How effective is your website’s search engine optimization? If you think your SEO needs work, you’re probably right. As part of our industry-leading digital marketing services, Dreamscape Marketing makes sure that our clients’ on page SEO is top notch. However, what goes into that?
What is On Page SEO?
On page SEO refers to elements that the publisher directly controls. Some of these factors include:
- Content
- URL and overall site structure
- Design
- Managing redirects
The best on page SEO relies heavily on the above, along with a myriad of other factors. For instance, you can have the best content in the world, but without technically sound SEO, that content inherently loses value. By the same token, if you tag every page perfectly but neglect to write compelling industry-relevant content, you won’t be able to reach your target market.
A Closer Look at On Page SEO Success Factors
Now that you know the on-page elements that can make or break your SEO, let’s take a closer look at what makes them tick.
Content
Google places a high value on content relevancy. Why? Because users want answers. For instance, when people type in “drug rehab center,” they’re often trying to find help for themselves or a loved one. They want to know about addiction treatment centers in their area and what they offer.
Without carefully planned keyword research or attempting to understand search query intent, your content marketing efforts will miss the mark every single time.
URL and Site Structure
URL and overall site structure are obviously important for the user. If your site is difficult to navigate, they’ll click off and move on to another competitor. However, it’s also important for search engine bots that crawl your site. If you have non-bot friendly elements in your site structure or your website lacks URL hierarchy, bots will have trouble crawling your site within the allotted time frame.
Additionally, a smart internal linking strategy also assists bots in crawling deeper into your site. Your content should always link to related pages within your site. For instance, if you have a page about pediatric dentistry nested underneath a main dentistry services page, it’s beneficial to link out to that page.
Design
A sleek and responsive website is an important part of on page SEO. While you may want your website design to have a million bells and whistles, you don’t want to sacrifice site speed. After all, users don’t like slow websites. Fortunately for all of our clients, our websites have deployed PHP7 to ensure optimal speed.
Managing Redirects
404 errors are highly disruptive to a user’s experience—particularly if that page is supposed to be there. If you modified a URL without properly setting up a redirect, then the user will see the dreaded “Page Not Found” message. While a couple of 404s won’t penalize your website in search results, look at it from the user’s perspective. They came to your site for information, and since they can’t access that information, they’re more likely to try your competitor’s website.
Avoid Agencies Who Use Black Hat On Page SEO Tactics
Some digital marketing agencies are willing to go to any length to help their clients rank. They’ll unnaturally stuff keywords onto pages. They’ll use cloaking to show the user one page and the bots a completely different page. Some will even overwhelm users with pointless ads and top-heavy content. Not only are these tactics horrible for user experience, but these Black Hat tactics are also quick ways for Google to penalize your website.
Ethical and Transparent Digital Marketing
With proven and ethical on page SEO strategies, Dreamscape Marketing in Columbia, MD is ready to take your website—and your business—to the next level. Call us today at 888.307.7304 to learn how a carefully executed SEO campaign can help drive users to your website.