in point 3. You should also use writing tools to check for spelling, grammar, sentence structure, and more.
Add unique or new information that is not covered in other blogs. An interesting blog post helps you rank higher in search results, which means more traffic and better conversions. Google rewards sites with unique, high-quality content that answers the user's questions. If you want your site to appear in search results, you need to ensure that your content is original and relevant.

6. Optimise Images

Images are also important for your on-page SEO optimisation. Here are three steps you can take to optimise your images:

Add relevant image alt tags that describe the image. The alt tag allows you to describe an image displayed. This helps search engines and screen readers understand what is being displayed. For example, take a look at the image above. Can you identify the alt text (hint: right-click to inspect the image)?
Compress image file size for faster page load times. The larger your images are, the slower they will load on your website and slow down your site's performance. You can reduce their size by compressing them. You can compress images by using free tools online.
Use unique images. Many websites use stock photos. While they are of high quality, these images are often overused and end up looking generic. If you want your website to stand out, it's important to choose unique images that complement your site's content.

7. Fix Keyword Cannibalization

Check that duplicate content is not hurting your SEO.

While keywords are great and help to rank your page, you need to be wary of keyword cannibalisation.

Understand keyword cannibalization. Keyword cannibalisation is when you have a lot of similar keywords in your content so Google does not know which one to rank. This can happen if you use the same primary keyword multiple times in the same article or if you have several unique articles that all include the same keywords. If this happens, you are hurting your organic search traffic.
Check for keyword cannibalization. To identify whether you have this issue, go to Google and search using this format [site: yourwebsite.com "topic"]. Here's an example: [site: digitrio.com.sg "SEO"]. You'll see all the pages related to SEO appearing from our company.
Fix keyword cannibalization. The easiest way to fix it is to ensure that each article uses different keywords. But sometimes, when you repeatedly use the same keywords, you might not know which pages rank for them. That's why it is important to plan your website content so your SEO-targeted pages do not overlap.

8. Add Internal Links

Internal links are key to ranking higher with on page SEO.

Last but not least, internal link-building is very important! Here's why and how:

What is an internal link? Internal links are hyperlinks to another page on the same website. Do not confuse them with external links, which are hyperlinks to a different website.
Why do we need them? Internal links are important because they help Google understand what the page is about and helps it find other pages on your website more often.
How to create them? This is a simple process. Include a hyperlink to another page on your website within the page's text. For example, "SEO Singapore" is an internal link. However, try not to have too many internal links on a single page. Two or three should be sufficient if the page write-up is short.

9. Use Content Pillars

Improve your on page seo with well-planned content pillars.

To establish trust with your site visitors, you'll want to build useful content. Here's how:

Organise content into pillars and topic clusters. Google is moving towards ranking topic clusters higher, in which websites create content based on a specific theme. Here is an example:
Create topic clusters using a data-driven approach. To come up with topic ideas for a content pillar like the above, there are many data-driven tools you can use. For instance, you can use Google Keyword Planner for keyword research. Look for keywords with high search volumes and craft topics from them.
Link your topic clusters to your content pillar. You should organise your content via internal links. For instance, the "What is SEO" pillar page should include hyperlinks to all the cluster pages. When you do so, you pass the link equity of your pillar page to the cluster pages.

10. Use Google Analytics [Others]

Google Analytics is a free web analytics tool that provides website owners with detailed information on their site visitors. This includes data on where they come from, how long they stay on the site, and what pages they visit.

This information is particularly useful for on-page SEO. By understanding which pages are getting the most traffic, website owners can make sure that these pages are optimised for search engines. They can also use this information to create new content that is likely to be popular with their audience.

In July 2023, Google will be implementing GA4, the latest version of Google Analytics. It includes new features and changes that can impact on-page SEO.

Learn more about Google Analytics:

11. Use Google Search Console [Others]

Google Search Console is a free service offered by Google that helps you monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your website's presence in Google Search results.

It helps you to stay on top of your on-page SEO by providing insights into how your website is performing on Google search. These insights include data on how often your site appears in Google search results, and which search queries are driving traffic to your site.

As a result, Google Search Console is an invaluable resource for any business serious about improving its on-page SEO.

Learn more about Google Search Console:

https://yoast.com/beginners-guide-to-google-search-console/

Get Your Free On-page SEO Checklist

Need an SEO checklist to help you audit your website? Download our handy on-page SEO checklist here.

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If you want to optimise your website, hiring a professional SEO agency will save you time and money. Contact us to find out more about how we can help you rank higher on Google!

On-Page SEO Checklist: Here’s 11 Tips to Rank Higher on Google