Growing organic traffic is very essential to achieve a successful SEO score. However, most businesses target the results, instead of focusing on SEO best practices. There I have said it!

To be candid, there are various ways to highlight your website ranking on the top searches. However, the shorter path may lead to short term happiness. You might believe you are already there and boom, it is all gone.

If you can relate to that metaphor, why not just find out what works for long term success. Here are some of the best practices one must not ignore when working for on-page SEO. 

Really! Is There Something Like SEO Best Practices?

You cannot go wrong with this one. SEO best practices may sound made up to some. But it works and works impressively. 

Did you Get the Title Tag Right?

The title tag helps search engines get acquainted with your website. It enables search engines to pick the web pages related to the specific keywords.

Therefore, you must target to create unique title tags. But how do title tags help better your SEO?

When the users search for the specific keywords, search engines pick your page and highlight the keyword phrases included in the title tag. If you have used Google, you would know how easy it becomes to choose the links that consist of the related keywords.

In other words, Title tags increase your site’s visibility as well as improve the click-through rate.

For instance, if your users search for write compelling copies, the Google search will pick your page based on the title tag:

How to Write Title Tags?

• The title tag should have the primary keyword at the start, followed by the secondary keyword. 

“Primary Keyword – Secondary Keyword – Website Name”

• If you are using a dash between your primary and secondary keyword phrases, try some other separator before your website name
• Do not engage in duplicating title tags
• Make sure that the entire title tag including the website name is visible when picked by the search engine. Hence, keep the title tag limited to 55 characters or even less. 

Even Better When Meta Description is Enticing

Meta descriptions might not be the best factor to help with SEO ranking, it does help indirectly though. Hence, you must consider this among the best SEO practices to follow.

Plus, a short description presenting a gist of your website really encourage users to click through and land your website. 

It sits right below the title tag in page searches. For instance, the above image has a title tag along with a meta description.

You can include keywords in the Meta descriptions, but most importantly, it should play as bait to attract readers’ attention to read through the whole article. 

Once again, the search engines will highlight the keywords used in the meta descriptions as well. Do I need to tell you what happens next? Yes, the improved click-through rate.

How to write a Meta Description?

• It must be enticing
• You must stay within the recommended length – 150 characters to be precise
• Here too, you must not use the duplicate description from other pages
• Stay away from non-alpha characters

Down to Business – Writing the Main Content

It is unnecessary to explicitly mention how crucial it is to create valuable content. You can consider your content as the major attraction of the entire SEO regimen. 

Title tags and Meta descriptions can lead audiences to your page, but the content is what keeps them engaged. 

Remember, if you do not have something important to share, your content will eventually find a way to the back of the search result. Also, if do have something that can keep your audiences engaged and you do not know how to present it, you must take the fall.

Therefore, writing content isn’t just about filling spaces, but filling the needs of the target audiences. 

How to Write Compelling Content?

• Never copy anything from other websites. Google knows how to penalize those who like taking the meat from other plates without making efforts to cook for themselves.
• Do not overdose your content with keywords and use it in the first and last paragraph along with one of the headings. You must use keywords at least 4 times in your article. It will depend mostly on the length of your post.
• Keep your paragraphs smaller. 3 sentences for each paragraph are a good start
• Sentences must be short too with not more than 20 words
• Direct an internal link from one of your pages
• Write guest posts to win an external link from already popular websites
• If you are planning to share the content on other media, use unique content for each of them

Use Anchor texts for Internal Linking

I did talk about internal linking. And most of you already must be aware of what it is. 

Internal linking is when you link a text from your post to another page from the same website. 

There are two most important benefits of internal linking. First, it boasts the strength of your internal keywords. In addition, it helps your readers to navigate through your website. 

You must be thinking – So, what is an anchor text? Let me break it down. Anchor text is the phrase you use to link to an internal page of your website. And it is imperative to choose those phrases wisely. 

Here is an example:

Scenario 1: Learn about the exciting ways to lose weight without starving.

Scenario 2: Click here to know how we help lose weight.

In the first example, the anchor text is – exciting ways to lose weight while in the second example, it’s Click here.

As a reader which option will you click? You have got the answer already, isn’t it? The first one is more relevant. One does not have to read through the entire paragraph to understand where the anchor text will lead to.

How to Write Anchor Text?

• As explained, do not use click here, read more or other generic texts. Instead link to explanatory phrases that directly connects with the content on the linked page.

Did you work on the alt tag of your images? If not, it’s time you start taking it a little more seriously. The alt tag is the name you give to your image. 

Optimize Images to Strengthen Ranking for Image Searches

Usually, users leave the images with their standard names. When clicking screenshots, the images often consist of numbers and irrelevant characters. So, if your images aren’t properly named, you must do something.

A proper alt tag for an image works as the tonic for image searches. Also, it enhances the readability of the entire article or post.

How to Write Alt Texts for Images?

• Select names that clearly describes the images
• If there is more than one word, use dashes in between those
• Avoid non-characters
• You can use keywords in alt texts to enhance image searches

The Takeaway

Those were a few SEO best practices that can help you better the page ranking on Google search. So, next time when you post something, ensure to follow the guideline.