Dec
11
On-Page SEO is not about Optimization
Filed Under SEO
When performing on site optimization, it’s important to keep your eye on the ball.
Here’s a hint; SEO is not really about code and content optimization.
Seriously, many of us can’t see the forest through the trees. Stop looking at the trees, and start enjoying the beauty of the forest.
What do I mean by that? Most of the SEO discussion and articles about on-page optimization are looking at it backwards.
It’s not about performing the optimizations that the search engines are looking for. You know the drill…
- Optimized and Unique Title Tag
- Proper use of header, strong, list tags, etc.
- Link to related content using keyword rich anchor text
- Build content silos around a tightly focus niche
- etc. etc.
While that may work, you’re going through the motions but missing the entire point.
Here’s the point you may be missing.
It’s NOT about performing optimizations.
Search engines don’t want to return highly optimized pages. They really don’t.
It’s IS about making quality sites.
Search want to return high quality pages that are relevant to search terms.
So, on a page by page basis, how to you make a high quality site?
- Optimized and Unique Title Tag
- Proper use of header, strong, list tags, etc.
- Link to related content using keyword rich anchor text
- Build content silos around a tightly focus niche
- etc. etc.
Yes. That’s the same list you already saw.
So what’s different? Your perspective, the process, and the end result.
If you look at it from the pure SEO side, it’s entirely possible to “check-off” all the items on your list without really increasing, and possibly even reducing, the quality of the page for actual users.
If you look at it from the page quality side, but with an eye on SEO guided principles, you end up with a highly optimized quality page, because that was your goal. The more I look at things from this perspective, the more I see how SEO and page quality go hand-in-hand.
Google and (some of) the other search engines know this. They don’t pick their on-page weighting factors at random. They choose and weight them because they are generally indicators of higher quality pages for their search results.
Once your mental paradigm makes the shift, you will find yourself think less and less about optimizing pages, and more and more about how to actually make your pages better for users.
It only makes logical sense that building high quality pages is a better long term strategy that just trying to optimize content for the sake of optimizing content.
Stop giving search engine spiders optimized pages. Take the next step and start giving them the high quality pages they are really looking for in the first place.
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2 Responses to “On-Page SEO is not about Optimization”
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I agree…
Content is the ultimate for of optimization, in fact without great content, if a visitor visits the site and bounces right back out, that page, despite how many off page factors would not be in the top 10 very long as popularity and top 10 go hand in hand.
You have a point there… But I guess you would really have to go through all the optimizing if you want your content read. One of the best ways of letting other people actually make use or benefit from your page (your content) is being able to find it mostly at SERPS. They wouldn’t actually know if your site exists if you don’t advertise it - make it known. Aside from having much time and effort on making your site look its best, content does also matter that much as the look of it. Both contribute to the quality of your page as a whole. What can optimization do if people don’t learn anything from your site at all? Those sites just clutter the SERPS for that matter.
Its nice to know that from what you wrote about, it just goes to show that there are still people who remain determined to give more to others - and that is providing quality information from an equally reliable site.