On-Page SEO Basics

On-page SEO is everything you control directly on your website to help it rank better. Unlike off-page SEO (backlinks), on-page optimisation is entirely in your hands.

Title tags

The title tag is the single most important on-page element. It appears as the clickable headline in Google results. Keep it under 60 characters with your keyword near the beginning.

Meta descriptions

The snippet below your title in search results. Write 150-160 characters that summarise the page and include a call to action. A compelling description increases click-through rates.

Heading structure

Use H1 for the main title (one per page), H2 for major sections, H3 for sub-sections. This helps users and search engines understand your content.

Content quality

Google rewards content that genuinely helps users. Cover topics thoroughly, answer common questions, and provide practical value. Include keywords naturally - never stuff them in.

Internal linking

Link between related pages using descriptive anchor text. This helps Google discover pages and distribute ranking authority. For example, see our guide on what SEO is and how speed affects rankings.

URL structure

Use clean, readable URLs. /hostpedia/seo/on-page-seo-basics/ is far better than /page?id=4729. Good hosting makes clean URLs easy.

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