Okay, folks, let's talk about on-page SEO, and guess what? It's not exactly rocket science. I mean, come on, there, I said it!
Remember those good ol' days when you got your hands on that original SEO book? It was like a breeze, right? Well, the truth is, on-page SEO is not the tricky part. Nope, the real head-scratcher is link building, and let's be honest, it can be about as exciting as watching paint dry.
Its not a dark art
Now, you've probably bumped into those SEO companies that make on-page SEO sound like some mysterious, dark art known only to them. They guard their secrets like a dog guarding a bone, and if you dare question their methods, you might just get a digital bite. But here's the scoop: it's not a black art, and you can absolutely handle it yourself!
So, if your webpage design is on point, you just need to stick to a few simple rules. Now, don't expect these rules to flood your site with tons of traffic. In fact, chances are they won't get you much at all. "What?!" you exclaim. Well, all they do is set you on the right path, and trust me, that's a darn good start. Here are the basic on-page SEO rules, and as I mentioned, they're about as complex as your grandma's cookie recipe (well, almost):
- Write about 300 words of copy.
- Keep your title under 60 characters.
- Your description tag should be around 160 characters.
- Choose about 5 keywords.
- Make sure your title, keywords, and description contain the same words you're targeting.
Now, don't expect any magic spells beyond this. Sure, you can bold a few keywords here and there, and toss in some h1, h2, and h3 tags for a sprinkle of SEO goodness, but the impact is, well, kinda minor.
But wait, there's more! If you're feeling a bit lazy like yours truly and happen to be a WordPress enthusiast, give Scribe SEO Content Optimizer a whirl. It's a nifty WordPress plugin that's not exactly free, but it won't break the bank. What does it do? Simple. It makes sure you're doing everything you should be doing on-page. It evaluates your content, your page title, keywords, and meta description, and then, voila, it gives you a percentage score of how awesome your page is.
You just hit that "analyze" button, wait patiently, see your score, and then tweak your content, keywords, title, and so on. Rinse and repeat until your page is the absolute best it can be, with all the keywords you're aiming for. Trust me, you'll fall in love with it, and after a while, you won't even need it anymore. You'll be an on-page SEO wizard without the wand!