How to Optimise Content for SEO (On-Page Guide)
On-page SEO is about making your content the best answer to a searcher's question — and making sure Google understands what you've written. It's not about stuffing keywords into every paragraph. It's about structure, depth, and relevance signals. Here's the process I follow for every piece of content.
Analyse the top-ranking pages for your target keyword
Before writing a single word, open the top 5 results for your keyword and study them. Note the average word count, heading structure, types of content (tables, videos, lists), and what questions they answer. Your job is to do all of this better.
Surfer SEO's Content Editor analyses the top 20 results and gives you a real-time content score as you write. It tells you which terms to include and how often — based on what's actually ranking.
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Optimise your title tag and meta description
Your title tag is the single most important on-page element. Include your primary keyword near the start, keep it under 60 characters, and make it compelling enough to earn the click. Your meta description doesn't affect rankings directly but affects CTR — write it like an ad.
Rank Math's on-page SEO checker gives you a real-time score as you edit your title and meta in WordPress — with specific suggestions to improve each element. It's the best free SEO plugin available.
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Structure your content with clear headings (H1, H2, H3)
Use one H1 that matches or closely mirrors your target keyword. Break the content into sections with H2s that cover the main subtopics — these should mirror the questions your audience is asking. H3s for supporting detail beneath each section.
Surfer SEO's heading suggestions are based on NLP analysis of top-ranking pages. Following them ensures your structure aligns with what Google expects to see for your keyword.
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Include semantically related terms throughout the content
Modern SEO isn't about keyword density — it's about semantic completeness. Include related terms, synonyms, and entity references that appear naturally in content about your topic. These NLP signals tell Google your content is comprehensive.
Surfer's NLP term suggestions are the gold standard here. WriterZen's content brief also surfaces semantic terms — at a lower price point if Surfer is outside your budget.
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Optimise images with alt text and compression
Every image needs descriptive alt text that includes relevant keywords where natural. Compress all images before uploading — aim for under 100KB per image. Use descriptive file names (not 'image001.jpg') that reflect the content.
Rank Math's image SEO checker flags missing alt text across your WordPress site and lets you bulk-edit alt tags. Seobility's audit catches image issues across any CMS.
Budget alternative: Seobility (from $0/mo)