On-page SEO is the process of optimizing individual pages of your website to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. It involves optimizing not just the content but also HTML source code elements like title tags, meta descriptions, and internal links. Done right, on-page SEO can make a huge difference in how well your site performs in search results.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to optimize your pages for both users and search engines—step by step.
Search engines use hundreds of signals to rank content. Many of the most important ones—like keyword usage, internal linking, and content quality—are part of on-page SEO. That makes it one of the few aspects of SEO you can control directly.
Effective on-page optimization helps:
Let’s walk through how to optimize a page from top to bottom.
Every page should target a primary keyword—the specific query you want it to rank for. The keyword should have:
Use a keyword research tool to find relevant opportunities. Look for keywords with high search volume, low difficulty (for newer sites), and clear search intent you can fulfill.
Pro tip: Don’t stop at one keyword. Look for secondary keywords (related terms and variations) to enrich your content and expand its footprint in search.
Search intent is the “why” behind a query—what users want to achieve. Broadly, there are four types:
You can figure out intent by analyzing what already ranks. Look at:
Your page should align closely with this intent to stand a chance of ranking.
Your title tag is one of the strongest on-page signals for SEO—and it’s often the first thing people see in search results.
Here’s what a great title tag does:
Examples:
Best French Press Coffee Makers in 2024 (Tried & Tested)How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Coffee at HomeMeta descriptions don’t directly influence rankings, but they affect your click-through rate (CTR)—which can indirectly impact performance.
Best practices:
Think of your meta description as an ad for your page: make it specific and enticing.
Short, readable URLs are better for both SEO and usability. Include your primary keyword if possible, and avoid unnecessary words or parameters.
Examples:
/french-press-coffee ✅/how-to-make-a-good-cup-of-coffee-at-home-using-a-french-press ❌/article?id=483726 ❌A clean URL structure also makes it easier for Google and users to understand your site hierarchy.
Proper use of <h1> to <h6> tags improves readability and helps search engines grasp your content hierarchy.
How to do it:
<h1> for the page title<h2>, and use <h3>–<h6> as needed for subheadingsThis makes it easier for users to scan your content and for Google to generate rich results (like featured snippets).
Your content must be both comprehensive and easy to consume. That means:
When in doubt, ask: “Does this answer the searcher’s question better than anything else that ranks right now?”
Internal links help search engines discover more pages and distribute authority across your site. They also keep users engaged with related content.
Best practices:
Good internal linking improves crawlability and helps search engines understand topic relationships within your site.
Images can improve engagement and make your content more digestible—but they need to be optimized.
Checklist:
french-press-coffee.jpg)Also consider marking up important images with schema where relevant (e.g. product images, how-to steps).
Google uses mobile-first indexing, so your mobile UX must be flawless. A slow or unusable page won’t rank well—no matter how good the content is.
To check and fix issues:
Fast, mobile-friendly pages keep users happy—and help you rank higher.
Schema is a type of structured data that helps search engines understand your content more clearly. It can also enable rich results (like stars, FAQs, or images).
Common schema types to consider:
You don’t need to add every schema type—
