10 On-Page SEO Factors You Need To Focus On

Most websites lose ranking because of tiny things. An H1 missing here, a bloated paragraph there, a page comforting humans but confusing Google, or content that says a lot while meaning nothing. 

But the people who manage websites every day, small business owners, junior SEO specialists, content managers, web developers, and even growth leads know it’s not that simple. Google doesn’t reward “pages that follow instructions. It rewards pages that understand intent, structure, clarity, and user flow better than the competition.

Here are 10 on-page SEO factors that matter today in real-world websites, especially for teams who need practical implementation, not theory.

1. Your Page Purpose Is Your Real Ranking Signal

Before a single keyword is placed, ask:

“What job is this page supposed to do?”

Not traffic, a job.

Is it supposed to convince? Educate? Compare? Reassure? Convert?

When your purpose is clear, your structure, headings, and content naturally align. This is the part most businesses skip, which is why a page built by a good SEO agency feels so much cleaner: it knows what it’s trying to achieve.

2. Header Hierarchy That Helps Google Understand Context

Most websites still use <h1> for design size, not structure.

Your page’s header hierarchy should reflect thinking order, not design order.

Correct flow:

H1 → H2 → H3 (only if needed)

This helps Google map your document like a human would. For web developers and designers, this single fix reduces 30% of indexation and readability issues.

3. URLs That Don’t Look Like a Filing Cabinet

Short. Predictable. Logical.

A clean URL instantly communicates page meaning to search engines.

Bad:

/services-category/best-marketing-services-agency-digital-2025-new/

Good:

/digital-marketing-services/

Google doesn’t penalise messy URLs, but clean ones help robots and humans move faster.

4. Content That Answers Questions in the Order Users Think of Them

This is the difference between ranking and bouncing.

Instead of writing paragraphs in your preferred order, write them in the reader's mental order:

1. What is this?

2. How does it work?

3. Will it help me?

4. What do I do next?

This is where AI SEO agency tools help, by detecting missing questions your page never addressed.

5. Keywords Are Less Important Than Entities

Most people still chase exact-match keywords.

But Google now maps entities' topics, concepts, and relationships.

Example:

Instead of stuffing “website speed optimisation”, cover:

• page load time

• LCP

• Core Web Vitals

• image compression

• CDNs

Google sees this as deeper topical authority. Keywords help you get discovered.

Entities help you stay indexed.

6. Internal Links That Work Like Hand-Holding

Internal links are not navigation; they’re guidance.

Each page should:

• link up to a parent page

• link across to a supporting page

• link down to a deeper explanation

This three-direction model increases dwell time and drastically reduces orphan pages.

7. Visual Weight: The Most Underrated SEO Factor

Not designed.

Visual weight is the balance between text blocks, white space, images, and headings.

A page with heavy blocks of text signals “hard work” to the reader.

A page with balanced spacing improves comprehension and reduces pogo-sticking.

No SEO checklist will tell you this, but growth marketers know:

Clean pages convert.

Clean pages rank.

8. Page Speed Is About Perception

Your page doesn’t have to load in 1 second.

It has to appear fast.

Prioritise:

• First contentful paint

• Interactivity

• Lazy loading images

Perceived speed is enough for users and for Google.

9. Schema: The Shortcut to Standing Out

Structured data isn’t optional anymore.

It helps Google understand your page formally, not just semantically.

At minimum, use:

• Article schema

• FAQ schema

• Product schema (if relevant)

Even a digital marketing agency can’t content its way out of missing schema.

10. E-E-A-T That’s Visible, Not Assumed

Google doesn’t trust you unless you show:

• author details

• linked profiles

• sources

• credentials

• company identity

This helps small businesses and junior SEOs prove that the content is real, credible, and safe.

Conclusion: 

Most of these factors are simply ignored.

When you apply them together, you’re not just optimising a page. You’re creating a structure that search engines understand and that users respond to.

If you need help implementing this level of clarity, be it through a structured content plan, technical improvements, or AI-driven insights, experts at Verve Media can step in as your strategic partner. Who works alongside marketing teams and web developers to ensure your site is structured for real growth, visibility, and conversions. Ready to turn your website into a well-oiled SEO machine? Reach out to Verve Media today and build a foundation that lasts.