On-Site SEO - Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization includes many functions that are applied both on-site and off-site. On-site Optimization deals with all of the optimization functions that are built within (internal SEO) the infrastructure of the website. These include:

• Keyword embedding – Typically, the SEO company will discuss which exact keyword(s) it is that the client wants to rank for. Popular keyword(s) will include words that are close to the organization, such as the organizations name, popular products and services that are offered, names of executives that wish to be exposed, and even departments of the company that wish to have visibility.


• Sitemap – Displaying the infrastructure of the website in an almost "table of contents" layout makes it easier for "crawlers" to report back to search engines the multiple pages that exist on the website. For example, imagine having a blueprint for a new home construction, and wanting to know where a specific room will be located. The Sitemap acts exactly as that. It provides a clear layout which in turn allows search engines to quickly scan the webpage and direct people in the right direction.


• Links – Linking to other areas of the webpage makes it user-friendly, and allows people to quickly navigate the webpage. In addition, linking to other areas of the website reinforces the structure of the webpage which helps search engine "crawlers" navigate the site more efficiently.


• New, relevant data – reinforces the authoritative content in which SEO relies on. Posting press releases, writing blogs, and updating information on the website helps give credibility to the site in that it shows there is original, quality content, that returns value to the user. Failure to continuously enhance the website with fresh data may have people question whether or not the company is still in business!


• Meta Tags and Meta Keywords – It is all about the keywords here. Matching and applying the relevant keywords in to the HTML coding of the webpage embeds the keywords so that they gain value.


• Title Tag – Considered one of the most important elements, the title tag is the line of text that appears in search engine results that links users to the webpage. This is clearly vital to directing traffic to the site, because it clearly states what the site is and what it does.


• H1 and H2 Text – The H1 is the Headline text. Simply improving this will generate greater SEO value. The purpose of the H1 is to highlight the significance of the webpage. For example, if the H1 (or Headline text) states a popular product on that page, then visitors know where to look. The H2 text is another headline text that helps search engine crawlers point to the most relevant keywords on the webpage. Think of shinning a flashlight on the keywords in which you wish the webpage to be recognized with.


• Keyword Density – Keyword density refers to the amount of times on a webpage that the keyword (or comparable word) is used, as a percentage of the amount of words on the page. For example, if a webpage is ranking for the keyword "baseball", and a page has a total of 500 words, with 10 words including "baseball", the keyword density is 2%. SEO firms go back-and-forth with what is appropriate. Typically, staying between 2%-4% is safe. Greater than this amount may look like the webpage is trying to mislead and trick the search algorithms.


• Outbound Link Text – Linking to relevant and reputable sites shows that the site holds credibility and relevance in the field. Linking to quality sites in a blog, press release, or text is generally beneficial because it shows not only that the original site is trustworthy; it shows that the author understands to return quality to the visitor by linking to other sites.