Presentation - If you are currently delving into the world of search engine optimization (SEO), you might find the distinction between on-site and off-site SEO strategies a bit perplexing. On-site techniques are more straightforward for beginners and tend to be the most discussed. Drawing from my experience with approximately 10 clients and 10 personal websites over a six-month period, I aim to clarify these concepts in this article.
For those familiar with SEO, there are fundamental on-site SEO tasks that any webmaster, business owner, or Internet marketer should be aware of. These tasks include the following key components:
1. Title Tags -
The title tag in your HTML meta code informs the browser about the title to display at the top of the screen. Given its visibility to the user, Google heavily relies on this text to understand the page's content. Therefore, it is crucial that your title tag contains keywords relevant to the webpage's content. Moreover, it is not advisable to have the same title tag on every page, as this is detrimental to SEO. Instead, each page should have distinct keyword phrases in its title tags that accurately identify the page's topic. The goal is to assist search engines in accurately processing your content, which is the essence of SEO.
2. The main H1 tag -
Similar to the title tag, Google considers the first H1 content on your page as a strong indicator of the page's subject. Therefore, it is essential to use relevant keyword phrases here that directly relate to the information conveyed on the page.
3. The page's name -
When naming your pages, use plain English as much as possible for SEO. WordPress extensively employs this practice in its blog software. For instance, http://example.com/?On-Site-versus Off-Site-SEO-tactics&AID=22 is more SEO-friendly than http://example.com/?AID=22. Why? The longer version of the page name contains descriptive text that enables the search engine to understand the page's content. Many have written about issues related to "messy links" and SEO (links containing system variable data, such as AID=22 in the example above). It is better to structure your system without any variable data at all, as this eliminates the SEO issue and makes it easier for search engines and end-users to navigate. However, it is possible to optimize pages via SEO with variable data in the links, and I have successfully implemented both approaches using the same SEO techniques without any issues. Search engines are now adept at handling variable data, so ensure that your content contains plain English.
4. Keyword meta tag -
This tag used to be significant for SEO but is now largely ignored by search engines due to past abuse and manipulation. While I still populate my keyword tags, I do not consider them highly critical. At the very least, they serve as another instance of your keywords, which can aid in SEO.
5. Description meta tag -
This tag is still useful, particularly for search engines like Yahoo and MSN. Since you are already optimizing the title, it is advisable to also make the description variable-driven and relevant to the page. Once again, it can contribute positively to SEO.
6. Keyword Density -
This factor is crucial for SEO. Remember that search engines are sophisticated programs that analyze your website and look for repeated words. They calculate the percentages, or densities, of specific 1-word, 2-word, and 3-word phrases found in your content. By analyzing the most popular keywords, their algorithms understand the key themes of your page. If you examine your own writing on a specific topic, you will notice the patterns as well. I do not recommend writing solely based on keyword density, as this can result in lower-quality content. However, I also do not recommend completely disregarding keyword density in your content creation. My preferred approach is to write content initially without considering density. Then, during the editing process for grammar, consistency, and clarity, also adjust for density. Use a density checker to see which phrases are used most frequently, and make changes so that your top themes and keyword phrases appear between 2-4% of the time. However, do not do this to the extent that it reads unnaturally. Always keep your audience in mind.
7. Outbound links -
The quality and quantity of links your page connects to matter. As you create links from your page, be selective about where they lead. Avoid linking to low-quality or unfavorable sites, and be mindful of the number of links. Generally, fewer links are better, but having no outbound links isn't always ideal. I believe that Google uses outbound links to assess your website in the broader context of the internet. Select these links carefully, understanding that they can significantly impact your SEO.
8. High-quality, original content -
This is perhaps the most crucial element for SEO and cannot be emphasized enough. Your website must provide high-quality, unique content. You will encounter this advice repeatedly when exploring SEO. Content is king, and I firmly believe in this. If you think the internet is too vast for search engines to detect highly unique content, think again. Spend an evening using CopyScape, and you will be convinced that there is technology available today that can determine whether any given sentence has been replicated anywhere on the internet. It's truly remarkable when you consider that. However, if CopyScape can do it, I bet Google can too. I firmly believe that your site receives a positive boost when Google confirms the content's originality. Many have asked whether using content that is replicated on other sites will penalize the website. I believe the answer is no, as you will not be penalized by Google (copyright infringement is a different and serious legal issue that I won't delve into today). However, using content that has already been extensively used will not get you where you want to be. The debate surrounding how sites using duplicate content can rank higher than the site where the content originated has been demonstrated multiple times. However, you don't need to be overly concerned about that for reasons we will discuss later. Just focus on the ball. Invest the time, energy, and creativity required to create unique content, and you will be rewarded. Plain and simple.
9. Appropriate amount of content -
Slightly different from #8 is the issue of how much content to include on your site for good SEO. I do not believe there is a single magical answer as each site has a different purpose. However, as far as SEO is concerned, I generally believe that more is better (assuming you are following #8). Feed those hungry spiders as much food for thought as you can. But let me also qualify that statement. Ensure that your content does not veer too far from the core message of your site, as this can create confusion about what your site is really about. Tightly focused sites perform much better than those with a more generalized focus. For example, a site offering used Honda Civics that employs appropriate SEO strategies will likely rank higher and faster than a more generalized site offering various used cars. While there are many exceptions, this is a reasonable starting point for thinking about niches and topics.
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