Your search engine ranking is the top way to boost sales and score organic traffic. With 95% of traffic going to the first page of search results, there is not much chance for those who don’t make the cut with their on-page SEO and off-page SEO and get positioned on the second page.
That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in, working to boost ranking and stand a chance on the overcrowded web. As optimization practices get better and better, companies have more options when it comes to finding the best and most affordable solution for their online presence.
SEO strategies are typically split into two groups, on-page SEO and off-page SEO. What do these groups entail, and how can they work for you and your company? Marketing by Margaret has broken down both forms of SEO below.
On-Page SEO vs. Off-Page SEO: The Definition
Many factors affect where you pop up on popular search engines. There are two groups in which these factors generally fall: on-page SEO and off-page SEO.
On-Page SEO
On-page refers to your website, including the overall design and its usability. Even if someone accidentally clicks on your website, they’re likely to pay attention if it looks good. On the contrary, if someone is looking for a page with just what you offer, they’re likely to click back fast if your site looks messy and unorganized and needs to give them the info they need quickly.
The experienced USA-based bloggers at Marketing by Margaret always consider the on-page SEO when crafting your articles. Having regularly uploaded SEO-optimized articles on your website increases the number of potential search engine hits.
Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO is a group full of all the factors that influence traffic outside of the webpage. This includes marketing and boosting search engine ranking. The key here is to create more opportunities for people to click links that lead them to your webpage. Because the more visitors you have, the more you can sell your products or services.
On-Page SEO Factors: A Deeper Look
There’s much more that goes into creating a successful on-page SEO strategy than website aesthetics. The proper format for search engine crawlers, HTML tags, and core website vitals is key to on-page SEO. Below, we have a more detailed look at factors that influence on-page SEO and some tips on applying them to your website.
Core Website Vitals
One of the newest required features for on-page SEO is core website vitals. These are Google’s unique approaches to quantifying user experience, considering several factors. It’s fast, efficient, and sophisticated – leaving websites that don’t make the cut behind. While the list of all factors measured by Google’s new quality-checker is long, some of the most important include:
- Website load time
- Interactivity and time-on-site
- Overall user experience
Mobile Friendliness
Apart from having all the essential pieces of the puzzle for your website to rank highly, it needs to be mobile-friendly. Recent stats show that 92% of internet users access the web with their mobile phones. If your website looks distorted when users visit it, they’re likely to click off quickly, finding another one of the hundreds of thousands of websites that may offer similar products or services.
Not only do mobile-friendly websites look better, but they also perform better, with smaller sizes and quicker speeds to suit mobile networks.
Page Speed
On the topic of page speed, visitors want answers, and they want them fast. Faster pages always get a better search engine ranking, mainly because visitors interact better with them. Google’s crawlers and searching indexes are lightning fast, too, interacting better with pages that load faster so they can provide a score more quickly.
Meta Descriptions
Did you know that your meta description works wonders for your image? These short little blurbs could be a make-or-break regarding whether Google decides to increase your rank. Based on your meta description and the link to your website, Google will determine whether or not your page is worth a higher ranking – so it needs to be short and sweet – as well as relevant. Don’t know how to write a meta description? No problem! Marketing by Margaret can handle the meta descriptions for you and regularly update your blog.
There are several other on-page SEO factors, though those listed are some of the most important. For now, we’ll switch gears and look at off-page SEO factors.
Off-Page SEO Factors: A Deeper Look
How your site performs around the rest of the web is just as important for SEO ranking. Some key factors can boost your ranking off your page, a few of which we’ve selected below.
Backlinks
Backlinks are links that connect to your website. While it’s great to have many, the quality more than the quantity, makes all the difference in ranking. Websites with backlinks on credible websites rank higher, proving to Google that the information on the page is credible and backed by other reliable sources.
Social Media
While some social media platforms are, others are a primary source of effective advertising. A solid social media presence with a clean format and informative posts can work wonders for your ranking. Your brand will look better and more official, and you’ll likely have more visitors.
Google My Business
Google My Business (GMB) is like a certification for businesses. All of the most important information about your business is obtained by Google, then shared when visitors use the search engine. This includes your location, business type, and website and can even feature some of your most popular products.
Optimizing your SEO: Both On-Page and Off-Page
Search engine optimization is a massive demand among businesses, working on getting more traffic to their websites and, in turn, selling products and services. Creating a suitable strategy for your business requires several factors, some of which you might want to outsource to professionals in the field, such as Marketing by Margaret.
SEO optimization is becoming more user-friendly thanks to automated pipelines that get the job done. Still, it’s best to work with a combination of professionals with a wide range of skills to find the best fit for your business. Companies should do what they can to enjoy more business-making opportunities when it comes to getting on Google’s first page.