I wanted to share some basic on-page SEO guidelines because I see more and more clients who are confused and frustrated by the subject. To me, writing for SEO feels limiting and complicated, but SEO is important and I want my clients to feel like they can do this and that I’m here to help. So, I’ve been sending a lot of instructions on how to make sure you’re getting your SEO right.
We’ll start by thinking about SEO while writing content and then we’ll dig into the Yoast SEO plugin settings to make sure Google is getting all the data it needs to rank that content.
Basic On-Page SEO Guidelines for Writing Content
Do keyword research and think about what your audience wants from you. What search terms might they use to find your content? Choose a keyphrase that is no longer than four words and reflects the main subject of the content.
Make sure that the keyphrase is used in the following places throughout your content:
- Keyword in Title
Use the keyphrase in the page or post title - Keyword in Introduction
Use the keyphrase in the beginning of the first paragraph - Keyword in Headings
Use the keyphrase in heading tags other than your title (H2, H3, etc.) - Keyword Density
Use the keyphrase once for every 100-200 words in your content and preferably evenly distributed - Image Keyword
Use the keyphrase in the alt tag of your images
Using the Yoast SEO WordPress Plugin
When entering your SEO data into the Yoast SEO settings below your post, remember to enter the following information:
- Focus Keyphrase
This is the keyphrase you are using throughout your content - Search Appearance
Optimize the way search engines display your content by ensuring that the length of your SEO title is limited to 50-60 characters and using your keyword or phrase in the meta description and limiting the length to 120-160 characters. - SEO Analysis
Yoast analyses your data and gives you recommendations to improve your on-page SEO
What I like about this plugin is that it will tell you what you’re getting right and what you need to do better. If you’ve got a happy little green face then you’re doing great! If it’s orange or red then I would tell you to check those recommendations and follow as many as you can.
On-page SEO is not the end of this story though. There are loads of other variables that affect how search engines rank your website. Page speed, caching and your hosting can all contribute to whether you’re winning or losing at this game. If you want to read more about how it all works together, check out this article by Yoast for more information on best SEO practices.
I hope this guide on basic on-page seo helped you understand how to use keyphrases more effectively. If you’d like a second pair of eyes to help you improve your website you can reach out via email or schedule a consultation anytime!