How to Improve Website Rankings with On-Page SEO
Rankings improve when a human writer owns one user question per page, opens with a clear 70-word answer, defines terms, and proves claims with small, visible evidence (tables, screenshots, measurements). Structure the page to match intent, show E-E-A-T on the page (experience, sources, methods), and keep it fast and stable. Use AI only to compile research, never to draft your voice. Interlink logically and refresh on schedule; measure and iterate.
What’s next
Below are the steps, definitions, and proof so you can do this without guesswork.
Why most on-page SEO fails: templates vs. fog
Open a SaaS blog: “In today’s fast-paced world, user experience is key.” Your eyes skip. That’s template-speak.
Open a hospital blog: “Holistic care paradigms optimise paediatric outcomes.” You reread and still can’t picture anything. That’s fog.
They fail for opposite reasons—one hides the point, the other hides the object—but share one cause: structure without style instinct. This guide builds that instinct so your SEO work has something alive to carry.
Make the familiar newly seeable
Habit dulls perception. Your job isn’t to invent new facts; it’s to renew how the reader sees a known thing. Do it with one angle shift and one precise detail.
Change who describes it (role), when (moment), or where (context).
Add one detail a stranger could sketch.
“Image optimisation improves UX.” → “Your hero image decides if the page feels fast. Export it at the display size, save as AVIF/WebP, and keep it under 120 KB.”
Same idea, now seeable—and rankable.
Keep the sightline clear
Write as if you and the reader stand side-by-side, looking at the same thing.
Actor before action.
Concrete nouns; doing verbs.
Kill scaffolding (“in this article…”, “it is important to note…”).
Split any sentence you can’t say out loud in one breath.
Two swaps to post above your desk
“Holistic care paradigms…” → “One nurse stays with your child from triage to discharge.”
“Our integrated solutions drive synergy.” → “We ship one change a day and watch refunds drop.”
Let strategy serve the writing: content → keywords → content (a loop)
Don’t start with a phrase list. Start with five real questions your audience asks. For each question:
Pick a primary phrase and 2–3 long-tails.
State the action you want the reader to take.
Decide the proof you’ll show (table, screenshot, tiny measurement).
Assign one page to that question.
Now your keyword plan is acceptance criteria for pages—not a spreadsheet you worship. Publish → measure → refine the question → update phrases → republish.
Match the page structure to the search intent
Phrases only work when the page matches why the person searched. Use the intent to choose what goes first, what gets proved, and what the reader does next.
Informational intent — the reader wants to learn
Open with a short, quotable answer that states the core fact or procedure in plain language. Follow with a step-by-step section that a novice could execute. Add a compact “Data/Specs” block (numbers, limits, versions) so claims are checkable. Close with common edge cases and a brief FAQ that mirrors how people actually ask.
Skeleton
Answer (60–80 copyright)
Steps written as imperative sentences
Data/Specs (targets, ranges, versions, dates)
Exceptions & troubleshooting
FAQ (3–5 real questions)
Tiny example
How to create a 301 redirect in Nginx → answer; steps with exact file path and snippet; note that try_files can override; FAQ on cache and testing.
Commercial investigation — the reader is choosing between options
Start by naming the audience and use-case (“best for…”). Define the 4–6 criteria that matter to this buyer and explain how to judge each one. Present a clean comparison table with two to four options. After the table, write short “Why/Why not” notes and declare a “best for” per option. End with guidance on how to decide in 30 seconds.
Skeleton
Who this is for (one sentence)
Decision criteria with 1–2 lines on how to assess each
Comparison table (Options × Criteria)
Why/Why not per option
Quick decision guide (“Choose A if…, B if…”)
Tiny example
Email tools for a 5-person team → criteria (price per seat, deliverability tools, automation depth, support SLAs) → table → “Pick Tool A if you need native warm-up; pick Tool B if you need visual flows.”
Transactional intent — the reader wants to complete an action
Lead with a one-line promise and place the primary call-to-action immediately beneath it. Put trust signals within the first screen: brief proof, guarantees, security notes. Anticipate friction with a four-question pre-purchase FAQ (price, compatibility, support, refunds). Keep copy terse and concrete; anything that does not reduce anxiety or clarify value should move below the fold.
Skeleton
Promise (what the action achieves)
Primary CTA
Trust & proof (one-line social proof, guarantee, compliance badge)
Pre-purchase FAQ (Price? Works with X? Support hours? Refunds?)
Secondary details (screenshots, feature list, testimonials)
Tiny example
“Start your 14-day trial” → CTA → “Used by 2,300 SMBs · Cancel anytime · PCI-DSS compliant” → FAQ covering billing cadence, integrations, support SLAs, refund policy.
Navigational intent — the reader is trying to reach a specific brand/page
Put the sought item at the top, unmissable: the download link, login, doc, address, or phone number. Offer the two or three most common next actions as large, labeled links. Provide a minimal description so users confirm they are in the right place, then add secondary links for related tasks. Avoid marketing copy; speed beats persuasion here.
Skeleton
Primary destination (button/link/input placed first)
Top tasks (2–3 prominent links)
Short confirmatory blurb (what this page is)
Related links (older versions, release notes, billing, support)
Tiny example
Driver page → “Download XYZ Driver (Windows 11, v2.3)” at the top → buttons for Mac/Linux → links to “Release notes,” “Previous versions,” “Installation guide.”
Common pitfalls to avoid across intents
Hiding the answer behind long scene-setting.
Mixing intents on one page (e.g., comparison copy on a transactional page).
Using vague criteria (“scalable,” “robust”) without a way to measure them.
Burying trust signals below the fold on transactional pages.
Writing FAQs that repeat headings instead of answering real objections.
Use this section as a checklist while outlining: pick the intent, apply the matching skeleton, and add one small proof object so the reader can act immediately.
Put E-E-A-T on the page
Readers—and crawlers—trust what they can see clearly
Experience: first-person steps, screenshots/photos, small measurements, failures, date and tool versions.
Expertise: correct definitions, scoped claims, links to primary sources/standards.
Authoritativeness: real byline and bio; a cluster of related pages.
Trust: timestamp, edit note (“Updated 18 Sep 2025 for v2.3”), citations, and a small Method box.
One-minute upgrade: add Assumptions & Method right under your answer: what you tested, when, and on which versions.
Use AI where it helps—and nowhere else
LLMs are great at compiling; weak at connotation and voice.
A safe, productive loop
Lock the user question and success action.
Ask an LLM for URLs only: standards, docs, policies, notable critiques.
Have it summarise each into a table (claim | source | date | counter-claim).
Close AI. You write the page: intro, answer, definitions, examples, screenshots, citations.
Optional: reopen AI to critique (flag fog, passive voice, missing concrete nouns). Don’t let it rewrite your style.
AI accelerates inputs; you provide the sentence that lands.
On-page mechanics that reward good prose
Title/H1: match the exact question.
Internal links: pillar → subtopic → proof; descriptive anchors.
Schema: Article + FAQ/HowTo/Product, honest lastmod.
Speed: quick first render, low script budget, no layout jumps read more (always set width/height).
Accessibility: alt text that mirrors entities; logical headings.
Read-aloud pass: if it sounds like you talking to a colleague, it’s ready.
Ship one page this week (a connected 7-day plan)
Day 1: pick one question; write the For line and the 70-word Answer.
Day 2: define terms; outline Steps / Data / Exceptions; gather sources with AI.
Day 3: capture proof (screens, table, small measurement).
Day 4: draft in your voice; add Method, bio, timestamp, citations.
Day 5: internal links, schema, performance fixes.
Day 6: read aloud; cut fluff; publish.
Day 7: measure; note improvements; set a refresh date.
Where to learn—without losing your voice
If you want to learn SEO optimization, choose training that forces weekly rewrites and before/after reporting.
If a flexible seo optimisation course suits you, insist on intent mapping, entity markup, E-E-A-T proofing, and live critique.
For a broader seo digital marketing course, make sure on-page writing, schema, Core Web Vitals, and analytics are all graded—and that the final project is a live before/after case study.
Conclusion
On-page SEO works when a human writer owns one question, answers it plainly, and proves it with small, checkable evidence. Match the page shape to intent, show E-E-A-T on the page (experience, sources, methods), keep it fast and stable, and update on a cadence you can sustain. Use AI to gather inputs—not to replace your voice. If you want to learn SEO optimization with structure, pick an seo optimisation course or a broader seo digital marketing course that makes you ship live before/after pages and measure what changed.