On-Page SEO

You've found your keywords (Day 2). Now you need to put them in the right places on your page. On-page SEO is about giving Google clear signals — in your title, headings, content, and metadata.

Google's algorithm is like a speed reader. It scans your page looking for signals: "What is this page about? Is this relevant to the search query?" The more obvious you make those signals, the easier you make Google's job, and the higher you'll rank.

This lesson teaches you exactly where to place your keywords and how to structure your pages so Google gets it immediately.

Title Tag: The Most Important On-Page Element

Your page title (the blue clickable link in Google results) is the single most important on-page SEO factor. It tells Google what your page is about AND it's what people see before clicking.

• Length: Keep it 50-60 characters. Longer titles get cut off in search results.
• Keyword placement: Include your primary keyword near the beginning, not at the end.
• Format: [Primary Keyword] | [Brand Name] works well. Example: "Best Running Shoes for Flat Feet Women | Nike"
• Make it clickable: A great title makes people want to click. Example: "Best Running Shoes for Flat Feet Women (Updated 2026)" performs better than "Running Shoes Products"

Meta Description: Improve Click-Through Rate

The meta description is the text shown under your title in search results. It's NOT a direct ranking factor, but it dramatically affects click-through rate (CTR).

• Length: 150-160 characters on desktop, ~120 on mobile
• Include a CTA: "Learn more", "Discover", "Get started" — encourage clicks
• Answer the search intent: If someone searches "how to tie running shoes", your description should say something like "Complete guide to tying running shoes properly in 3 easy steps. Learn in 60 seconds."

Heading Hierarchy: Structure = Clarity

Headings organize your page and help Google understand your content structure.

• H1: One per page. This is your page's main topic. Should contain your primary keyword. Example: "The Ultimate Guide to Keyword Research for SEO"
• H2: Major sections within your page. You can have 3-5 H2s. Example: "Understanding Search Intent" or "How to Use Google Keyword Planner"
• H3: Subsections under each H2. Example: "The 4 Types of Search Intent" (under an H2 called "Understanding Search Intent")
• Why it matters: Google uses heading hierarchy to understand your page structure. Proper H1 → H2 → H3 hierarchy signals that your content is well-organized.

Keyword Placement in Content

Your target keyword should appear in these strategic locations:

• First 100 words: Mention your primary keyword in the opening paragraph
• H1 and at least one H2: Your main heading and a major section heading should include the keyword
• Throughout naturally: 2-3 times in a 1,500-word article. Don't stuff keywords — write naturally. Google penalizes keyword stuffing.
• LSI keywords: Include related terms and synonyms naturally. If you're writing about "SEO keyword research", also mention "keyword planning", "search volume analysis", "keyword difficulty" — these tell Google your content is comprehensive.

Image Optimization

Images help your rankings three ways: they improve user experience, they can appear in Google Images search, and they give you more places to use keywords.

• File names: Use descriptive, keyword-rich file names. "best-running-shoes-flat-feet.jpg" is better than "IMG_12345.jpg"
• Alt text: Describe the image and include your keyword where natural. Example: "A woman wearing the best running shoes for flat feet, showing proper foot alignment"
• Image compression: Use tools like TinyPNG to compress images without losing quality. Faster images = better rankings.
• Descriptive caption: If you use image captions, include keywords naturally.

Internal Linking: Share Authority

Every link from one of your pages to another page on your site passes ranking authority. Use strategic internal links to boost important pages.

• Anchor text: Use descriptive anchor text with keywords. "Learn about SEO fundamentals" is better than "click here"
• Link to relevant pages: If you write about "keyword research", link to your "SEO fundamentals" page in the first paragraph
• Don't overlink: 3-5 internal links per page is the sweet spot. Too many looks spammy.
• Distribute authority: Your most important pages should have the most internal links pointing to them

URL Structure

Your page URL should be descriptive and keyword-rich.

• Format: /keyword-topic-phrase (lowercase, hyphens, no spaces or underscores)
• Good: /best-running-shoes-flat-feet
• Bad: /products?id=12345 or /MyBestRunningShoes
• Length: Short is better. Keep URLs under 75 characters if possible.

Content Length: Match Your Competition

There's no magic word count for SEO. Instead, check what's already ranking.

• Search your target keyword in Google
• Look at the top 3 results
• Your content should be at least as comprehensive (similar word count)
• If the top results are 2,000 words, aim for 2,000-2,500 words. If they're 800 words, 800-1,000 is fine.

LSI Keywords (Latent Semantic Indexing)

LSI keywords are related terms that tell Google your content is thorough. They're natural variations and synonyms.

For a page about "running shoe fitting", LSI keywords might include: "how to fit running shoes", "proper shoe sizing for runners", "arch support for running", "foot pronation". These variations signal topical depth without keyword stuffing.

5 questions · Instant feedback · Pass at 60% to unlock your Day 3 badge

Click each item to mark it done. Your progress is saved automatically.

0/5 tasks done

• ✅ Read the full on-page SEO section
• ✅ Ran the 15-minute audit on one existing page
• ✅ Used the title/meta prompt to write better tags for a key page
• ✅ Identified 3 pages that need on-page optimization
• ✅ Passed the Day 3 quiz