On-page SEO is ridiculously simple if you know the right metrics. Using HTML elements the search engine looks for on a page isn't enough - you must know how to use them correctly. Here we expose proven on-page SEO metrics for HTML web pages.
Title
5 - 7 words, 5 is better doesn't dilute, keep keywords (3 max) at beginning, less than 58 characters.
H1
Repeat main keywords at top of opening tag. 200 characters max, less than 140 recommended.
H2 - H6
Use keywords in these subheadings where it makes sense for your content. Don' stuff your content by overusing keywords in headings.
Metatag description
The first few lines of content or metatag description is what the SE displays in it's results. Use your keywords (3 max) to describe the page. Don't use more than 200 words, less than 140 recommended. If this tag is not available, the first text found on the page is used instead. For that reason, it's good practice to make the H1 tag the first text following the opening tag and repeat the description there.
Metatag keywords
All but ignored by Google and other major search engines. List keywords, but don't stuff , ie, don't use irrelevant keywords and\or list keywords that are not displayed in the visible text, also do not repeat keywords - this is SE spamming and may get you penalized. List 1 - 5 keywords max.
Image name, Alt text & title
Use keywords in each image name, alt and title fields.
Example:
Word count
Word count of 400 - 600 words for main content, 500 - 800 for total word count.
Keyword density
Keep keyword density for the page around 5% - 10%. This is the number of times a keyword is used divided by the number of words on the page.
Keyword position & prominence
Place keywords at the beginning, middle and end of the main body content. This further convinces the spider what your page is about which boosts rankings. Some SE's like a high keyword prominence meaning keywords closer to the beginning of your content.
Bold & Italics
Bold and Italicizing keywords will add a small boost to your page's keyword relevance.
Links & anchor text
Use keywords in the link and the anchor text of outgoing links on the page. Use the keywords nearer the beginning of the text.
Example: Main Keyword in anchor text
Keyword proximity
Use keywords and keyword derivations close together throughout the content. To increase your search engine matches for various search phrases.
Downloadable doc names
Any downloadable documents should also make use of keywords in their names.
HTML/Content Ratio
Keep HTML content ratio low. In other words, don't overdo it with excessive HTML onscreen formatting code. Rather keep it at a minimum and over-deliver on the rich theme-based content.
Static vs. Dynamic pages
SE spiders don't crawl some dynamically generated pages that use UID or SID in delimiters. For example the URL http://www.mydomain.com/gohere.php?UID=5593
Page size & image size
Typically pages less than 100k are recommended. Image size should be less than 50k. Don't use more than 3 - 5 images on an optimized page. The idea is to allow the page to load fast. Many people still use dialup connections. You will be penalized for slow loading pages. Having said that, there is some debate on the optimal page size. Therefore I recommend using pages throughout the website that vary in size, some significantly smaller than 100k and some larger. Since some SE's prefer larger pages and others small, the idea is to diversify: offer a buffet of different sized pages throughout your site. This way, all SE's will find something they like.
Common Misspellings
Usage of commonly misspelled keywords is another way to capture traffic. However, be careful; don't ruin you credibility by using misspelled words just to get a little more traffic. If you are clever you may use misspelled words possibly by telling your visitor what the most common spelling errors are for your topics, etc.
Don't use frames
Search engine spiders have a hard time crawling websites that make use of frames. Worse yet, some ignore frames entirely. Don't use frames if you want to optimize your site.
Link to homepage
Use internal links to your homepage and other on-site pages with relevant keywords in the anchor text. But keep website structure and navigation as simple as possible.
Title
5 - 7 words, 5 is better doesn't dilute, keep keywords (3 max) at beginning, less than 58 characters.
H1
Repeat main keywords at top of opening tag. 200 characters max, less than 140 recommended.
H2 - H6
Use keywords in these subheadings where it makes sense for your content. Don' stuff your content by overusing keywords in headings.
Metatag description
The first few lines of content or metatag description is what the SE displays in it's results. Use your keywords (3 max) to describe the page. Don't use more than 200 words, less than 140 recommended. If this tag is not available, the first text found on the page is used instead. For that reason, it's good practice to make the H1 tag the first text following the opening tag and repeat the description there.
Metatag keywords
All but ignored by Google and other major search engines. List keywords, but don't stuff , ie, don't use irrelevant keywords and\or list keywords that are not displayed in the visible text, also do not repeat keywords - this is SE spamming and may get you penalized. List 1 - 5 keywords max.
Image name, Alt text & title
Use keywords in each image name, alt and title fields.
Example:
Word count
Word count of 400 - 600 words for main content, 500 - 800 for total word count.
Keyword density
Keep keyword density for the page around 5% - 10%. This is the number of times a keyword is used divided by the number of words on the page.
Keyword position & prominence
Place keywords at the beginning, middle and end of the main body content. This further convinces the spider what your page is about which boosts rankings. Some SE's like a high keyword prominence meaning keywords closer to the beginning of your content.
Bold & Italics
Bold and Italicizing keywords will add a small boost to your page's keyword relevance.
Links & anchor text
Use keywords in the link and the anchor text of outgoing links on the page. Use the keywords nearer the beginning of the text.
Example: Main Keyword in anchor text
Keyword proximity
Use keywords and keyword derivations close together throughout the content. To increase your search engine matches for various search phrases.
Downloadable doc names
Any downloadable documents should also make use of keywords in their names.
HTML/Content Ratio
Keep HTML content ratio low. In other words, don't overdo it with excessive HTML onscreen formatting code. Rather keep it at a minimum and over-deliver on the rich theme-based content.
Static vs. Dynamic pages
SE spiders don't crawl some dynamically generated pages that use UID or SID in delimiters. For example the URL http://www.mydomain.com/gohere.php?UID=5593
Page size & image size
Typically pages less than 100k are recommended. Image size should be less than 50k. Don't use more than 3 - 5 images on an optimized page. The idea is to allow the page to load fast. Many people still use dialup connections. You will be penalized for slow loading pages. Having said that, there is some debate on the optimal page size. Therefore I recommend using pages throughout the website that vary in size, some significantly smaller than 100k and some larger. Since some SE's prefer larger pages and others small, the idea is to diversify: offer a buffet of different sized pages throughout your site. This way, all SE's will find something they like.
Common Misspellings
Usage of commonly misspelled keywords is another way to capture traffic. However, be careful; don't ruin you credibility by using misspelled words just to get a little more traffic. If you are clever you may use misspelled words possibly by telling your visitor what the most common spelling errors are for your topics, etc.
Don't use frames
Search engine spiders have a hard time crawling websites that make use of frames. Worse yet, some ignore frames entirely. Don't use frames if you want to optimize your site.
Link to homepage
Use internal links to your homepage and other on-site pages with relevant keywords in the anchor text. But keep website structure and navigation as simple as possible.
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