On-Page SEO Overview: Optimising Your Website for Search Engines
What Is On-Page SEO?
On-page SEO refers to all the optimisation techniques applied directly on your website to improve search engine rankings and user experience. This includes content quality, HTML elements, page speed, mobile usability, internal linking, and technical signals that help search engines understand your pages.
Unlike off-page SEO (links and authority), on-page SEO is fully within your control and forms the foundation of any successful SEO strategy.
On-Page SEO Quick Checklist
Use this checklist when optimising any page:
- Primary keyword defined and matches search intent
- Title tag optimised (50–60 characters)
- Meta description unique and compelling
- One clear H1 heading
- Logical H2 and H3 structure
- Clean, keyword-focused URL
- Canonical tag set correctly
- Internal links added to and from related pages
- Images optimised (file size, alt text, format)
- Page passes Core Web Vitals
- Mobile-friendly design
- Structured data added where relevant
- Content depth matches or exceeds competitors
Keyword Research and Search Intent
Effective on-page SEO starts with understanding search intent.
Types of search intent:
- Informational (guides, explanations)
- Navigational (brand or product searches)
- Transactional (buy, sign up, contact)
- Commercial investigation (comparisons, reviews)
Each page should target one primary keyword and several supporting keywords that naturally fit the topic.
Tip: Do not optimise multiple pages for the same keyword — this causes keyword cannibalisation.
Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
Title Tags
- Keep between 50–60 characters
- Place the primary keyword near the beginning
- Make it compelling, not robotic
Example:
Best On-Page SEO Services in South Africa | Web Anatomy SEO
Meta Descriptions
- 120–160 characters
- Clearly explain the benefit of the page
- Encourage clicks
Example:
Learn how on-page SEO improves rankings, traffic, and conversions. Practical optimisation tips from Web Anatomy SEO.
Headings and Content Structure
- Use one H1 per page
- Use H2s for main sections
- Use H3s for subtopics
- Avoid skipping heading levels
Good structure improves:
- Readability
- User engagement
- Search engine understanding
Short paragraphs, bullet points, and clear sections improve dwell time and conversions.
URL Structure Best Practices
- Keep URLs short and descriptive
- Use hyphens, not underscores
- Avoid unnecessary words
Good:
/ on-page-seo-guide /
Bad:
/ index.php?id=123&cat=seo /
Internal Linking Strategy
Internal links help search engines crawl your site and distribute authority.
Best practices:
- Link from high-authority pages to priority pages
- Use descriptive anchor text
- Avoid excessive linking on one page
- Keep important pages within 3 clicks of the homepage
Use pillar pages and topic clusters to build topical authority.
Image Optimisation
Image optimisation improves speed, accessibility, and SEO.
Checklist:
- Use descriptive filenames
- Add relevant alt text
- Compress images
- Use WebP where possible
- Implement lazy loading
- Ensure images are responsive
Alt text should describe the image naturally, not stuff keywords.
Mobile Optimisation
Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning your mobile site is the primary version evaluated.
Ensure:
- Responsive design
- Readable text sizes
- Easy-to-click buttons
- No intrusive popups
- Fast mobile load times
Test pages using mobile devices and browser developer tools.
Page Speed and Core Web Vitals
Key metrics:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): under 2.5 seconds
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP): under 100 ms
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): under 0.1
Speed improvements:
- Compress images
- Minify CSS and JavaScript
- Defer non-essential scripts
- Use caching and a CDN
- Reduce third-party scripts
Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Structured data helps search engines understand your content and can enhance search results.
Common schema types:
- Article
- FAQ
- Product
- Breadcrumb
- LocalBusiness
Schema does not guarantee rankings but improves visibility and click-through rates.
Technical On-Page SEO Elements
- Canonical tags prevent duplicate content issues
- Robots.txt controls crawl access
- XML sitemaps help search engines find pages
- Hreflang is essential for multilingual sites
- Noindex should only be used for low-value pages
Local On-Page SEO (South Africa Focus)
For local SEO:
- Include city and province keywords naturally
- Optimise location landing pages
- Use LocalBusiness schema
- Ensure NAP consistency
- Optimise Google Business Profile
Note: Use province rather than region for consistency and SEO alignment.
Content Quality and Freshness
High-performing pages:
- Fully answer the search query
- Cover related subtopics
- Are updated regularly
- Include internal links to supporting content
Refresh important pages every 6–12 months to maintain rankings.
Measuring On-Page SEO Performance
Key tools:
- Google Search Console
- Google Analytics 4
- PageSpeed Insights
- Screaming Frog
- SEO keyword tracking tools
KPIs to monitor:
- Organic impressions and clicks
- Keyword rankings
- Conversion rates
- Engagement metrics
- Core Web Vitals scores
On-Page SEO FAQ
How long does on-page SEO take to work?
Small changes can show results within weeks, but competitive improvements usually take 2–3 months.
Is on-page SEO enough to rank?
For low-competition keywords, yes. For competitive niches, combine it with technical SEO and link building.
How often should on-page SEO be updated?
Review high-value pages every 3–6 months and refresh evergreen content annually.
On-page SEO is the foundation
On-page SEO is the foundation of long-term search visibility. When done correctly, it improves rankings, user experience, and conversions — all without relying on external factors.
For best results, on-page SEO should be part of a broader strategy that includes technical SEO, content marketing, and authority building.
