Episode 17: On-page SEO and content optimization
Writing title tags, meta descriptions, headings, URLs, images and content so that both Google and people understand them.
A library with thousands of books. How does the librarian know what each book is about? From the cover, the title and the chapter names.
Google is a librarian. On-page SEO is writing your website’s cover, title and chapters clearly.
Title tag and meta description
| Element | What it is | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Title tag | The blue line in the search result | Main keyword first, ~50–60 characters, brand at the end |
| Meta description | The short text below it | ~150–160 characters, benefit + CTA. Not a ranking factor, but it earns the click |
Title: Cotton Office Kurtis ₹699–999 | StyleStreet Jaipur
Meta: Pure cotton office kurtis that stay the same after 10 washes. Real size chart, COD and 7-day free exchange. Shop now.
Headings and URL
- H1: one per page, the main topic. “Cotton Office Kurtis”
- H2/H3: sections. “Why cotton?”, “Size guide”, “Customer reviews”
- URL: short, clean, with the keyword: /office-kurtis, not /collections/abc123?id=77
Content: helpful, people first
Google focuses on helpful, people-first content. Keyword stuffing (one word 50 times) doesn’t help; it hurts.
- Fully answer the user’s question
- Show your own experience: “we did a 10-wash test”, real photos
- On product pages, not just “Beautiful kurti”: fabric, fit, length, care, the model’s height and size
Images: alt text and size
- File name: mustard-cotton-office-kurti.jpg (not IMG_4532.jpg)
- Alt text: describe the image: “Mustard cotton straight kurti, office look, model 5'4 size M”. For visually impaired users and Google alike
- Compress: a 3 MB photo slows the page. WebP format, 100–200 KB target
Internal linking
Link your website’s pages to each other:
- Blog “kurti wash guide” → “Office kurtis collection”
- Product page → “Size guide”
- Home → top collections
This helps Google understand the site’s structure, and visitors stay longer.
StyleStreet’s real problem
Every page title was “Home – StyleStreet”
After setting up Shopify, Neha didn’t change anything:
- Every product page had the default title
- Product description: “Beautiful kurti. Must buy.”
- Images were 4–5 MB, named IMG_xxxx
- No internal links
Google couldn’t tell what any page was about.
Practical example: One product page: before vs after
| Element | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Kurti 23 – StyleStreet | Mustard Cotton Office Kurti ₹899 | StyleStreet |
| H1 | Kurti 23 | Mustard Cotton Straight Office Kurti |
| URL | /products/kurti-23 | /products/mustard-cotton-office-kurti |
| Description | “Beautiful kurti. Must buy.” | Fabric, length (44 inch), fit, care, model 5'4 size M, wash-test video |
| Image | IMG_4532.jpg (4.8 MB) | mustard-cotton-office-kurti.webp (160 KB) + alt text |
| Links | None | Size guide, “similar office kurtis” |
Your mission: Apply the on-page SEO checklist
For 3 StyleStreet pages (collection, product, blog):
- Write a title tag for each page (keyword + brand)
- Write a meta description for each page (benefit + CTA)
- Write an H1 and 3 H2 headings
- Write an SEO-friendly URL
- Write one product description in detail
- Plan 3 internal links
Quiz
-
Where does the title tag appear?
- A. In the page footer
- B. As the clickable line in search results and in the browser tab
- C. Below an image
- D. Nowhere
Show answer
Correct answer: B. As the clickable line in search results and in the browser tab
The title tag is the most prominent part of a search result.
-
The main job of a meta description?
- A. Directly boost ranking
- B. Convince people to click the result
- C. Show images
- D. Increase speed
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Convince people to click the result
A good description increases CTR.
-
The result of keyword stuffing?
- A. Top ranking
- B. Content that reads badly and hurts ranking
- C. Nothing
- D. Cheaper ads
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Content that reads badly and hurts ranking
Google rewards helpful content, not stuffing.
-
Who is image alt text for?
- A. Only designers
- B. Visually impaired users and search engines
- C. Social media
- D. No one
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Visually impaired users and search engines
Screen readers read alt text, and Google understands the image through it.
Output for the client project
Your project file now has an On-Page SEO Sheet:
- Titles, metas, H1/H2 for 3 pages
- URL structure
- Product description template
- Image naming + alt text rules
- Internal linking map
Golden rule: Google is a librarian. Give every page a clear title, clear headings and honest, helpful content. Write for people first.