On-page SEO is the process of optimizing a single page with the intent to rank well in Google. It is not the same as on-site SEO or off-page SEO.
On-Page SEO vs On-Site SEO
“On-page” focuses on a single page, while on-site SEO coordinates the optimization of an entire website.
The processes are entirely different.
For example, you can analyze quickly on-page SEO with the Detailed SEO Extension.
Scan the title, meta description, URL, and H1 tags to find the primary keyword.
If it is, you’ve handled a large part of on-page SEO.
But to take it to the next level, you’ll need to optimize the page for NLP (Natural Language Processing). It’s a fancy phrase for writing about topics relevant to the main keyword.
You can use a tool like Surfer SEO (read our Surfer SEO review) to find NLP keywords.
On-site SEO, on the other hand, focuses on the entire website.
Some areas to focus on (that have site-wide implications) include:
- Site architecture
- Page loading speed
- Keyword cannibalization
- Topic authority
- E-E-A-T
On-Page SEO vs Off-Site SEO
These two are entirely different. Once again, on-page SEO is isolated at the page level. Off-site SEO is the process of acquiring backlinks (link building).
Check out our guide on how to get backlinks.
Why Does On-Page SEO Matter?
On-page SEO is critical for ranking in Google because of relevance. When you structure your page around a keyword phrase, it makes Google’s job of ranking it easier.
Just remember that Google is a relevance machine.
So your job is to feed it the relevance it wants.
At a minimum, place your primary keyword in the URL, title, meta description, H1, and first sentence.
Then, use this on-page SEO checklist to take your game to the next level.
