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Amol Ghemud Published: February 28, 2019
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When people hear the term ‘SEO optimized article’, they think of it as some kind of bad practice. But it’s not so. Search engines are a set of algorithms. They take a look at numerable factors in order to rank your page for certain keywords.
Sometimes, despite writing a good blog you may not be able to rank on the first page of SERP. The biggest reason behind this is that you are not paying attention to SEO. Following are some of the on-page SEO techniques which will help you to rank on the first page.
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1. Word Count Per Post
Search engines consider a post as less informative if that post has a lower word count. Such posts don’t perform well on search engines.
Image: Word count per post
As per new standards, a post must contain at least 1000 words. It’s always better to provide long-form content in your blog posts. Writing long-form content becomes even more important when you are targeting highly competitive keywords.
Even though there is no official confirmation from search engines on what should be the ideal length of a post, longer posts tend to rank higher as they contain more information. At the same time one must ensure that you are not overdoing it.
2. Write Engaging Content
One must write engaging content on your website. You can hire a content writer for this job as quality content helps to drive large traffic on your website.
You can’t get away by posting low-quality content on your website. If you try this, you will surely fail. Your post must be able to give detailed information about your target keyword.
One must learn the technique of engaging your audience. You must ask for questions from the audience and then try to answer them through your blog posts. Understand what does your audience wants to read exactly and write accordingly.
If you are not able to write engaging content then the audience won’t spend much time on your website and this will lead to an increase in bounce rate, thus damaging your rankings.
3. Blog Post Title
Titles remain critical. In 2026, research shows that 40–60 characters for titles work best for both clicks and SEO. Place your target keyword naturally, ideally near the beginning, and avoid repetition.
Image: Blog post title
4. Post Permalink Structure
This is one of the most important on-page metrics. One must ensure that the URL is displayed correctly. It is necessary to include the targeted keyword in the URL.
One must avoid using symbols, brackets, special characters, commas, etc. in the URL. Make use of dashes to separate the strings in your URL structure. They are called “pretty” permalinks and are supported by the majority of the browsers.
5. Heading Tags
H1, H2, H3 tags remain important for structure. In 2026, heading hierarchy also helps AI-driven search algorithms understand topic context. Use H1 for the title only, and H2/H3 for sub-sections. Avoid unnecessary repetition.
6. Keyword Density
When it comes to keyword density, there is no magic formula. One must keep the keyword density between 2-2.5% with a mix of LSI keywords. This means if your post contains 1000 words, then your targeted keyword must be mentioned at least 20 times in the post.
Google hasn’t revealed what should be the exact keyword density yet. It is recommended that one must use the keyword once in the first paragraph and once in the last paragraph of a post.
The targeted keyword must also be used wherever it makes sense in the post.
7. Meta Tags
One must add a meta description to every blog post. It should be unique and relevant. Also, one must use the targeted keyword in the meta description. At the same time, one must ensure that the targeted keyword is not repeated unnecessarily in the meta tag.
The meta description should be user-friendly and easy to understand. It should make sense and must be related to your post. Google has cleared that it doesn’t care about meta keywords.
But some search engines like Bing still care a little about them.
8. Images
Image optimization is one of the best techniques to drive traffic to your website from image searches. Images are capable of creating user engagement.
The more engaged a user is, the more time they will spend on your website, thus helping to boost your rank in SERP.
But there is one thing you must take care of.
The images shouldn’t be large in size and it slows down your website. Having a slow load time decreases your Google rank. So it becomes mandatory to compress images while using them on your website.
9. Internal Linking
One must place links to related posts inside your blog. It causes readers to spend more time on your website, which in turn helps to increase page rank of other pages on your website. Make use of a keyword as anchor text while interlinking.
Image: Internal linking
But you must ensure that you are not overdoing it. Internal linking helps to show search engines that you are providing additional information apart from what is being displayed in the content. But make sure that interlinking is not forced and is completely natural.
10. External Linking
Linking to an external website is also one of the best SEO practices. But you must do this only if the external website in relevant to the information provided by you in your blog post.
You must link to trusted websites only while external linking. But if you have a doubt about the authority of a website then use a no-follow tag to prevent passing your link juice to the bad sites.
It is recommended that you use a do-follow link for trusted websites and no-follow links for the less trusted ones. This will make your site appear more credible to search engines.
Conclusion
On‑page SEO in 2026 goes beyond keywords, it’s about aligning content with user intent, engagement, and comprehensive answers. AI-driven algorithms now evaluate dwell time, content depth, and semantic relevance, with AI-generated summaries appearing in 25.8% of U.S. searches, changing how content is discovered.
By focusing on relevance, accessibility, and continuous optimization, businesses can boost rankings, drive organic traffic, and convert visitors into loyal customers, keeping their site future-ready in 2026’s competitive search landscape.
Watch: 10 On-Page SEO Techniques to Rank on the First Page
For Curious Minds
The concept of an SEO optimized article has matured far beyond simple keyword stuffing into a sophisticated practice focused on user value and structural clarity. Modern search algorithms reward content that provides comprehensive answers and an excellent user experience, making a holistic approach non-negotiable for visibility. A well-optimized article signals quality and relevance to search engines by integrating key on-page elements correctly. These include:
Engaging Content: Writing that holds reader attention reduces bounce rates, a critical user engagement signal.
Logical Structure: Using H1, H2, and H3 tags correctly creates a clear hierarchy that helps both users and AI crawlers understand the content's flow and main points.
Descriptive Metadata: Unique meta descriptions act as compelling summaries in search results, encouraging clicks.
Focusing on these areas demonstrates that your content is not just keyword-rich but also genuinely informative and user-friendly, which is what algorithms are designed to find. To see how these elements work together, explore the complete guide to on-page techniques.
The strategic purpose of technical on-page SEO is to provide a clear roadmap for search engines, helping them index and understand your content's context and authority. Clean URLs and a logical heading structure are direct signals of a well-organized page, which AI crawlers favor. This foundational work ensures your high-quality content is discoverable and correctly interpreted. For example, a permalink that includes your target keyword gives search engines an immediate clue about the page's topic before they even process the content. Similarly, a proper heading hierarchy (one H1, followed by H2s and H3s) breaks down the information into thematic sections, establishing a clear topical map. These signals are crucial for ranking, especially as AI plays a larger role in contextual analysis. Discover more about structuring your posts for modern search engines by reading the full article.
Achieving balance between content length and user engagement requires focusing on value density rather than just word count. While longer posts over 1000 words tend to rank better because they offer more comprehensive information, they will fail if the content is not compelling. The optimal approach integrates depth with readability. To find the right balance, consider these factors:
Search Intent: Does the query demand a detailed, exhaustive answer or a quick, direct one? Analyze top-ranking pages to gauge audience expectations.
Content Structure: Break up long text with headings, bullet points, and images to make it scannable and digestible.
Value Proposition: Ensure every section adds distinct value. If you are adding words just to meet a quota, you risk increasing your bounce rate.
Ultimately, the goal is to create the most helpful resource for that specific keyword, regardless of its exact length. Learn more about writing content that satisfies both search engines and users in our detailed breakdown.
Applying a 2-2.5% keyword density means that in a 1000-word article, your main target keyword should appear approximately 20 to 25 times. This metric provides a tangible guideline for ensuring the topic remains focused without appearing spammy to algorithms. The key is to integrate keywords naturally where they make sense. For a 1000-word post, this would involve:
Placing the keyword once in the first paragraph to establish the topic early.
Including it once in the final paragraph to reinforce the theme.
Distributing the remaining 18-23 mentions logically throughout the body, including in some subheadings (H2s or H3s).
Supplementing with LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords to build contextual relevance.
This measured approach is supported by long-standing SEO observations that show moderate, well-placed keyword usage correlates with higher rankings, while excessive repetition can be flagged as keyword stuffing. Dive deeper into the nuances of keyword placement by reviewing the complete set of recommendations.
Crafting a title within the 40-60 character limit is crucial for ensuring it displays fully in search results, maximizing click-through rates. Placing the primary keyword at the beginning immediately confirms the content's relevance to the searcher. An effective title merges the keyword with a compelling hook. For example, if your target keyword is "on-page seo techniques," compare these options:
Poor: A Guide to Better Website Ranking with SEO
Good: On-Page SEO Techniques: A 2026 Guide (36 chars)
Excellent: 7 On-Page SEO Techniques to Rank Higher Now (43 chars)
The excellent example works because it leads with the keyword phrase, uses a number to attract attention, and includes a benefit-driven promise, all while staying within the optimal length. Mastering this skill is fundamental to on-page success, and you can find more title optimization strategies in the full post.
A B2B tech company can systematically structure a new blog post to rank for service keywords by following a clear on-page SEO workflow. This ensures that every element signals relevance and quality to search engines from the moment of publication. A methodical approach transforms a good article into a high-ranking asset. Follow these steps:
URL Structure: Create a clean, "pretty" permalink that includes the target keyword (e.g., /blog/cloud-data-integration-strategies).
Title and H1 Tag: Make the post's title the single H1 tag, placing the keyword near the beginning and keeping it under 60 characters.
Headings: Organize the content with H2 tags for main sections and H3 tags for sub-points, naturally incorporating semantic keywords.
Content and Keywords: Write at least 1000 words of in-depth content, maintaining a 2-2.5% keyword density and including the keyword in the first and last paragraphs.
Meta Description: Write a unique meta description under 160 characters that includes the keyword and a compelling call-to-action to encourage clicks from the SERP.
Executing this process consistently builds topical authority and improves search visibility. Uncover more advanced implementation tips in the complete guide.
Content strategists must evolve their on-page SEO practices by shifting from a purely technical checklist to a more context-driven, user-centric model. As AI algorithms grow more sophisticated, they will increasingly prioritize content that demonstrates deep expertise and directly satisfies user intent. Future-proofing your SEO means optimizing for comprehension, not just keywords. Key strategic adjustments include:
Focusing on Topical Authority: Instead of one-off articles, build clusters of content around core topics to signal expertise.
Structuring for AI: Use clear heading hierarchies (H1, H2, H3) not just for readability but to help AI understand the logical relationships within your content.
Prioritizing User Engagement: Write highly engaging content that keeps users on the page longer, as metrics like bounce rate will become even stronger ranking signals.
Staying ahead requires treating search engines as sophisticated sense-making machines rather than simple crawlers. To learn how to prepare for the next generation of search, read the full analysis.
One of the most common yet overlooked on-page SEO mistakes is a poorly constructed permalink, or URL structure. Businesses often use default URLs generated by their CMS, which may contain irrelevant numbers, dates, or symbols, failing to signal the page's topic to search engines. A clean, keyword-rich URL is a foundational element of discoverability. A weak URL (e.g., `yoursite.com/p?123`) provides no context, whereas a strong one (`yoursite.com/blog/on-page-seo-techniques`) is immediately understandable to both users and crawlers. Fixing this issue involves:
Editing Permalinks: Before publishing, always customize the URL slug to include your primary keyword.
Using Dashes: Separate words with dashes, as they are the standard and preferred separator for search engines.
Avoiding Special Characters: Omit any symbols, brackets, or commas from the URL to prevent indexing issues.
Correcting this simple error can have a significant impact on rankings. For a deeper look at other common mistakes and their solutions, check out the full article.
The correct way to integrate keywords is to prioritize natural language and user experience over rigid repetition. Modern search engines are designed to detect and penalize keyword stuffing, so a natural, varied approach is essential for long-term success. Think of keywords as guideposts for your topic, not as mandatory inclusions in every other sentence. To avoid over-optimization:
Use Synonyms and LSI Keywords: Incorporate related terms and concepts. For "on-page SEO," you might use phrases like "content optimization," "page structure," and "meta tag best practices."
Place Keywords Strategically: Ensure the primary keyword appears in high-impact locations like the title, H1 tag, URL, and the first paragraph, then use it sparingly elsewhere.
Read it Aloud: If the text sounds robotic or forced, it is likely over-optimized. Revise sentences to improve flow and readability.
This method signals strong relevance without sacrificing quality. Discover how to perfect this balance in our detailed guide to on-page best practices.
Systematically auditing existing blog posts requires a structured approach to identify and correct on-page SEO weaknesses. This process can significantly boost the performance of older content by aligning it with current best practices. Treat your content library as a dynamic asset that needs regular maintenance. A practical audit plan includes these key actions:
Permalink Review: Check if your URLs are clean and contain the target keyword. If not, implement 301 redirects from the old URL to a new, optimized one to preserve link equity.
Heading Tag Analysis: Ensure each post has a single H1 tag (usually the title) and a logical hierarchy of H2 and H3 tags for subtopics.
Meta Description Optimization: Identify posts with missing, duplicate, or truncated meta descriptions. Rewrite them to be unique, compelling, and include the primary keyword.
Performing this audit quarterly can uncover hidden opportunities to improve rankings and traffic. For a complete checklist to guide your content audit, explore the full article.
Writing engaging content is critical for modern SEO because search engines interpret low bounce rates and high time-on-page as strong signals of quality and relevance. When a user quickly leaves your page, it suggests the content did not satisfy their query, which can negatively impact your rankings over time. Audience retention is now a direct reflection of content value. To make your posts more compelling, you should:
Ask and Answer Questions: Frame your content around the specific questions your audience is asking.
Use a Conversational Tone: Write directly to the reader in a clear, accessible style.
Incorporate Multimedia: Add relevant images, infographics, or videos to break up text and illustrate points.
Encourage Interaction: End your posts with a question or a call to action to prompt comments and engagement.
These techniques help create a better user experience, encouraging visitors to stay longer and explore more of your site. Learn more ways to captivate your audience in the complete guide.
The long-term implication of search engines prioritizing user engagement is that content quality and audience satisfaction will become the most dominant ranking factors. This trend shifts the focus from a purely technical, box-checking exercise to a deeply audience-centric strategy where empathy and value are paramount. Your primary goal is no longer to please a crawler, but to delight a human reader. This fundamental shift requires that you:
Invest in Audience Research: Deeply understand what your audience wants to read, not just what keywords they search for.
Prioritize Clarity and Readability: Make your content easy to consume and understand, as confused readers will quickly leave.
Build Trust and Authority: Create comprehensive, well-researched content that establishes you as a credible source of information.
In the future, the most successful SEO strategies will be virtually indistinguishable from excellent content marketing. Uncover how this evolution impacts your digital strategy by reading the full post.
Amol has helped catalyse business growth with his strategic & data-driven methodologies. With a decade of experience in the field of marketing, he has donned multiple hats, from channel optimization, data analytics and creative brand positioning to growth engineering and sales.
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