Knowing the Perfect Anatomy of an SEO Optimized Web Page – 2017 Update
Due to the growing importance of proper on-page SEO, you may have heard a lot about meta tags and keywords being the building blocks of optimization. However, if you are looking for some practical and actionable strategies that you can apply on your site, this excerpt will help you to have a first-hand understanding of it.
This article is written as a simple checklist, which will help you bring in more traffic through search engines and get returns from each piece of content you publish on the Internet.
URL is still vital
After releasing their most advanced algorithm, Google stated that the first 3 to 5 words in a web page URL is always given more value. So, the focus of a website admin should be on making your site URL as short and sweet as possible. If you can logically include your top target keywords in the URL, it can get instant results.
Quick tips:
- Avoid irrelevant and ugly URLs: abdcompany.com/p=123
- Avoid long URLs: abdcomany.com/8/6/16/cat=SEO/off-page-seo-seems-so-wonderful-its-the-best
Starting with a keyword
Your page titles are also the most important element in SEO. Experts say that the closer you put the keyword at the beginning of your title tag in the HTML file, the better are the chances for search engines to take it seriously.
However, you do not always have to start a title tag with the target keyword. If there is a particular keyword that you are aiming at, try to put it at the beginning of the title in a meaningful way.
Adding modifiers
It is always suggested to add modifiers that are relevant to the titles like 2017 (current year), guide, review and so on. It will help to get your page ranked against the long-tail versions of the keyword.
Wrap blog article titles in H1 Tag
H1 is your primary “headline tag.” In most CMS platforms like WordPress, your header gets added automatically to the H1 tag upon making blog posts. It is not the case in a custom website, and some themes may also override this default setting. So, check your site’s code and make sure the title gets into the H1 it deserves.
Sometimes H1 tags are used by some WordPress themes to increase the text size. You have to check to identify as to whether it does so manually. Also, make sure that you have only a single H1 tag per page. It is also ideal to ensure that the H1 tag contains the target keyword.
Leverage the power of multimedia
A quality text will surely take your site up, but engaging videos, images and infographics will help reduce the bounce rates and increase the average user time spent on your site. Doing it efficiently can ensure two crucial SEO engagement ranking factors such as:
- Reduced bounce rate
- Increased time on site
Using visual content will surely make a webpage better for users. Multimedia also helps boost the user-interaction signals, which Google pays more attention to nowadays. As per The Silver Dollar SEO Company, this in turn helps increase the perceived value of your content on the page to get people linked to it.
Wrapping subheads in relevant H2 tags
Try to include target keywords in at least one subheading, which will obtain SEO value. Doing this will not actually make or break the on-page SEO results. However, as per expert advice, wrapping target keywords in the H2 tag will surely make a dent.
Try to drop the keyword in the first 100 words
There are several expert versions available in terms of where to put the keyword. Some say the ideal place is on top, some say in the middle, and some prefer the end of the content. However, many studies have shown that it is best to put the keyword in the first 100 to 150 words of an article.
Moreover, make sure the keyword fits into the context naturally. A lot of people tend to start their articles with a very long and meandering intro, and introduce their keyword much later, which seems to create an adverse effect. Dropping the keyword in the first 100 words lets Google understand what the page is about.
No more ignoring responsive design
Since 2015, Google has started penalizing all sites that are not mobile-friendly. It means, your site does not exist at all if it is not responsive. If your website does not load on mobile devices or looks odd in smaller screens of smartphones or tablets, it is time to get a responsive design.
With a high-end and mobile-friendly design, your website will receive incentives naturally. Responsive design is not just for search engine optimization, but it is essential for sites to be user-friendly. Almost 60% of the total web traffic now comes from smartphones and portable devices.
Usage of outbound links
It is a standard white hat SEO strategy to gain more traffic. The outbound links to related pages will help Google figure out the exact topic of your page. It also reassures Google that your particular web page is a quality info hub.
Not having quality linking is a big SEO mistake that many marketers make. You should try and plan for two to four outbound links for every 1000 words to ensure the SEO benefits. It is a standard rule of thumb for almost all types of sites. Always make sure that you link out to sites of authority whenever possible.
Using internal links
Ideally, use two to three internal links in every post to enjoy the SEO benefits. Wikipedia is an excellent example of this concept. Similarly, add keyword-rich links internally to various entries.
While planning, the safest approach is to link to at least two to five older posts when you publish any new content. It will not only help search engines do effective mapping, but users get relevant information.
If you follow this particular anatomy for your website, there is a higher chance for increased traffic and optimum SEO results. However, achieving this is not an overnight job, as you need to work steadily to reap the best results over time.
