A Visual Guide to Keyword Targeting and On-Page SEO

A visual guide to keyword targeting and on page SEO to transform your website’s traffic with these Insider secrets!

When it comes to SEO, there are 3 things you need to know about:

On-Page SEO

This is how well the content on your web pages are optimized. This includes your header tags, how your content is written, how well the images on your website is optimized, and your website loading speed.

Off-Page SEO

Off-page simply means – what is happening off of your website. This includes things such as your backlink profile, anchor texts, the authority of the websites linking back to you, and the spam score of these websites.

Technical SEO

This refers to how easily search engines like Google can find and understand the content on your website – which is closely tied to “user experience”. This reflects how easily Googles bots can crawl and understand your website.

Understanding this visual guide to keyword research and on-page SEO

On-page SEO starts with keyword research, the foundation of optimizing your content to rank higher in search engine results. By identifying the right keywords, you can tailor your content to match what your audience is searching for. This involves analyzing search volume, competition, and user intent, ensuring that your website attracts targeted traffic. Effective keyword research guides the creation of high-quality, relevant content that resonates with users and improves your site’s visibility, ultimately driving more organic traffic and enhancing your overall SEO strategy.

What is keyword research?

Keyword research is the process of finding what your audience is searching on Google. The reason why keyword research is important is because it gives direction to your on-page SEO campaign. During your keyword research process, you’ll uncover what your audience is searching, how many times that search query is being made per month, and how difficult it is for you to begin ranking for that keyword.

How to find the best keywords

If your website is new or you’re just beginning to do SEO work on your website, it’s best to look for keywords with low ranking difficulty.

Finding low difficulty keywords Using SEMrush

Your goal should be to find keywords that have a high monthly search volume, with low keyword difficulty in order to maximize your chances of succeeding in search engines.

Keyword difficulty is ranked 0-100. Anything above a keyword difficulty 29 will be hard for a website to rank for – if it has not had SEO work done on it prior. Follow the steps below using SEMrush to find keywords with low ranking difficulty.

Keyword Magic Tool > Search [service you offer] > KD % > Custom range: 0 – 29 > Apply

In order to have a successful keyword research session, you have to put yourself in the shoes of the searcher and understand the searcher’s intent while doing keyword research.

Ask yourself these two questions:

Is this person looking to find information?
Is this person looking to complete a transaction?

Searchers looking for information:

An example of an informational keyword would be: “questions to ask an SEO agency”. This searcher is looking for guidance in finding an SEO agency to work with. For informational keywords, it’s best to create content that answers the searcher’s question with your professional expertise. In the intent column you’ll see an “i” for these keywords – meaning “informational”.

Searchers looking to complete a transaction:

An example of a transactional or commercial search would be “Local SEO Company”. This searcher is looking for an SEO company that can help boost their local rankings. For transaction and commercial keywords, it’s best to create a dedicated service page for that keyword and optimize your content around it. In the intent column you’ll see an “t” or “c” for these keywords – meaning “transactional” and “commercial”.

How to perform on-page SEO

Once you’ve thoroughly done your keyword research, you can begin optimizing your web pages around the keywords you’ve selected.

Optimizing header tags

Header tags are used to organize the content on your website in terms of importance. Header tags go beyond just being visually pleasing; they communicate to Google what a page is about. The average website visitor won’t be able to tell what header tag you used for your titles, but Google can. The keyword you want to rank for should be in your H1 tag and there should only be one H1 tag per page. Use H2 for your secondary topics as necessary , then H3, and so on following a logical heading hierarchy.

Let’s use an SEO agency in London as an example to demonstrate how Google views your content.

Optimizing page title and meta description

Page title and Meta descriptions is what you see on Google before visiting a website. You want to ensure that you’re using your target keyword in a natural way in both your page title and description.

Optimizing content and using semantically related keywords

It’s important to use your selected keyword in your content in a natural way without keyword stuffing. It’s also important to use semantically related terms to your target keyword. For example, if your target keyword is “New York hair salon” some semantically related terms would be: hair stylist, scissors, clippers, etc. You can enter this prompt into chat GPT to find semantically related keywords:

Give me 15 close semantically related terms to [“your keyword”].

Optimizing image alt text

Image alt text is the written copy that appears in place of an image if the image fails to load on a user’s screen. Google also uses this text to get a better understanding of what this image is. Image alt text is not considered a huge on-page optimization ranking factor; however we recommend optimizing everything to give your website the best chance of succeeding.

Optimizing website loading speed

One of the best things you can do for your website is to optimize its loading speed. Recall the last time you waited more than 3 seconds when a page failed to load. You simply went back to Google and found a different website to find what you were looking for. Not only is this a missed opportunity to get eyeballs on your business, but Google also records this as a “poor user experience”. Google wants to provide a good experience for their searchers so they continue to use their search engine so when people who visit your website frequently leave quickly, it’ll negatively impact your rankings over time

Be sure to analyze your website’s loading speed for both desktop and mobile devices.

For complex optimizations, we recommend working with experienced SEO professionals. You can view your website loading speed by using Page Speed Insights.

Track growth with GA4 and Google Search Console

The most accurate way to track your website’s growth is to set up a Google Analytics and Google Search Console account. These tools will help you collect data on which search terms you’re being found for and which pages are performing best on organic search results.

It is crucial to collect this data because it helps your business make complex decisions based on data.

Track keyword rankings with SEMrush

SEMrush can be used to track your websites rankings for your target keyword. Simply enter your domain in the “organic research” tab and organize your rankings by position.

Organic Research > Enter [Your URL] > Select “Positions” > Organize by “Position”

Research thoroughly and track your progess

In conclusion, every SEO campaign begins with keyword research, and your success depends on how thoroughly you research and how well you understand your searcher’s intent. Google Analytics 4 is the most accurate measurement tool you can use to track the growth of your website.

Remember to always put your user’s experience first and to avoid tricks to manipulate Google algorithms because doing so will cause more damage than good in the long run.

A a visual guide to keyword research and on-page SEO can be helpful, however, if you’re still struggling to begin ranking after following our tips, we highly advise you to get in touch with a SEO agency that you trust! Contact us today and we’ll be more than happy to help you begin dominating the search results!

A Visual Guide to Keyword Targeting and On-Page SEO