Why an On-Page SEO Strategy Is Getting Harder

On-page SEO is the original form of search engine optimization, and uses the content on your web pages to build your online presence. This makes it possible for the various search engines to index your website based on keywords. A few years back, all you needed to do was include your keywords in your copy as many times as possible, and your site would rank high in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Even further back, it was as easy as simply adding Meta tags in your code. Now, due to recent changes led by Google in the algorithms used to index results, it’s significantly more difficult, and for a number of reasons.
Search engines now operate using a much larger variety of search parameters. On-page SEO best practices include the use of meta tags, page and image titles, alt tags, keyword density, back links, content quality and duplication of content or plagiarism are some of the main factors involved in optimization. No matter how well your content complies with some of these rules, if you slip in others it can mean penalization and low ranking – or no ranking - in the SERPs, and your SEO tracking results will be dismal.

The rules are strict around each of the search parameters. For example, links are evaluated on the quality of the sites and content they link to, and a page of good quality, informative content may be penalized for linking to a page containing user-generated content instead of authoritative information, such as that offered by a recognized, mainstream publication. Keywords, although critically important for SEO, can’t be overused, and “keyword stuffing” is the fastest way to get a website de-indexed. Both of these rules are actually good things for websites and the Internet in general, because they result in the elimination of pages populated with spam, nonsensical content. Keywords remain the most important aspect of optimization, but in order to deliver effective results, they can’t simply be picked at random. The Internet abounds with keyword research tools, from sites that help you to select the most searched-for terms that apply to your business, through to tools that track the ranking of your keywords. The success of on-page SEO depends, to a large extent, on using the right keywords the correct number of times and updating content containing them frequently enough to raise their ranking.

The 2011 Google algorithm update known as “Panda” brought the quality of website content into the spotlight. Suddenly, it was no longer acceptable to publish copy with poor spelling and grammar, or information that duplicated content found elsewhere on the web. Considering the number of websites online, this made the production of content really difficult. “Plagiarism” became the term used to describe any section of text that contained phrases of five or more consecutive words that were duplicated elsewhere. The new focus on fresh, original content made on-page SEO harder than ever before, and content mills that made money from publishing dozens of similar pages as anchors for advertising found their SERP results plummeting. The Internet is constantly evolving, and SEO conventions change on a daily basis. Google alone changes its algorithms more than 50 times a day. This makes on-page optimization increasingly difficult and the goal posts shift all the time. It’s imperative, therefore, to implement best SEO practices at all times, regularly analyze and evaluate your website’s performance, and work continuously to improve your offering. That’s the only way to achieve the SERP ranking you want, and there’s no way to “game” the system.
For more information, along with other similar article: http://blog.etech7.com/blog/bid/285024/stepping-beyond-seo-ranking-software

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2285550/How-to-Measure-SEO-Success