SEO and On-Page Optimisation

An HTML element that identifies what the page is about. Also known as page title or tag.

Why it's important

Seen first above URL. Essential for page ranking and is displayed as a blue clickable link in the search results. Often the first thing a user sees before clicking to a website. Search engines pay a lot of attention to page titles, and they’re visible in 3 places: 1) SERPs, 2) web browsers, 3) Social networks.

If the length of the title tag is exceeded, it will be shortened (referred to as ‘truncated’), and if exceeded by a large amount it will start to be ignored by search engines. 

What you should do

• Include target primary keyword, positioning primary keyword near the beginning. 
• Include secondary and brand keywords if space (must be unique per page).
• Use pipes or sentence separators (dashes).
• Character length: max 60 (Google typically displays the first 50 - 60 characters)

A one to two sentence (max) description of a web page that includes important keywords.

Why it's important

Seen in SERPs underneath URL. Helps users to understand what to expect on pages from search results and acts as a selling point to encourage a user to engage with our site. Including keywords will influence whether someone is going to click on the listing, as search terms are bolded, encouraging the searcher to click through.

What you should do

• Briefly describe web page in natural language.
  
• Include page’s value proposition, specify who the content is targeting (if targeting specific audience) and concise call to action.
• Include primary keyword and tertiary keywords not included in meta title.
• Character length for desktop: max 156, character length for mobiles: max 115

The first heading used to classify page content. 

Why it's important

H1 heading tags are important as they tell both search engines and website visitors what the content of pages will be about. Screen readers can use H1s to help users navigate your content.

What you should do

• Include primary keyword.
• Only one H1 per page.
• Sub-headings should use H2 tag first, then H3 tag and so on, to H6. Google does not recognise bolded text as titles, so using H2 and so on is important. 

Why it's important

Helps search engines understand what each page is about. It’s important for SEO because on-page content is what users engage most with.

When writing body copy for the page, write in a way that would make sense when used as a featured snippet on google (while still making sure it makes sense on the web page).

What you should do

• Write for the user first and foremost while keeping in mind keywords.
• Use keywords naturally within a page’s body content without keyword stuffing. This means that content reads well and satisfies what users are looking for.
• Add most important keywords early on in page copy.
  Use synonyms or close variations of keywords while keeping the language natural.
• Page content should be unique i.e. not duplicated or copied from another page.

Why it's important

Hyperlinks help the page you are linking to. Internal hyperlinks allow search engines to see how content is related and to determine the value of that content

What you should do

• Include embedded hyperlinks within a page where relevant.
• Link to important pages regularly.
• Link to pages using descriptive, easy to understand anchor text.
• When maintaining pages, make sure links aren’t broken.
• When writing link copy, a good tactic is to remove everything else on the page and ensure it still makes sense without the context that the rest of the page provides.

Why it's important

Alt (alternative) text, also known as an alt tag, is the way search engines read and index images. It helps screen reader users understand visual content. 

What you should do

• Use alternative text (alt text) for user accessibility and SEO.
• Describe exactly what an image shows, with no need to include 'image of...' within description.
• Unique per image.

For more information please see the Accessibility homepage.