6 Steps to Improving Your SEO On-Page
In addition to improving your SEO externally, there's a lot you can do within your own website to get better search engine results — no agency required. Here are six steps to work through.
Step 1: Update Your Site Regularly
This is the single most important on-page SEO step. Static websites fall quickly in search engine rankings. Sites that are regularly updated perform significantly better. Keep your content current — and build in content types that naturally require regular updates, like a blog, news section, or resources page. Google rewards freshness. A site that hasn't changed in two years sends a quiet signal that it may not be worth surfacing.
Step 2: Blog for Authority, Likeability, and Expertise
Blogging goes hand-in-hand with regular updates, but it's much more than a freshness signal. A blog establishes authority, likeability, and expertise — three things that directly affect how Google (and potential clients) perceive your site. Authority is built through inbound links, visitor numbers, and the depth of your content. Likeability is about attracting people to return to your site. Expertise comes through in the quality and specificity of what you write. A site with demonstrated authority consistently outranks a site without it.
Step 3: Use Keywords Strategically
Include your primary keyword in the URL of the page where possible. Place keywords toward the top of your content — ideally in the first paragraph — and use them naturally 2–3 times in the opening section. Don't neglect your images: include keywords in the image filename, and in both the alt and title fields for every image. See How to Use Keywords for SEO for a full breakdown.
Step 4: Link Internally Between Pages
Link to other relevant content on your own site using descriptive anchor text. Instead of "click here," write something like "see our guide to keyword research" — the linked text signals to Google what the destination page is about. Good internal linking distributes authority across your site, helps search engines understand your content structure, and keeps visitors engaged longer. Every page should be reachable from at least one other page.
Step 5: Display Your Business Name on Every Page
Make sure your business name appears on every page of your site — typically in the header, footer, or both. If you serve a local market, include your physical address as well. This increases the likelihood that search engines will correctly associate your business name and location with relevant local searches. It's a small thing that adds up, particularly for local SEO.
Step 6: Use Headlines Throughout Your Content
Headlines don't just improve readability — search engines actively look for them. Use keywords within your headlines where natural. In HTML, headlines come in six sizes (H1 through H6). Use only one H1 per page, at the top, as your primary title. Use H2 and H3 subheadings throughout the body of the page to structure your content. This hierarchy helps both readers and search engines understand what a page is about and how it's organized.