petrogurcak/on-page-seo

On-Page SEO

When to use this skill:

• Optimizing page content for specific target keywords
• Building entity authority and Knowledge Graph presence
• Auditing on-page SEO elements (titles, headers, internal links)
• Improving topical authority through content siloing
• Applying E-E-A-T framework to content

When NOT to use:

• Technical SEO issues (crawl errors, page speed, robots.txt) → use technical-seo
• Link building and outreach → use link-building
• AI search / GEO optimization → use ai-ready
• Structured data / JSON-LD implementation → use schema-markup
• Image optimization (formats, compression, lazy loading) → use image-seo

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Quick Router

| User says... | Go to... | | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | | "optimize page", "on-page SEO", "title tag", "keywords" | Phase 1: On-Page SEO | | "Knowledge Graph", "entity", "schema types", "siloing" | Phase 2: Entity SEO | | "E-E-A-T", "author credentials", "trustworthiness" | Phase 3: E-E-A-T Framework | | "technical SEO", "speed", "Core Web Vitals" | → Use technical-seo skill | | "backlinks", "link building", "outreach" | → Use link-building skill | | "JSON-LD", "structured data", "rich results" | → Use schema-markup skill | | "AI search", "ChatGPT", "Perplexity", "GEO" | → Use ai-ready skill |

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Core Framework: Four Pillars of SEO

1. RELEVANCE → Does your content match search intent?
2. CRAWLABILITY → Can search engines find and index your content?
3. ENGAGEMENT → Do users interact positively with your content?
4. AUTHORITY → Do other sites vouch for your content?

Success = All four pillars working together

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Phase 1: On-Page SEO (8 Tablets)

Source: Will Coombe "3 Months to No.1"

Tablet 1: URL Structure

• Rule: Max 5 words, include primary keyword
• Structure: domain.com/category/keyword-phrase
• Checklist:
  • [ ] URL contains primary keyword
  • [ ] Max one subdirectory from root
  • [ ] No special characters or numbers
  • [ ] Hyphens between words (not underscores)

Example: healthyliving.com/best-vegetarian-diet ✓

Tablet 2: Title Tags

• Rule: Unique title per page, keyword at start
• Format: Primary Keyword | Secondary | Brand
• Length: 50-60 characters
• Checklist:
  • [ ] Primary keyword in first 3 words
  • [ ] Unique across entire site
  • [ ] Compelling for CTR (not just keywords)

Example: Vegetarian Diet Plan | Complete Guide | HealthyLiving

Tablet 3: Header Structure (H1-H6)

• Rule: One H1 per page with primary keyword
• Structure:

  H1: Primary keyword (only one)
  H2: Main sections (include LSI keywords)
  H3: Subsections
  H4+: Details
  

• Checklist:
  • [ ] Exactly one H1 tag
  • [ ] H1 matches/relates to title tag
  • [ ] Logical hierarchy (no skipping levels)
  • [ ] H2s contain secondary keywords

Tablet 4: Keyword Density

• Rule: 1-2% density for primary keyword
• Placement priority:
  1. First 100 words
  2. Last 100 words
  3. At least one H2
  4. Naturally throughout
• Warning: Over-optimization penalty at >3%

Tablet 5: LSI Keywords (Latent Semantic Indexing)

• Rule: Include related terms to establish topical authority
• How to find:
  • Google "related searches" at bottom of SERP
  • Google autocomplete suggestions
  • People Also Ask boxes
  • Tools: LSIGraph, Clearscope, SurferSEO
• Checklist:
  • [ ] 5-10 LSI terms per 1000 words
  • [ ] Used naturally in context
  • [ ] Included in H2/H3 where relevant

Tablet 6: Images & Alt Tags

• Rule: Include alt text with primary keyword on first image.
• For comprehensive image optimization (formats, compression, lazy loading, visual search) → see image-seo skill.

Tablet 7: Outbound Links

• Rule: Link to 1-2 authoritative external sources
• Requirements:
  • High authority sites (Wikipedia, .gov, .edu, industry leaders)
  • NOT direct competitors
  • Relevant to content topic
• Checklist:
  • [ ] 1-2 outbound links per article
  • [ ] Links to authoritative sources
  • [ ] Opens in new tab
  • [ ] Adds value for reader

Tablet 8: Topic Relevance (Internal Linking)

• Rule: Create 3-4 supporting articles linking to main page
• Strategy:
  • Main page targets primary keyword
  • Supporting pages target related long-tail keywords
  • All supporting pages link to main page
• Example:
  • Main: "Vegetarian Diet"
  • Supporting: "10 Famous Vegetarians", "Weight Loss Tricks", "Vegetarian Recipes"
  • All link back to main page

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Technical SEO Quick-Check

Before publishing any page, verify these 5 essentials. For a full technical audit → see technical-seo skill.

• [ ] LCP < 2.5s — Largest Contentful Paint passes Core Web Vitals threshold
• [ ] robots.txt valid — Page is not accidentally blocked from crawling
• [ ] Sitemap submitted — Page is included in XML sitemap submitted to GSC
• [ ] Canonical tags — Self-referencing canonical set; no conflicting canonicals
• [ ] HTTPS — Page served over HTTPS, no mixed content warnings

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Phase 2: Entity SEO

Source: Dixon Jones "Entity SEO"

Core Concept

Shift from "strings" (keywords) to "things" (entities)

Entity SEO helps Google understand WHO you are, WHAT you do, and HOW you relate to other entities in the Knowledge Graph.

Knowledge Graph Fundamentals

Semantic Triples: Subject → Predicate → Object

• "Freddie Mercury" → "is member of" → "Queen"
• "Your Brand" → "provides" → "SEO Services"

Deduction: Google derives new facts from existing relationships

• If: "Freddie Mercury is in Queen" AND "Queen is a rock band"
• Then: "Freddie Mercury is a rock musician"

Building Your Entity

Step 1: Check if Google knows you

Use Knowledge Graph Search API:
https://kgsearch.googleapis.com/v1/entities:search?query=YOUR_BRAND&key=API_KEY

If you have an ID (e.g., kg:/m/012g06h), use it in structured data.

Step 2: Establish Entity Home

• One authoritative page that defines your entity
• Usually your About page or homepage
• Contains comprehensive, consistent information

Step 3: Trusted Seeds Strategy

| Source | Impact | Difficulty | |--------|--------|------------| | Wikipedia | Very High | Very Hard | | Wikidata | High | Medium | | Industry directories | Medium | Easy | | News mentions | Medium | Medium | | Social profiles | Low | Easy |

"Affiliation Strategy": If you can't get your own Wikipedia page, get mentioned on pages of entities you're connected to (employers, partners, associations).

Step 4: Digital Assets Creation

• [ ] Publish book with ISBN
• [ ] Create YouTube channel (linked to brand)
• [ ] IMDB listing (if applicable)
• [ ] Podcast on major platforms
• [ ] LinkedIn company page
• [ ] Crunchbase profile (for startups)

Structured Data for Entity SEO

For JSON-LD implementation → see schema-markup skill.

Schema types by page (reference — implement via schema-markup):

| Page Type | Schema | |-----------|--------| | Homepage | Organization, WebSite | | About | Organization, Person | | Product | Product, Offer | | Article | Article, NewsArticle | | FAQ | FAQPage | | How-to | HowTo | | Event | Event | | Local Business | LocalBusiness |

Internal Link Graph (Siloing)

Structure content into topical clusters:

Pillar Page (main topic)
├── Cluster 1: Subtopic A
│   ├── Article 1.1
│   ├── Article 1.2
│   └── Article 1.3
├── Cluster 2: Subtopic B
│   ├── Article 2.1
│   └── Article 2.2

Rules:

• All cluster articles link to pillar page
• Cluster articles interlink within cluster
• Pillar pages link to each other sparingly
• Use descriptive anchor text (not "click here")

SEU Metric (Search Engine Understanding)

Goal: Maximize Google's ability to extract entities from your content.

Checklist:

• [ ] Clear, unambiguous language
• [ ] Entities explicitly named (not just pronouns)
• [ ] Relationships stated clearly
• [ ] Structured data matches content
• [ ] Consistent naming across site

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Phase 3: E-E-A-T Framework

Source: The Art of SEO (4th Edition)

Components

| Letter | Meaning | Description | | ------ | --------------------- | -------------------------------- | | E | Experience | First-hand experience with topic | | E | Expertise | Formal knowledge/credentials | | A | Authoritativeness | Industry recognition | | T | Trustworthiness | Site reliability and honesty |

YMYL (Your Money Your Life)

Extra scrutiny for topics affecting:

• Health and safety
• Financial information
• Legal advice
• News and current events
• Shopping/transactions
• Groups of people

E-E-A-T Implementation Checklist

Experience:

• [ ] Author has demonstrated experience (case studies, examples)
• [ ] First-person accounts where relevant
• [ ] "Tested and reviewed" content

Expertise:

• [ ] Author bios with credentials
• [ ] Qualifications stated clearly
• [ ] Expert contributors credited

Authoritativeness:

• [ ] Backlinks from authoritative sources
• [ ] Mentions in industry publications
• [ ] Awards and recognition displayed
• [ ] Association memberships shown

Trustworthiness:

• [ ] Clear contact information
• [ ] Physical address (if applicable)
• [ ] Privacy policy
• [ ] Terms of service
• [ ] HTTPS enabled
• [ ] References to authoritative sources
• [ ] Transparent editorial process
• [ ] Corrections policy

Content Audit for E-E-A-T

1. Remove thin content (pages with little value)
2. Add author information to all articles
3. Update outdated content (especially YMYL)
4. Add credentials where relevant
5. Link to authoritative sources
6. Remove or nofollow low-quality links

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Complete On-Page Checklist

Pre-Launch

• [ ] Keyword research completed
• [ ] Site architecture planned (siloing)
• [ ] Technical SEO baseline set (see technical-seo)
• [ ] Structured data implemented (see schema-markup)
• [ ] Core Web Vitals passing

On-Page (Per Page)

• [ ] URL optimized (Tablet 1)
• [ ] Title tag optimized (Tablet 2)
• [ ] Headers structured (Tablet 3)
• [ ] Keyword density 1-2% (Tablet 4)
• [ ] LSI keywords included (Tablet 5)
• [ ] First image has alt text with primary keyword (Tablet 6)
• [ ] Outbound links added (Tablet 7)
• [ ] Internal links added (Tablet 8)

Entity SEO

• [ ] Organization schema implemented (via schema-markup)
• [ ] Entity home page created
• [ ] Wikidata entry (if eligible)
• [ ] Consistent NAP across web
• [ ] sameAs links to social profiles

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Metrics & KPIs

Traditional SEO

| Metric | Tool | Target | | ------------------ | ------------------ | -------------------------- | | Organic Traffic | GA4 | ↑ Month over month | | Keyword Rankings | Ahrefs/SEMrush | Top 10 for target keywords | | Click-Through Rate | GSC | > Industry average | | Core Web Vitals | PageSpeed Insights | All green |

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Common Mistakes

1. Keyword stuffing → Use 1-2% density, include LSI
2. Ignoring technical SEO → Fix crawl errors first (use technical-seo)
3. Thin content → Comprehensive > frequent
4. Ignoring E-E-A-T → Critical for YMYL topics
5. Not tracking results → Set up GSC + GA4 first
6. Optimizing for rankings only → Focus on conversions
7. One-time optimization → SEO is ongoing
8. No internal linking → Build topic clusters

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Related Skills

• Keyword research: keyword-research
• Technical foundation: technical-seo
• Structured data: schema-markup
• Image optimization: image-seo
• Link building: link-building
• AI search: ai-ready
• Content writing: web-copy
• UX optimization: ux-optimization
• Full audit routing: seo-orchestrator

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Resources

Books Referenced

• "3 Months to No.1" - Will Coombe
• "Entity SEO" - Dixon Jones
• "Product-Led SEO" - Eli Schwartz
• "The Art of SEO" (4th Edition)

Tools

• Research: Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz
• Tracking: Google Search Console, GA4
• Content: Clearscope, SurferSEO, LSIGraph
• Entity: Knowledge Graph Search API, Wikidata

Key Experts

• Jason Barnard (Entity SEO, Kalicube)
• Dixon Jones (Knowledge Graph)
• Eli Schwartz (Product-Led SEO)
• Rand Fishkin (General SEO strategy)

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Remember: On-page SEO is about making your content maximally clear to both humans and search engines. Relevance and authority compound over time.