It is generally accepted that OffPage promotion efforts play a far more dominant role than OnPage SEO factors in affecting the position of a webpage in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). So, how much importance should be placed on the optimization of the HTML and content of your webpages? In a word, PLENTY. And here are three of the many reasons why.
Firstly, phrases like “anchor text” and “link popularity” are normally associated with off-page SEO efforts like getting links from other sites and making sure the text that links to your site is relevant to the content of the page on your site that the link points to. What is too often overlooked is the fact that these considerations are just as important when it comes to internal linking and the page structure within your own website. A large part of onpage SEO revolves around contextual linking between the various pages of your site. A relevant text link is a vote for that page, even if it comes from another one of your own pages.
Secondly, when it comes to local search, where your geographical location plays an important part in defining your target market, onpage optimisation can often be enough on its own to secure a good SERP ranking. Strategically placing geographical keywords, like towns, cities, counties, states and provinces, throughout the pages of your site can establish you as a dominant authority in your local marketplace.
Thirdly, and most importantly, I’m sure I don’t need to point out that offpage optimisation can often be really hard work. Offpage promotion predominantly comes down to getting quality backlinks to your site from other sites on the Internet. If your page contains keywords that relate to the anchor text used in the incoming link it helps the Search Engines to establish that your page deserves to be treated as an authority for the keywords you have optimised your page for. If your page has not been given any onpage optimisation you will almost certainly need more incoming links to achieve the same results.
So, I think it is fair to say that, a little bit of time spent on optimising your pages as you create them, can save you a lot of time and effort later, when you are trying to promote them. Onpage optimisation might not have the same power or influence as a link from a top authority site in your market but it is still definitely worth the effort when establishing a solid overall SEO strategy for your site. Ignore it at your peril.
© Andy Smith 2008