SEO Beginner's Guide: Finding Your Perfect "Housing Agent" on the Web

Orwell AI SEO LogoOrwell Team
Last updated: June 5, 2025

On-Page SEO: Presenting Information Clearly

After understanding what people are searching for, the next step is optimizing the content on your pages to meet those searches. On-page SEO ensures your website presents information in a way that both search engines and humans can easily understand.

What is On-Page SEO?

On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. This includes both the content and HTML source code of a page that can be optimized, as opposed to off-page SEO which refers to links and other external signals.

The Housing Agent Analogy

Housing agent presenting property information

"Think of on-page SEO as how a housing agent presents property information to potential clients."

Now that our housing agent knows what clients want, the next step is presenting these offerings effectively. The agent prepares:

  • Attractive property listings with clear headlines (title tags)
  • Brief, compelling summaries (meta descriptions)
  • Organized information highlighting key features (headings, structure)
  • High-quality photos with captions (images with alt text)
  • References to other relevant properties (internal links)

If the agent presents disorganized information or mumbles when speaking, clients lose trust. But when everything is clearly laid out, clients are impressed and more likely to choose that agent.

On-page SEO is about making your site's "pitch" clear and compelling to both search engines and human visitors. It ensures that when people visit your page, they find exactly what they're looking for, presented in a way that's easy to understand and navigate.

Key On-Page SEO Elements

Let's explore the essential elements that contribute to strong on-page SEO. Each of these components plays a crucial role in how search engines understand your content and how users interact with it.

Title Tags

What are title tags?

The title tag is an HTML element that specifies the title of a web page. It appears as the clickable headline in search engine results and is displayed in the browser tab.

<title>Affordable 2-Bedroom Apartments in Downtown Houston | YourSite</title>

Best Practices:

  • Keep titles under 60 characters to avoid truncation in search results
  • Include your primary keyword near the beginning
  • Make each title unique across your website
  • Be descriptive but concise
  • Include your brand name (typically at the end, separated by a pipe | or dash -)

Housing Agent Analogy: The title tag is like the headline of your property listing. It's the first thing potential clients see and determines whether they'll click to learn more.

Meta Descriptions

What are meta descriptions?

The meta description is an HTML attribute that provides a brief summary of a web page. It appears under the title in search engine results and acts as advertising copy that encourages users to click through to your site.

<meta name="description" content="Looking for a 2-bedroom apartment in downtown Houston? Explore modern lofts with parking, pet-friendly amenities, and easy access to Main St. Find your new home here!">

Best Practices:

  • Keep descriptions between 150-160 characters
  • Include relevant keywords naturally
  • Make each description unique and compelling
  • Include a call-to-action when appropriate
  • Accurately summarize the page content

Housing Agent Analogy: The meta description is the quick sales pitch that convinces a client to choose your listing from many options. While not a direct ranking factor, a compelling description increases click-through rates, which can indirectly improve rankings.

Headings and Content Structure

Just as an agent would break down property information (price, location, features), your page should use headings to organize content into logical sections.

HTML Heading Hierarchy:

  • <h1> - Main page title(e.g., "Downtown Houston 2-Bedroom Apartments for Rent")
  • <h2> - Major section headings(e.g., "Location and Neighborhood", "Amenities and Features")
  • <h3> - Subsection headings(e.g., "Transportation Options", "Nearby Restaurants")
  • <h4>-<h6> - Further subdivisions as needed

Best Practices:

  • Use only one H1 tag per page (your main title)
  • Structure headings in a logical hierarchy (don't skip levels)
  • Include relevant keywords in headings where natural
  • Keep headings descriptive but concise
  • Use headings to break up text and improve readability

A clear heading structure helps both users and search engines understand the organization and importance of content on your page. It allows readers to scan and find relevant information quickly, improving user experience.

Keyword Usage

While keyword stuffing is a thing of the past, thoughtful keyword placement remains important for on-page SEO. Here's how to use keywords effectively:

For Advanced Keyword Research:

Compare the leading keyword research tools in this detailed Backlinko comparison of Ahrefs vs SEMrush.

Do:

  • Include your primary keyword in the title tag
  • Use keywords naturally in headings and the first paragraph
  • Incorporate related keywords and synonyms throughout
  • Focus on topical relevance rather than keyword density
  • Answer the search intent thoroughly

Don't:

  • Stuff keywords repeatedly or unnaturally
  • Hide keywords (in invisible text or behind images)
  • Use keywords out of context
  • Sacrifice readability for keyword inclusion
  • Target unrelated keywords that don't match your content

Remember: Modern search engines use sophisticated natural language processing to understand content. Write for humans first, and the keywords will naturally fall into place. If your content comprehensively addresses a topic, you'll likely cover all the relevant terms without forcing it.

Images and Alt Text

Images enhance user experience and can also contribute to SEO when properly optimized. The alt text (alternative text) attribute is particularly important.

What is alt text?

Alt text is an HTML attribute added to image tags that describes the image. It serves multiple purposes:

  • Helps screen readers describe images to visually impaired users
  • Appears when images fail to load
  • Helps search engines understand image content
  • Provides another opportunity to include relevant keywords

<img src="apartment-living-room.jpg" alt="Spacious living room in downtown Houston two-bedroom apartment with city view" width="600" height="400">

Best Practices for Image SEO:

  • Use descriptive file names (e.g., downtown-houston-apartment.jpg instead of IMG1234.jpg)
  • Write descriptive alt text that includes relevant keywords naturally
  • Optimize image size and format for fast loading
  • Consider adding captions for important images
  • Implement responsive images that work well on all devices

Internal links are hyperlinks that point from one page to another page on the same website. They're a powerful tool for on-page SEO for several reasons:

Benefits of Internal Linking:

  • Helps search engines discover and index pages on your site
  • Establishes information hierarchy
  • Distributes page authority throughout your site
  • Improves user navigation and increases time on site
  • Provides context about the content on the linked page

Best Practices:

  • Use descriptive anchor text (clickable text) that includes keywords relevant to the linked page
  • Link to relevant, related content on your site
  • Maintain a reasonable number of links (not too few, not too many)
  • Ensure all links work (no broken links)
  • Create a logical structure that helps users find related information

Housing Agent Analogy: Internal links are like the agent saying, "If you like this property, I also have another one nearby that might interest you." They keep clients engaged and help them discover more of what you offer.

User Experience & On-Page SEO

On-page SEO isn't just about keywords and HTML tags—user experience plays a significant role too. Google's algorithms pay attention to how users interact with your site, using signals like:

  • Dwell time: How long visitors stay on your page
  • Bounce rate: Whether visitors leave without interacting
  • Click-through rate: How many people click your result in search listings
  • Page speed: How quickly your page loads

Content Readability

Making your content easy to read and understand benefits both users and SEO:

Readability Best Practices:

  • Use short paragraphs (3-4 sentences max)
  • Include plenty of subheadings to break up text
  • Utilize bullet points and numbered lists
  • Incorporate relevant images, diagrams, or videos
  • Use a clear, legible font size (at least 16px for body text)
  • Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background
  • Write in a conversational tone appropriate for your audience
  • Use transitional phrases to guide readers through your content

Mobile-Friendly Content

With Google's mobile-first indexing, optimizing your content for mobile devices is essential:

Mobile Optimization Tips:

  • Use a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes
  • Keep paragraphs even shorter on mobile (1-2 sentences ideal)
  • Ensure buttons and links are large enough to tap easily
  • Avoid using pop-ups that obstruct content on mobile
  • Test your pages on various mobile devices
  • Compress images to reduce load time on mobile connections

Housing Agent Analogy: If a housing agent's property brochure is difficult to read, has tiny print, or is cluttered with too much information, clients will discard it. Similarly, users will leave websites that are hard to use, especially on mobile devices.

Key Takeaways from On-Page SEO

  • On-page SEO is about presenting information clearly for both users and search engines
  • Optimize title tags, meta descriptions, headings, and images with relevant keywords
  • Use internal links to connect related content and help users navigate your site
  • Focus on readability and user experience—content that's easy to consume performs better
  • Ensure your content is mobile-friendly, as most searches now happen on mobile devices
  • Write for humans first, not search engines—quality content naturally incorporates relevant keywords

Official Resources:

Google provides comprehensive guidelines for optimizing your on-page content in their Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide (PDF).