4 Types of On-Page SEO Services

On-page SEO is an essential part of search engine optimization. Without optimizing for on-page factors, technical SEO and off-page SEO lose their importance.

In this article, we’re going to cover four types of on-page SEO services that will help ensure your website content is optimized for search engines.

What is on-page SEO?

On-page SEO (or “on-site SEO”) is the process of optimizing the content on a website for search engines and users.

“Performing” on-page SEO includes writing content, and optimizing metadata, URLs, page speed, and internal links. Essentially any optimization for SEO and users on the page itself is classified as on-page SEO.

Why is on-page SEO important?

On-page SEO is important because when a page is optimized for on-site factors, such as having well-written content and optimized metadata, this provides search engines with clarity about the contents of a page and where it belongs in SERPs (search engine results pages).

When a page is optimized for on-site factors, your content will rank better. Higher search engine positioning for relevant and valuable keywords will draw more organic visitors to your website and help you achieve your business goals.

What are on-page SEO services?

On-page SEO services are services specifically focused on optimizing content for search engines. The purpose of on-page SEO services is to help you rank your pages high in search engines for specific keywords you’re targeting.

There are multiple aspects to on-page SEO, so the services you commission could involve helping with everything from content writing to page speed, or just one service in which you may lack the time, resources, or expertise to execute.

Who offers these services? 

There are many providers offering on-page SEO services, including:

• SEO companies
• Digital marketing agencies
• Content writing agencies
• Content marketing agencies
• SEO and content marketing consultants
• Freelancers

Types of on-page SEO services

As a whole, on-page optimization can be categorized into four types of services. Often these services are provided together in packaged solutions. In other cases, they are offered separately.

1. SEO copywriting

SEO copywriting is the process of writing copy that performs well in search engines (ranking high for specific keywords people are searching for).

SEO copywriting services provide you with different types of copy, such as articles, landing pages, press releases, and product descriptions, with the aim of ranking for specific keywords and attracting more organic visitors to your website.

The backbone of on-page SEO is content. Good content is a prerequisite for all other aspects of on-page SEO to work—it’s the most important.

Good SEO copywriting isn’t all about keywords. In fact, keywords are a small part of it. SEO copy that performs well comes down to writing content that fulfills the search intent of users.

To write great copy for search engines:

• Know who you’re targeting
• Know what they’re searching for
• Write copy that satisfies their intent

Bad SEO copy is written for robots. It’s stuffed with keywords in an effort to “trick” search engines. Good SEO copy is written for humans based on what they’re searching for.

2. Keyword research

Keyword research is the process of discovering keywords.

The goal with keyword research is to find “ideal” keywords that are:

• Searched often
• Non-competitive
• Valuable 
• Relevant

Keyword research tools allow you to find the approximate search volume, keyword difficulty, and cost-per-click (CPC) of keywords. These factors help an SEO specialist determine whether a keyword is worth targeting.

Different keywords have a different “intent” behind them. Some are transactional and thus are best suited for landing pages. Others are “informational” and are therefore best suited for blog posts. 

Keyword research is important for on-page SEO as it lays the foundation for copy and other optimizations that follow. In some cases, keyword research services are coupled with copywriting. In other cases, depending on your needs, it’s used a separate service.

3. Metadata optimization

Metadata is “data about data”. In the context of SEO, metadata typically refers to the “meta title”, and “meta description”, which are two descriptive tags that provide search engines and users with information about what your pages are about.

Metadata is an important part of on-page SEO optimization. While it’s technically not “on” the page as it appears in SERPs, it’s part of the page’s data.

An SEO service that helps optimize your metadata will ensure that your meta titles and descriptions appeal to the correct search intent. 

Additionally, the service provider will ensure they are the right character length and that they are compelling so that people are enticed to click through to your pages.

Metadata is often offered alongside SEO copy, but in some cases, it’s ordered as a separate service. For example, you may do a content audit, and request metadata optimization for underperforming pages.

4. Page performance optimization

Page performance refers to improving a page’s speed and other factors that influence Core Web Vitals, which are measurements of user experience that apply to all pages. 

“Vitals” primarily focus on three aspects of a user’s experience:

• Loading (i.e., loading speed)
• How users interact with a page
• Visual stability

Improving page performance from all of these aspects is very important for user experience.

Consider the following.

You publish an incredible article. It’s optimized for the right keywords. It’s very valuable, even moreso than current top-ranking results.

However, the page loads incredibly slow.

This provides a poor user experience and may indirectly lead to fewer users reading the content and staying on the page.

This consequence can negatively affect the performance of your content in search engines.

On-page services that focus on page performance help improve factors like page speed, through actions such as minifying code and reducing image size.

These changes help improve user experience and ensure your pages meet Google’s minimum page performance criteria.

Signs of a great on-page SEO service provider

The easier part of the equation is knowing what you need help with.

The challenging part is finding a provider you can trust to do a great job for your company.

Regardless of if you’re considering working with an SEO company, content marketing agency, consultant, freelancer, etc. for your on-page SEO needs, the following list will help you determine who is legitimate.

1. They show you previous client results

If you ask a company to show you content they’ve helped either create or optimize and the corresponding results, and they can’t – this is a red flag.

Always ask to see evidence that they have helped clients achieve results, ideally in a similar industry to yours.

Any legitimate company that knows what they’re doing will be able to share case studies or personally walk you through a case study.

2. Their own website content is optimized and performing well

This is often overlooked as a sign of competence. If they themselves are not ranking well in search engines for their own industry keywords, then chances are, they also won’t be able to do the same for you.

As an SEO company, one would expect that they would be able to rank for keywords their target audience is searching for — in other words, do they “walk the talk”?

3. They have happy clients

Ignore reviews on their own website. Instead, take a look at reviews on third-party websites such as Google reviews, G2.com, Trustpilot, and Clutch.

If they have mostly positive reviews from previous clients, this is a good sign that they will also provide a service to you that you’ll be happy with.

4. They ask questions and provide suggestions

A great company will hop on a call with you, ask you questions, and seek to truly understand your goals. 

Furthermore, they will have the necessary expertise to guide you through things, give their reasoning behind recommendations, and be willing to provide you with constructive feedback.

The bottom line

On-page SEO is important for any company aiming to rank well in search engines.

Many companies choose to build an in-house SEO team to take care of on-page SEO. Others choose to outsource SEO services. Often companies decide to do both.

Regardless of which scenario best describes yours, the following services covered in this article are important to take care of for optimal results.

If you’re looking for SEO copywriting specifically, kindly book a free consultation, and let’s talk more about your content goals.