On-Page and Content SEO 2024/2025
What are the main On-Page and Content success in the age of Al? A Guide.
What does On-Page and Content SEO Include?
On-Page SEO refers to all search engine optimization measures that take place directly on your website. This includes both technical optimizations (e.g., page structure, loading time, mobile friendliness) and content adjustments on individual pages (e.g., text quality, headings, meta tags). Content SEO strongly overlaps with this: at its core, it's about providing high-quality content tailored to relevant search queries that offer real value to users.
Simply put, On-Page and Content SEO ensure that a website is optimized both content-wise and technically so that it is perceived as relevant by search engines and visitors enjoy accessing it. While the fundamental principles have remained valid in 2024/2025—such as clear page structure, relevant keywords, good user experience—new developments like AI-driven search and changing user behavior require additional strategies.
Technical and Structural On-Page Factors
First, the technical basics, because without a solid foundation, even the best content will fall flat:
Characteristics of a High-Quality Backlink
Not every backlink is automatically valuable. In strategic link building, certain quality criteria must be observed to ensure the link positively impacts SEO:
A logical website architecture (with a clear hierarchy of categories and subpages) helps both search engines and users. Important content should be no more than 2–3 clicks from the homepage. Clear URL structures and descriptive URLs (preferably including the relevant keyword) are also beneficial.
Loading speed and mobile optimization are essential. Since Google's Page Experience update, user experience is a ranking factor. A fast, responsive website optimized for mobile improves rankings and keeps visitors satisfied. Core Web Vitals (loading time, interactivity, visual stability) should be in the green range.
Thoughtful internal links guide users and crawlers purposefully to essential content. Every page should be accessible from at least one other internal link. An XML sitemap and error-free robots.txt ensure search engines can find and index all relevant pages.
The title tag remains one of the most important On-Page ranking factors. It should prominently feature the main keyword, be attractively phrased, and be around 50–60 characters long. The meta description doesn't directly affect ranking but impacts click-through rate (CTR). It should briefly summarize the page content, include the main keyword, and be about 140–155 characters. A compelling snippet increases the likelihood users click on your result. Example: A meta description actively formulated ("Discover how...") and subtly enhanced with special characters or emojis can stand out in the results.
Structured data (Schema.org) should be included where useful (e.g., review stars, FAQs, events, recipes). It helps search engines better understand content and enables enhanced displays as rich results. Especially in 2024/2025, with Google emphasizing direct answers and AI-driven snippets, schema markup can improve the chances of prominent visibility or correct interpretation by AI systems.
Avoid annoying pop-ups or intrusive advertising banners, especially on mobile. Google negatively evaluates intrusive interstitials since they impair user experience. If pop-ups (e.g., for newsletters) are necessary, they should be discreet and easy to close.
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A well-structured, technically sound website is essential for SEO, enabling better indexing and user experience—and allowing content to perform at its best.
A technically sound website with a clear structure is fundamental to every SEO strategy. Search engines can better crawl and index such sites, and users navigate more easily. Only with this foundation can high-quality content fully achieve its impact.
Content Quality and User Orientation
Search algorithms are becoming increasingly adept at recognizing high-quality content, and users appreciate good content. At the heart of Content SEO 2024/2025 is the motto: "User-centric, helpful content pays off." But what does this mean specifically?
Fulfilling Search Intent:
Every piece of content must align with the search intent of the target keywords. Before creating an article or landing page, ask yourself: What does the user really want to know or achieve? Is it an informational query (knowledge, tutorials), a comparison, or a purchase intent? Researching the top-10 results provides insights: Existing results indicate which format and depth Google considers relevant. Example: If someone searches for "descaling a kettle," most users probably expect a brief step-by-step guide using household remedies—not a lengthy essay on the history of kettles. Tailoring content precisely to this expectation increases the probability of success.
Helpful, Unique, Current:
Content should be complete and accurate, covering all common questions related to the topic (keyword: Content Comprehensiveness), while offering unique added value. Simply rewriting known content isn't enough—ideally, you provide additional insights, practical examples, current data, or a special perspective. Timeliness also matters: Content should be regularly reviewed and maintained. Outdated information, dated statistics, or non-working instructions must be updated to keep content relevant. An annual content audit can help identify and improve or consolidate outdated or thin content.
Considering E-E-A-T:
Google highly values Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). Practically, this means: Write about topics in which you (or your company) have expertise, and visibly demonstrate this experience. Trustworthiness is achieved through correct spelling and grammar, transparent sourcing of facts, and possibly author pages with qualification details. Authority and trust are built over time through branding and consistently high-quality content, linked by other sites or mentioned in professional circles. In competitive fields (e.g., health, finance), E-E-A-T is especially crucial. In short: Users and Google trust content visibly authored by experts, which is both accurate and credible.
Text Formatting and Readability:
Good content isn't only about what is conveyed, but also how. Especially online, scannability is key. Users often initially "skim" web pages. Therefore, texts should be logically structured, with sufficient subheadings (H2, H3), short paragraphs, and—where appropriate—lists or tables. Important statements can be highlighted with bolded keywords (sparingly used, it enhances readability and has been indirectly suggested as helpful by Google officials). The text length should match the topic: there's no universal minimum word count. A query fully answered in 500 words doesn't need a 2000-word text. Longer content often tends to be more comprehensive, but quality trumps quantity. Tip: Look at the word count of top-ranking results and use it as a rough guide—aiming to be slightly more detailed or substantial if extra details provide added value to users.
Example – Variable Text Length:
"Descaling a kettle" requires just a concise guide (perhaps 500 words), whereas a guide "Solar Power for Beginners" might warrant 3000 words plus graphics due to the complexity of the topic. Crucially, avoid unnecessary padding—users want to quickly find their sought-after information.
Partnerships & Collaborations:
Networking is invaluable in off-page SEO. Maintain relationships with partner companies, suppliers, associations, or industry portals. Often, this results in collaborative content, mutual recommendations, or case studies, each linking to the partner site. Thematic relevance and mutual benefits ensure the creation of "natural" links through genuine partnerships.
User Experience at the Forefront:
User-centric content also means adapting writing style and presentation to the audience. A casual but clear, comprehensible style with active voice generally resonates better than convoluted, passive sentences. Each paragraph should offer value, avoiding unnecessary fluff. Images, examples, or analogies can clarify complex points—a comparison or a brief anecdote might be suitable. Ultimately, satisfied readers (longer dwell time, lower bounce rate, positive interactions) indirectly send positive signals to Google.
Structured Content and Using Media
Another dimension of Content SEO involves how information is presented. Content shouldn’t appear monotonous as a wall of text, but diverse and engaging. Here are several important aspects:
Headings and Structure
As mentioned before, HTML headings (H1 to H3/H4) are essential to give text a clear hierarchy. Every page needs exactly one H1 (usually the title of the post). Below that, H2 and H3 headings structure the content into meaningful sections. Ideally, some of these subheadings contain the focus keyword or synonyms—this signals to search engines that the page covers various aspects of the topic. For readers too, descriptive headings matter: A quick glance at subheadings should suffice to grasp the page’s general content.
Lists, Enumerations, Checklists
Wherever suitable, content should be presented in bullet-point format. Lists not only structure content visually, but are frequently picked up by Google as featured snippets (e.g., "step-by-step" instructions or top-10 lists). Additionally, AI-powered systems love structured answers—a numbered guide or checklist is easily processed as a ready-made answer by AI. Example: A blog post on "Conducting an SEO audit" could include a checklist of key review points. This helps human readers orient themselves and increases the chance of Google displaying this section as a snippet or AI assistants quoting it.
Multimedia: Images and Videos
A picture says more than a thousand words—and boosts the appeal of any page. Images break up lengthy text passages, enhance understanding, and can attract additional visitors via Google Image search. It's crucial to use unique and high-quality images. Custom graphics, screenshots, or original photos are more authentic than generic stock images. Each image should have a descriptive file name (ideally keyword-related) and an informative ALT attribute describing the image content—this improves accessibility and boosts visibility in image searches (also a minor on-page SEO factor).
Best Practices for Images
Optimize image sizes—offer high-resolution images but compressed enough to minimally impact loading times. Formats like WebP can significantly reduce file sizes compared to JPEG/PNG. Ideally, place at least one image per significant section, especially if it illustrates complex information. Infographics can succinctly visualize complex data or processes (e.g., a schema illustrating internal linking structures).
Video Integration
Videos are increasingly important—YouTube is now the world's second-largest search engine. On suitable pages, videos enhance user engagement and present content differently than text alone. Videos increase dwell time and signal to Google that the page offers diverse content. For example, a short explanatory video could summarize or complement a blog post. Important: If embedding videos, prefer YouTube (this increases the chance for video snippets in Google search and leverages YouTube's reach). Remember to use video markup (schema) to provide Google with relevant information about the video.
User Experience & Added Value
Overall, make content as easily consumable as possible. This also means ensuring accessibility—clear fonts, sufficient contrast, purposeful use of headings and lists, ALT texts for images, etc. An accessible, semantically clean page is valued as "user-friendly" by search engine crawlers and is generally better understood.
Current Developments: GEO, AI, and Google SGE
The search engine landscape is currently undergoing a transformation: Artificial Intelligence is entering the search process. Terms such as Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), Search Generative Experience (SGE), and AI-Overviews are becoming prevalent. What does this mean for On-Page and Content SEO?
AI-supported Search Explained
Google is experimenting with SGE, where search result pages are supplemented by an AI-generated summary. In countries like the USA, above the classic "10 blue links," you increasingly see a colored field displaying an AI-generated answer to the query, including source references. Similar features are provided by independent AI search engines (e.g., Perplexity, YouChat) and chatbots like ChatGPT with Web Browsing or Bing Chat: They directly answer questions, sometimes by accessing and combining website content.
Fewer Clicks, New Opportunities
Studies show these AI-generated answers significantly reduce the click-through rates for classic search results—by over 30% for top results in some tests. Many users find their answers directly within the summary, bypassing traditional clicks altogether. Does this mean SEO becomes obsolete? No, but it’s evolving. Companies must now consider how to stay in the game: Either by ensuring their content is part of the AI answer or ranking in niches where AI can't yet provide good answers.
This is where GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) comes into play—optimizing content specifically for preferred selection and citation by AI systems. Practically, GEO heavily overlaps with traditional SEO and the concept of AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), which emerged a few years ago (optimization for voice assistants like Alexa or featured snippets).
What Matters in GEO?
Initial findings suggest AI assistants use certain criteria to select content:
Local backlinks are links from websites within your city/region or from locally relevant contexts. Google values how present and connected a business is in its area, especially for local queries (e.g., "tax advisor Munich"). Therefore, local businesses should actively build digital relationships within their community:
- High Authority and Reputation:
Sites with strong domain authority and positive histories are more likely chosen as sources by AI. Those already enjoying top rankings and numerous backlinks have an advantage. Branding pays off—strong brands were favored before the AI era, and this trend is strengthening. - Structure and Formatting:
AI systems prefer clearly structured content. Lists, tables, FAQ sections—all these are easily "parsed." Additionally, structured data (markup) helps AI classify content. For instance, a properly marked-up FAQ schema on a page might lead a chatbot to directly quote this question-answer pair. - Substantive and Current Content:
Content that is specific, current, and irreplaceable is particularly in demand. General knowledge readily available in the model’s training data doesn’t require your website. However, cutting-edge info, exclusive data, deep niche expertise—all this isn't readily generated by AI, prompting reliance on external sources. Examples: Regularly updated price tables, statistics, test results, or genuinely newsworthy reviews are highly likely to be tapped and cited by AI. (According to leaked info on the AI model Claude, a web search is conducted only when a query explicitly requests current or highly specific information.) - Trustworthiness and Transparency:
AI models are trained to avoid spam and manipulative content. Sites practicing unethical SEO tricks or blatant keyword stuffing might be filtered out by AI. Conversely, embedding source citations and quotes within content signals thorough research. Experts speculate that content with cited sources becomes more visible for AI use, considered more trustworthy. (Additionally, sources are often displayed alongside AI answers, increasing brand visibility.)
In essence: GEO continues good SEO practices. A page optimized excellently for people and traditional searches (i.e., quality, relevance, authority) is also likely utilized by AI assistants.
Leveraging AI for Content Creation – With Caution
Artificial intelligence not only influences search results but also how content is created. In 2024, many SEO teams and copywriters use tools like ChatGPT to produce content more swiftly. This presents opportunities but also risks that must be consciously managed:
Opportunities with AI Tools:
Modern AI writers can help with ideation, structuring, and even drafting initial content versions. They’re particularly useful for overcoming writer’s block or quickly generating a list of potential blog post topics for a keyword. They also allow a degree of automation for extensive websites (e.g., automated product descriptions from data feeds, subsequently refined editorially). When applied correctly, AI significantly enhances efficiency in content production.
Risks: Generic Content and Quality Issues:
However, AI models produce outputs based on existing web content, leading easily to uninspired, generic texts providing no new value—the so-called “sea of sameness.” If all competitors generate content using similar models, all search results end up looking alike. This neither helps rankings (Google favors unique content) nor benefits users. Additionally, there’s a risk of plagiarism: Although AI rarely outputs verbatim copied sentences, it may produce phrasing and facts very close to existing texts. Blindly adopting these could inadvertently lead to duplicate content and penalties.
Inaccurate Information:
Another problem is inaccuracy. AI occasionally produces plausible-sounding yet incorrect information ("AI hallucination"). Especially in sensitive areas, this can be fatal—factual mistakes undermine credibility and can even harm users. Thus, all AI-generated content must be carefully reviewed by humans and revised. Fact accuracy can be increased by providing sources and data in prompts and instructing the AI to substantiate its claims. Ultimately, though, this doesn't replace human content editors.
Best Practices for Handling AI Content
To use AI profitably, view it as an assistant, not an autopilot. For example:
- Ideas & Structure:
Use AI to generate topic ideas or create an initial content outline. This helps ensure no aspect is overlooked. Afterwards, an editor should adapt the outline to meet the target audience's needs. - First Draft & Revisions:
AI can deliver an initial section draft, subsequently rewritten and enriched. Ideally, incorporate personal experiences, examples, or opinions—precisely what AI cannot deliver. This creates vibrant, unique content. - Quality Control:
Every AI-assisted text must undergo a human QA process: fact-checking, tonal adjustments, correcting logical inconsistencies, and ensuring keywords are sensibly integrated without keyword stuffing. Often, AI texts need shortening or clarification—they sometimes tend toward unnecessary verbosity. - Disclosure and Transparency:
Primarily for internal use, but for transparency, it can be beneficial to disclose AI involvement (e.g., "created with AI assistance"), especially in journalistic formats. Google states AI-generated content isn't inherently harmful for SEO, as long as it's helpful. Nevertheless, quality and originality remain paramount.
Remember: AI is a tool, not a substitute for human creativity. The best results come from combining human expertise and AI efficiency. In SEO, use time savings from AI to research more thoroughly, optimize, and create unique content—rather than settling for generic mass-produced content.
Achieving Success with Proven Foundations and New Strategies
On-Page and Content SEO remain the cornerstones of a successful SEO strategy in 2024/2025. Without a solid technical foundation and high-quality content, sustainable top rankings are unattainable. Simultaneously, we are witnessing a shift with AI entering the search landscape—but rather than replacing classic SEO principles, these new developments merely complement the existing rules. Those who draw the right conclusions now can even benefit. To conclude, here are the key recommendations at a glance:
- SEO Basics First:
Ensure your website functions flawlessly technically and all classic on-page essentials are completed (clean structure, fast load times, relevant keywords, good content). This foundation helps not only with Google but automatically with AI searches, as similar quality factors apply. - Focus on Users and Providing Value:
Create content primarily for people, not algorithms. Helpful, well-structured content that covers a topic completely and understandably will be rewarded by Google—and such content satisfies users. Happy users send positive user signals, something Google ultimately recognizes. - Build Topical Authority:
Establish yourself or your company as an authority in your niche. Achieve this through consistently high-quality content covering all relevant subtopics, through branding (recognition value, e.g., consistent voice, presence on other platforms), and adherence to E-E-A-T principles. A strong brand with expertise is resilient against Google updates and favored by AI systems. - Adapt to AI Trends, but Avoid Panic:
Monitor developments such as SGE, AI Mode, ChatGPT, etc., and experiment with GEO optimizations when practical—expanding structured data, designing content to appear in AI-generated answers. However, avoid frantic reactions: most search traffic still comes through classic searches. Strategic adaptation—not panic—is key. Many "GEO tips" are essentially good SEO practices, applied to new search interfaces. - Don’t Fear New Tools—Use Them Purposefully:
Use AI tools to make your content process more efficient, but maintain control. Humans still understand humans best. Be inspired by AI, but give each piece of content your personal touch. This prevents generic content and keeps you distinctive. - Adopt a Holistic SEO Strategy:
On-page optimization works best alongside other disciplines. In 2025, SEO means looking beyond traditional borders: UX optimization, PR (backlinks & brand mentions), social media presence, and technical innovation (e.g., new content formats) intertwine. SEO success becomes a collaborative effort among content teams, developers, designers, and marketing—the more holistic, the more future-proof.
Ultimately: SEO is dynamic and constantly evolving, yet its core remains unchanged: Provide users with the best possible experience and information and technically ensure search engines recognize this. Those who adhere to this principle and remain open to innovation will continue to rank highly in 2024/2025 and beyond. Good luck optimizing!