What Is On-Page SEO 2025 – Step by Step

March 31, 2025

William Öhman

SEO

This post is the first of three in which we will dive deep into the different categories of SEO: On-Page SEO, Off-Page SEO, and Technical SEO.

What Does SEO Mean?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, refers to various techniques aimed at improving a website’s ranking and visibility within search engines’ organic results. This leads to increased traffic to your site and more potential customers.

What Is On-Page SEO?

On-Page SEO is about optimizing the content on your page. This includes texts, titles, images, meta descriptions, and everything a visitor sees when they land on the page. It also covers optimizing heading tags (H1–H6), internal links, and URL structure.

A clear and descriptive URL structure is important for both user experience and for helping search engines understand your site’s content.

Why Is On-Page SEO Important?

Making sure your page contains relevant information is a crucial step in your SEO strategy. If your page lacks relevant content, search engines have no reason to feature it in their results.

You achieve this by crafting clear, engaging page titles and meta descriptions that accurately reflect the page’s content. This improves your chances of appearing in search results and increases your click-through rate.

How Does On-Page SEO Work?

On-Page SEO works by enhancing the factors on your website that affect its searchability and relevance for specific keywords and phrases. This includes optimizing:

  • Content itself

  • Internal linking structure

  • Page titles (title tags)

  • Meta descriptions

  • Images (file names, alt-text)

By placing relevant keywords and phrases in the right spots—titles, opening paragraphs, headings, and meta tags—you increase the likelihood that your site will rank highly for those terms. Today, however, the focus has shifted from strict keyword density toward creating high-quality, engaging content.

How to Optimize for Relevant Content

On-Page SEO is broad, and it can be hard to know where to start. We recommend beginning with these steps:

1. Conduct Keyword Research

Use tools like Ahrefs or Semrush (or free options like Google Search Console) to discover which keywords you and your competitors currently rank for—and which terms you want to target. Identify:

  • Keywords you already rank for

  • Competitor keywords

  • High-potential new keywords

A thorough keyword analysis lets you create content that aligns with what your audience is searching for.

2. Place Keywords Strategically

  • Include your target keyword in the title tag and within the first 100 words of the body text.

  • Prioritize readability and natural language over hitting a specific density.

  • Use synonyms and related terms to improve contextual relevance—Google increasingly values user experience and semantic understanding.

Topic Clusters

Topic clusters help you organize content around core themes:

  1. Pillar Page: A comprehensive guide on a broad topic (e.g., “Fundamentals of Training”).

  2. Cluster Content: Individual pages on subtopics (e.g., strength training, cardio training, flexibility exercises) that link back to the pillar page.

This pyramid structure boosts both user navigation and SEO by signaling to search engines that your pillar page is the authoritative resource on that subject.

Recommended SEO Tools

At minimum, use a keyword-research tool—free or paid:

  • Google Search Console (free)

  • Ahrefs or Semrush (paid)

These tools tell you which keywords you rank for now and reveal competitor performance to guide your strategy.

Write for Users First

“Content is king” remains true in SEO. Create meaningful, relevant, and engaging content that answers users’ questions. Align every page with its search intent:

  1. List your target keywords in a spreadsheet.

  2. Assign each keyword a presumed search intent (informational, transactional, navigational).

  3. Match each page’s content against that intent.

If a page doesn’t satisfy its users’ search intent, revise it to deliver exactly what visitors expect.

Meta Descriptions & Titles

  • Craft unique, keyword-rich meta descriptions that entice clicks without overstuffing.

  • Write clear, descriptive title tags that include your target keywords.

Engaging, Readable Content

  • Use simple, straightforward language—avoid jargon and redundancy.

  • Break up long text with headings, lists, and bullet points.

  • Incorporate images, videos, and other multimedia to enrich the user experience.

  • Ensure your URL, H1, and introductory paragraph all clearly communicate the page’s topic.

Regular Updates

On-Page SEO is an ongoing process. Keep content fresh and relevant by:

  • Adding new information or examples

  • Updating statistics and dates

  • Refining headlines and summaries

Consistency maintains both user engagement and search-engine favor.

URL Optimization

  • Use short, descriptive URLs containing your main keyword.

  • Avoid unnecessary parameters or stop words.

  • Example:

    arduino
    https://yourdomain.com/seo-on-page-2025

Placing Content “Above the Fold”

  • Put the most important information at the top of the page so users see it without scrolling.

  • Engagement metrics improve when visitors immediately find value.

Featured Snippets (“Position Zero”)

To target featured snippets:

  1. Identify question-style, long-tail queries.

  2. Structure answers clearly under appropriate headings (H2/H3).

  3. Provide concise responses (50–60 words).

  4. Use ordered/unordered lists or tables when appropriate.

Image SEO

  • File Names: Rename IMG123.jpg → red-car.jpg.

  • Compression: Reduce file size to improve page-load speed.

  • Alt-Text: Write concise, descriptive alt text that explains the image content for both accessibility and SEO.

Voice Search SEO

  • Optimize for conversational, question-style queries.

  • Target longer, natural-language phrases.

  • Prioritize local terms if you serve nearby customers.

  • Ensure fast mobile performance for voice-search results.

Mobile Optimization

  • Implement responsive design to adapt to all screen sizes.

  • Keep key content “above the fold” on mobile.

  • Use clear, tappable buttons and forms.

  • Shorten text blocks and optimize images for quick loading.

Google prioritizes mobile-friendly sites in its rankings.

Internal Linking & Navigation

  • Link relevant pages together using descriptive anchor text (avoid “click here”).

  • Build a logical menu structure that highlights your most important pages.

  • Internal links help search engines crawl and understand your site hierarchy.

Technical On-Page SEO

  • Page Speed: Optimize images, enable caching, and minimize heavy scripts.

  • Mobile-First: Ensure your site performs flawlessly on smartphones and tablets.

  • Security: Use HTTPS to protect user data and gain a slight ranking boost.

Off-Page SEO Relationship

Off-Page SEO—backlinks, social shares, and online reputation—amplifies your On-Page efforts. But without a solid On-Page foundation, off-site tactics will yield limited results. First optimize your content and structure, then pursue external signals.

Summary

On-Page SEO is essential for boosting your site’s visibility and rankings. By continually refining content, meta elements, URLs, and technical factors, you build a strong base that supports both Off-Page and Technical SEO—paving the way to sustained growth and authority in 2025 and beyond.