What is on-page SEO?

On-page SEO involves editing content and HTML source code on a website to gain more relevant traffic. The goal is to make each individual page on a website unique and “palatable” in the eyes of Google (and other search engines).

Books in a library

To simplify it, think of the web as a huge library and Google as the librarian. Each website can be likened to a book that must be placed in an appropriate section of the library so interested readers can find exactly the topic they are looking for.  On-page SEO helps Google categorize every page of your website so it can be found by your customers.

How we do on-page SEO

We do not start any optimization until a full SEO plan is developed in accordance with your overall marketing strategy.  This usually starts with an SEO Health Report.  In order to develop a comprehensive SEO plan we must do a number of things, these typically include (as a minimum):

  • Establish the primary goals of your marketing plan
  • Research your major competition and determine their strengths and weaknesses
  • Build a large list of keywords related to your market(s)
  • Refine the keywords to what are considered the most relevant to your business model (we work closely with you on this)
  • Check current Google rankings for the most important keywords (this data will be used as a benchmark to measure ongoing ranking performance)
  • Set short, medium and long term keyword acquisition goals
  • Measure the refined keyword list against your current website content.
  • Build a content development plan that dovetails with the keyword acquisition strategy.
  • Recommend what (if any) technical changes should be made to the website to enhance ranking possibilities. Examples may include (amongst other things): making pages load more quickly by optimizing images, JS and CSS, making a website more responsive on mobile devices, and securing the website (adding an SSL certificate).
  • Determine if schema markup can be added to enhance your rankings (some SAAS providers do not give us the option to add schema markup).

How on-page SEO will affect your website?

On smaller websites with poor SEO history, significant changes made during the SEO process can be compared to throwing a large stone into a very still pond. The resulting ripples will slowly subside and the pond will go back to being calm but the website will rank higher for keywords that matter. The pond is Google. The stone represents the abrupt changes. The ripples are the ranking fluctuations.

On larger websites that have high authority and good rankings for relevant keywords, we take a more subtle approach. Once we determine (in consultation with the client) what keywords will bring additional relevant traffic we take a “surgical” approach to SEO. We never want to endanger existing good quality traffic.

An example: As of January 2019 one of our current client’s websites had traffic of around 55,000 visits per month. They ranked well for the best and most relevant keywords when compared with their competition. However, by adding, or carefully modifying, keyword specific content we were able to secure more long-tail keyword traffic. Their traffic increased from 55,000 to over 72,500 monthly visits over a 12 month period.

Why work with Ticode?

Best practice on-page SEOIn a word, experience. We started before Google existed and we have lived through every Google algorithm change. We understand what it takes to make your website successful.  We only use white hat SEO techniques.

We work with both large and small clients.

Even if you don’t have the budget to implement everything we suggest, we can help you select the most important on-page fixes so you definitely will see improvements in the quality of your web traffic.

Contact us today and get a no-obligation review of your website.