The basics of search engine optimisation

By Christina Widner

Four steps to on-page SEO 

A solid on-page SEO strategy is the foundation of any successful website. On-page SEO includes all the actions taken directly on a website to improve its visibility and ranking in search engines. Through targeted optimisation, search engines can better understand the content and structure of a website, resulting in a higher ranking in search engine results. 

The right keyword strategy

Keywords are at the heart of on-page SEO. They act as the link between users' search queries and the content of a website. Careful keyword research is the first step. This involves using terms that are frequently searched for and are also relevant to the content being offered. SEO tools such as Semrush or Ahrefs offer valuable assistance in analysing search volume and competition, saving time and money.

Once the right keywords have been selected, their strategic placement within a website's pages and articles is crucial. The main keyword should appear in the title (H1 heading), URL, subheadings (H2, H3) and meta description. The keyword should also appear in the body text, but not too often. Keyword stuffing is penalised by the search engines. In addition to the main keyword, synonyms and related terms (Latent Semantic Indexing, LSI) can also increase the relevance of the content.

Quality and unique content

In addition to keywords, content is a crucial part of any on-page SEO strategy. Search engines rank websites based on how informative, relevant and unique they are. To be successful in the long term, content should provide real value to users and answer their questions. The structure of the text is very important.

Headings and paragraphs should be clearly organised so that the content is easy to read and understand. Images, graphics and videos can break up the text and help to convey complex information. It is also important to avoid duplicate content - that is, content that appears identically on other pages. Search engines view duplicate content negatively, as it provides no additional benefit.

Up-to-date content also plays a role. Regularly updating and adding new information shows that the website is being maintained and will be rewarded by search engines.

Technical aspects of on-page SEO

In addition to keywords and content, technical factors are another important part of on-page SEO. One of the most important measures is to improve page loading time. Slow pages frustrate users and are ranked lower by search engines. Tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights can be used to identify and correct weaknesses.

Mobile optimisation is now essential. More and more people are using smartphones and tablets to surf the web. As a result, search engines favour sites that display flawlessly on mobile devices. Responsive design ensures that content automatically adapts to the screen size.

In addition, the navigation of the site should be clearly structured and logically organised. Good internal linking helps users and search engines to understand and search the content.

Meta data and structure

Meta titles and descriptions are small but important details. They give users and search engines a first impression of the page's content, so they should be concise and inviting. The use of structured data can also help to increase the relevance of a page by helping search engines to better interpret the content.

The four steps of search engine optimisation

On-page SEO helps websites improve their visibility and user experience:

• Selecting and placing the right keywords
• Creating high quality content 
• Technical optimisation 
• Metadata and structured data

Businesses that implement these on-page fundamentals will see their website rank better in search engines and attract more users in the long term
 

About the author:

BASIC thinking is an online magazine and one of the widest-reaching tech portals in German-speaking countries. The editorial team posts daily on social media, marketing and business topics. This article was written by Christina Widner of BASIC thinking GmbH and BASIC thinking International.