On-Page SEO

I start every on-page SEO task by pulling up the search results for the phrase I want to rank for. Not to copy the competitors — to understand what Google thinks a good result looks like. If the top results are all listicles, I write a listicle. If they are product pages, I write a product page. Ignoring the SERP format is the fastest way to waste effort.

Once I know the format, I check search intent. Is the person researching, comparing, or buying? For a term like "best hiking boots", the intent is commercial — people want recommendations. I wrote a comparison guide with pros and cons, not a single product page. That page went from position 15 to position 4 in three months. The only change was matching intent.

After that, I write the content. I follow the structure of the top results but make sure my version is more useful. I add a table, a decision rule, or a personal test result. This is where [SEO copywriting](/seo-copywriting/) matters — not keyword stuffing, but clarity and flow. Then I craft the title tag and meta description, but I treat them as a second pass, not the first. They need to sell the page, not just repeat the keyword. I have seen a better meta description lift CTR by 12% on a single page.

Next comes technical optimisation. I set a clean URL slug that includes the keyword — /best-hiking-boots/ not /products/item123. I add [internal links](/internal-links-seo/) from my older relevant articles; every link passes context. I optimise images: renaming IMG_0453.jpg to best-hiking-boots-for-women.jpg and writing descriptive [alt text](/alt-text/) (no keyword stuffing). Finally, I ensure the page loads fast and works on mobile. That whole process is my path, and I follow it in that order every time.

The biggest trap is ignoring search intent. I once wrote a detailed product page for "best running shoes", but the SERP was full of listicles comparing multiple shoes. My page never ranked because it didn't match what searchers expected. I had to rewrite it as a comparison guide. Check the SERP before you write one word.

Another watch-out: over-optimising the title tag. I used to cram the exact keyword in the front of every title, even when it made the title awkward. One title read "Affordable Running Shoes — Buy Cheap Running Shoes Online" — it got clicks but a high bounce rate because the content didn't match the promise. Google later replaced it anyway. Now I write titles that read naturally, even if the keyword moves to position two or three. The [title tag](/seo-title/) is not just a ranking signal; it is an ad for your page.

Third: neglecting alt text. I audited a client's site and found all images named image001.jpg with empty alt attributes. They were missing thousands of visits from Google Images. Descriptive filenames and [image SEO](/image-seo/) are low effort but high impact. Do not skip them.

Finally, watch for content cannibalisation. When I had two pages targeting similar keywords, they competed and both underperformed. I merged them into one strong page, which jumped in position. A regular [content audit](/content-audit/) catches this. If you have multiple pages on the same topic, consolidate.

For years I treated on-page SEO as a static checklist: title tag, meta description, H1, done. I ignored the actual quality of the content. I remember a page I optimised for "cheap flights to Bangkok" — it had a perfect title and meta description but only 200 words of thin advice. The bounce rate was 85%. Google eventually dropped it to page 3. After I rewrote the page with real information, flight tips, and internal links to related [SEO blog posts](/blog-seo/), the bounce rate dropped to 45% and the page settled at position 3. Content depth matters more than tag placement.

I also got alt text wrong. I used to stuff keywords thinking it would help image rankings. It did not. It made the site look spammy and I got zero traffic from image search. Now I write alt text that describes the image accurately: "Red hiking boots on a rocky trail" instead of "hiking boots hiking shoes outdoor gear best hiking boots". The change improved my image search visibility within two months.

Another mistake: I neglected internal linking from older posts. I had a page that deserved to rank but had no incoming links from my own site. Once I added three relevant internal links from higher-traffic articles, its position improved from 12 to 7 in four weeks. Internal links are not just for navigation; they are a signal of importance. I now review my internal link graph as part of my SEO content strategy.

I also used to duplicate title tags across similar pages, thinking a small variation was fine. Google often ignored my preferred version and picked a different one. Now every title is unique and tested manually. These are the things I got wrong so you do not have to.