If your website isn’t getting traffic from Google, it might be because your on-page SEO needs work. On-page SEO includes all the steps you take within your website to help search engines better understand your content and improve its visibility in search results. The great part is that you can boost your rankings by making a few easy changes. Here are 10 on-page SEO tricks that can help you get better results.
Use the Right Keywords
Begin with effective keyword research. Consider the terms your ideal customers might enter into Google when searching for your products or services. To discover commonly searched phrases, you can use free tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or AnswerThePublic. Once you’ve found the right keywords, include them naturally throughout your content, especially in headings, paragraphs, and meta tags, so that your writing stays clear and helpful to readers.
- Your main heading (H1)
- Subheadings (H2, H3)
- First 100 words of your content
- Image alt tags
- Meta title and description
Avoid keyword stuffing. Google rewards natural, helpful content—not content that repeats the same word over and over.
Optimize Your Title Tag
Your title tag is the clickable headline in Google search results. Make it unique, include your target keyword, and write it like a call-to-action. Good title tags increase your chances of getting clicks.
Example:
Bad: “Home”
Good: “Affordable Web Design Services in Zimbabwe”
Keep your title under 60 characters to make sure it doesn’t get cut off in the results.
Write Clear Meta Descriptions
Your meta description appears under your title. It doesn’t directly affect your ranking, but it plays a big role in whether people click. Use around 154 characters and include your keyword and a strong reason to click.
Use Headings Properly
Headings help organize your content. Use only one H1 (for the page title), and then break up your content using H2s and H3s. Using headings helps organize your content, making it easier for readers to follow and for search engines to interpret the layout of your page. Try to include your main keyword in one or two subheadings to reinforce the topic of your content.
Add Internal Links
Internal linking is the practice of connecting one page of your website to another related page. For instance, if you’re writing about SEO and have a separate article on backlinks, you can link to it within your content. This not only guides visitors to more useful information but also helps search engines navigate and index your site more effectively.
Use SEO-Friendly URLs
Clean and short URLs are easier to understand—for both search engines and humans.
Example:
Bad: www.site.com/page?id=123
Good: www.site.com/seo-tips
Use dashes between words and avoid special characters or unnecessary numbers.
Add Alt Text to Images
Search engines can’t “see” images, so they rely on alt text to understand them. Describe what’s in the image using clear and simple words. It improves your image SEO and also ensures that users with visual impairments can understand what the image represents through screen readers.
Example Alt Text: “Red sports car on a highway at sunset”
Improve Page Speed
A slow website makes people leave. Speed is a ranking factor, so it’s important. To boost your site’s speed:
- Compress large images
- Minimize CSS and JavaScript files
- Use a reliable hosting service
- Enable browser caching
You can test your page speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.
Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly
More than half of users browse websites on their phones. A mobile-friendly or responsive website adjusts to fit all screen sizes. If your site isn’t mobile-ready, visitors will leave—and your rankings will drop.
Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to check your site’s mobile performance.
Write Quality Content
Above all, write content that helps your visitors. Your page should:
- Answer questions
- Provide solutions
- Be easy to read
Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and images to break up text. Search engines value content that is informative, easy to navigate, and keeps visitors interested.
Conclusion
You don’t have to be a professional SEO specialist to improve how your site ranks on Google. These 10 on-page SEO tips are simple enough to implement and can have a noticeable impact. Pay attention to how you use keywords, keep your site fast and mobile-friendly, create high-quality content, and focus on the overall user experience.
By keeping your content fresh and relevant, your site has a better chance of ranking well and attracting more visitors. Start making these updates today—and you’ll begin to see steady growth in your website traffic.
