An All-inclusive Guide to 2019’s SEO Scenario: On-Page Nirvana

Posted By > Amrit Dubey > 03 January 2019

The tide of time swirls by, and things have changed!
If you are looking for an on-page SEO to-do list, then you have clicked on the right page mate. Be patient and go through for at the end you shall reap the rewards!
Firstly as a bit of recapitulation on the golden rules of SEO –

• Staying with the best of best SEO practices and embossing your creativity.
• Not trading value for good ranking on search engines.
• Never ever trying to deceive your users.

How does SEO in 2019 functions?
On-page SEO, if done rightly will land you straight on top of Google or any other search engine list. You get to earn more relevant traffic for your website. You do know that on-page SEO means both your content as well as the HTML source code which has to be optimized. It’s the entirety as in the images, keywords and of course, the content - you can literally control all of them.

The foremost rule of on-page is - offering VALUE to your online visitors. However, as it is inclined more towards sentiments and emotions, you tend to get a bit partial here.
This is what you have to do for ranking higher in search engines –

• Showing clear indicators that your page is way much better than competitors.
• Abide by the best tactics and strategies.
• Optimizing the content so that you ensure that the reins re in your hands.
• Curate relevance for your page content as search engines favour these the most!
• Make them important, so that a related search query will make your page pop up first.

The infrastructure of on-page SEO’s workflow

• Keyword

Now you know very well that is THE one thing which you need to focus on before delving into any of the other stuff such as Meta tag and Meta description, etc. Having a clear idea regarding what exactly your target hub is searching for will let you a grip over deciding keywords carefully for your page. Striking a balance between the most searched and the not so searched ones (away from market competition) will make sure you curate organic keywords specific to your niche.
Utilize keyword search tools like -

• Search Analytics
• Webmaster
• AdWords
• Trends

Did you know that right at the very beginning you can kickstart by looking for the super keyword?
If you observe their title structure, Meta tags and URLs as well as the headlines, then you will be able to create great keywords yourself! Doing this will churn out accurate snippets from your page.
There are certain rules that you must keep in mind while formulating keywords –

• The webpage has to be designed surrounded by 1 keyword cluster family. Connected keywords and a considerable text amount should stop you from being prey of keyword cannibalization.
• Keep your keywords varied instead of opting for one super keyword. In case of location-specific content design your keyword as per the locale. In this case, long tail keywords can prove great. This saves from incurring over-optimization penalties.
  
  URL

The URL suffix and the prefix – this is where you need to show your trick. As the URL describes what your page is all about, you need to show you audience that this URL actually fulfils their query without even loading in browsers.
While the suffix should speak about your page content (summarized way), the prefix is the one providing context.
You should –

• Maintain a URL length not more than 100 characters.
• Go for dasher (-) rather than underscores (_).
• Do not opt for keyword stuffing and include your super keyword.
• Have a shareable URL and do not integrate useless words.
• You can debar from using dynamic factors like sessionID, Ing and sortBy.

Starting from target keyword, accessibility to keeping a right length – URL has to an apt representative of the entire website content. This will proffer good crawl and healthy user experience. Make your URL clear so that users can easily understand them. Keeping a short URL is always better than lengthier ones as they look clumsy.

• Page Title

The title tag is the one appearing on the browser top and also as a headline in featured snippets. It does have a humongous value both for SEO as well as a ‘clickable’ factor. It works as a click incentive for many users. Social media networks utilize titles as post descriptions.
For page title, a few things to remember –

• Keywords length to be within 60 characters and must be close to the start.
• Innovative and a call to action tone must be there.
• Make sure to use your brand name at the end.
• Do not go for special characters except for foreign languages like Russian, Chinese and others.

What you should always keep in mind is, title rag emerges as the second shortest page summary. You see them in diverse places such as browser tabs. Concise and appealing – these are what should go in while creating a page title.

• Headings (H1)

You know them as HTML, H1….H5 tags.
Today search engines are much more clever and better at analyzing CSS and Java Script so you can work wonders with your headlines. Titles and subtitles should be to the point and make sure that they contain some sort of a ‘hook’ factor which will propel the user to click on the tab.
H1 is the largest of headlines and usually appear on the top of your page. This is the first thing that your visitors will see. You have to incorporate the super keyword or some other words that remain close it. Make sure the headline is not too long and remains absolutely to the point. Therefore, we can say that the H1 is the 3rd short summary of your page content.

• Meta Description

The Meta description is that portion which appears as a short snippet below your link tab. It basically contains the gist of what your page is all about. However, its content is not chunked away from your page content but rather is formulated as per certain rules like –

• Character length of any Meta description as per the new SEO rule should not be more than 160. However, keeping it within 156 is highly advised.
• You have to put your super keyword at the beginning of your Meta description. Throughout it, you can keep other words or synonyms related to the super keyword.
• Must offer clickable info so that people will actually hit on the tab and come to your page. It is usually written in a non-formal way.
• Avoid stuffing unnecessary keywords for search engines will not like them and eventually will spam your entire content.

[Note: Often you may not write a meta description, and then search engines will usually generate a relevant snippet description based on your target hub’s search query. Keep in mind that Meta descriptions are not viewed as ranking factors by search engines. Lastly, after the headline H1 it is the 4th shortest page summary.]
Now, that we have talked about the nitty-gritty factors of your page, it’s time we talk about the more pertinent issues in hand such as the CONTENT!

Content – Make sure you curate the right one

Heard of the golden phrase,
“Content is king”?
If yes, then you must know that it has become almost a universal notion right now. After going through the Meta description and your page title, as the user finally lands up on your page, the scene gets intriguing!
How?
Well, he/she sees the headline (H1), and if it matches to his/her query, then they give the content a quick scan and go for the major ‘takeaways’ from your page content. They will not read thorough, and you have to make sure that your content has appealing sub heads and plausible ‘hook’ factors. 
So, check out this list of must-have factors for any grand content –

• Content should be relevant to your target audience and not be curated for search engines only.
• Make sure it has a considerably generous length, and your first paragraph must be about what the entire subject is about.
• Keywords are to be placed within the first 90 words preferably.
• Avoidance of flash banners and advertisements is highly recommended.
• If you have selected 2 to 3 keywords then evenly spread them out. Do not just cluster them in one place.
• As your reader will scan through, you have to keep your paragraph length short and put relevant subheads.
• For major focus areas, you can break the format into bullets and italic lines.
• Check your keyword density as well as look for typos and spelling errors.
• Link one or two of sentences with related links from other authoritative domains.
• Image inclusion also adds a visual appeal factor say for example infographics. 

When you are crafting content, you have to make sure that it speaks of relevant subject matters and is not stuffed with filler sentences. Your reader does not have the time neither the patience! The moment they see the content losing its pace, they will shift to another tab, and you lose out.
For remember,

“Webpage content has to be Unique and contain a Value factor”.
What your content must address is how it stands a bit different from others. There are thousands of similar subject tabs, and for yours to get clicked, your content must have an ultimate ‘potential’.
As the content
It is the first paragraph which becomes the 5thshortestpage summary. A few tips for you to take note of –

• Authentic – As your first paragraph serves as a reflection of what the rest is going to be all about, it should contain original phrases that shall attract users.
• Clear and crisp–Concise and logical that is what your content’s first words should be.
• Relevance - Brief plan of the entire content and important keywords should be there within the first paragraph.

Integrating informative and relating content makes the reader actually go through the entire write-up. The more engaging your content will be the more traffic it will generate. This is the universal SEO truth.
Search engines will analyze your Meta tags and descriptions, the URL, headlines and once the light turns green, your webpage content gets its due traffic count! You can take the help of an SEOchecker for understanding and analyzingthe quality and quantity of your page visits.

Images – The fun begins!
How would you feel if you see a page containing only chunks of mundane paragraphs?
Bored right?
Probably you will break the record of fastest tab shifting!
Jokes apart, integrating a visual appeal to your write-up adds an extra edge. Images help the reader understand more easily what the content is all about. Search engines that are advanced can infer the text embedded with the images. However, do not insert keywords that are perfectly crawlable within.

Here’s what image optimization entails –

• Image filename must match with URL suffix and also have distinctive keywords construed within with (-) dashes.
• Lowercase characters are to be used for the filename. Special characters are to be strictly avoided.
• Use high quality resolution images and keep the file size as small as possible preferably go for png, jpg and gif. 
• An ALT and a TITLE attribute must be provided. The alternative text should match closely with the Meta description.  On the other hand, the TITTLE should go with the <title> tag.

Links – SEO connection
Do not get all huffed up by seeing the tag line. Links form a crucial part of SEO and are considered great for building strong user experience. Linking plausible resources from other sources to explain your chosen topic further makes the user experience comfortable and easy to understand.
Check the following tips while you get set on your link optimizingactivities –

• Link numbers should be below 10 and connected only to authentic resources.
• An out-and-out path for referenced URL is to be used. Avoid using redirects.
• Stay away from utilising Java Script for producing your link.
• Offer a TITLE attribute which will provide an apt description of your page make sure that the user will understand where he is headedto.
• Using potential keywords in the anchor text will also get youin the long run.

Optimizing the speed of your webpage

You are aiming to make your website perform much better and not to forget Faster.
A seamlessly performing website is what your reader needs at the end of the day and also it sets the rank much higher on the search engine. Google says that faster loading websites inevitably rank much better. Making the loading speed fast ensures that your link gets opened up on mobile quickly too!
Speed is something that works great for both parties. Users find it much easy to handle a site that opens real fast,and they can thus get access to the information they are looking for. A slow website will –

• Make your rank go down.
• Increases your bounce rate.
• Collective Ray is one of the best places to check on more details as to how you can make your website load faster.

Sorted yet?
If you still have some confusion then here are some do’s and don’ts which you will clear your doubts:
Do’s –

• Work upon a lightweight theme.
• Get your image performances going well by keeping its size concise.
• Fast servers like VPS should be taken for hosting the site.
• Multifarious caching mechanisms must be permitted.

Don’ts –

• Stop using shared hosting servers which are cheap.
• Save yourself from installing a hell lot of plugins along with third-party scripts.
• Always keep checking for broken links and not to forget resources!
• Refrain from using huge downloads say for example video headers.

Moreover, with the rise in voice search engines too, your SEO dynamic changes. Why? Because your keywords need to be re-formulated in a manner so that the voice queries and your keywords match! Voice Search Optimization is another new feather in the wing of SEO,and you cannot ignore it.
A few things for you to remember –

• Make long tail keywords so that the voice search queries resonate with them.
• Keep a human touch to your keywords as a person is asking something to his/her voice console and that means it’s more informal.
• Keep your content in the forms of FAQs. Voice queries are mostly question-based.
• Keep looking for local keywords as most voice queries are a locale in nature.

The reason we talked about voice search because SEO means making your website get on the first page of a search engine. And in this constantly changing scenario, the entire world is going through a shift as typing down something is slowly residing in the background.
Getting to rank high on search engines is what all the online niches aim for. Now with the rising competition and the colossal boom in the digital space, doing your SEO right matters truly.