On-Page Optimisation (SEO)

This article was originally written in 2004 and since we’re in the process of migrating websites, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit our old content and see how things have changed. Read the original article followed by our updates for 2011.

Defined: On-page optimisation (on-page SEO) is what can be done on the pages of a website to maximise its performance in the search engines for target keywords related to the on-page content.

On-Page SEO Checklist:

•  Always start with keyword selection, research and testing
• Meta Description tag
• ALT tags
• H1 tags
• URL structure
• Internal linking strategy
• Content
• Keyword density
• Site maps, both XML and user facing
• Usability and accessibility
• Track target keywords
• Expect results in 6-12 months

Avoid common on-page SEO mistakes such as:

• Duplicate content
• URL variants of the same pages
• Off-site images and content on-site
• Duplicate title tags

Avoid spammy SEO tactics such as:

• Hidden text
• Hidden links
• Keyword repetition
• Doorway pages
• Mirror pages
• Cloaking