On-page SEO checklist
On-page SEO is what you control directly: your titles, headings, content, links, and metadata. These are the signals you send to search engines about what each page is about and who should find it.
Critical
— 4 itemsThe title tag is the strongest on-page ranking signal. Include your primary keyword near the beginning. Make it compelling enough to click in search results.
Include the target keyword, a benefit, and a call-to-action. Google may rewrite it, but a well-crafted description improves CTR when it is displayed.
The H1 signals the page's primary topic. It should contain your target keyword and match the user's search intent. Multiple H1s dilute the signal.
Search intent determines depth. A "what is" query needs a clear definition. A "how to" query needs step-by-step instructions. Match the format and depth to what ranks on page one.
Important
— 6 itemsStructure content with a logical heading hierarchy
Use H2 for major sections, H3 for subsections. Do not skip levels (no H4 right after H1). Include related keywords in subheadings naturally.
Place the primary keyword in the first 100 words
Search engines weight early content more heavily. Introduce your topic and target keyword in the opening paragraph. Do not bury it below the fold.
Describe what the image shows in context of the page topic. Include the keyword if relevant, but do not force it. Alt text is an accessibility requirement and an SEO signal.
Include 3-5 internal links with descriptive anchor text
Link to related pages using text that describes the destination. "Learn about technical SEO" is better than "click here". Distribute link equity to important pages.
Optimize URL slug for readability
Use short, descriptive slugs with hyphens. /seo-checklist is better than /checklist-for-search-engine-optimization-2024. Remove stop words and unnecessary parameters.
Ensure og:title, og:description, og:image, and twitter:card are set. These control how your page appears when shared on social media and messaging apps.
Nice-to-have
— 2 itemsAdd a table of contents for long content
Pages over 1500 words benefit from anchor-linked table of contents. It improves user experience and can appear as sitelinks in search results.
Use external links to authoritative sources
Link to 1-3 authoritative external sources (documentation, studies, official specs). Outbound links to trusted resources signal content quality.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between on-page and technical SEO?
On-page SEO is about content and metadata visible on the page (titles, headings, text, images). Technical SEO is about infrastructure (crawlability, site speed, redirects, server config). Both are necessary.
How important is keyword density?
Keyword density is an outdated metric. There is no target percentage. Include your keyword naturally in the title, H1, first paragraph, and a few times throughout the content. Google understands context and synonyms.
Should every page target a different keyword?
Yes. Each page should target a unique primary keyword. If two pages target the same keyword, they compete against each other (keyword cannibalization). Consolidate or differentiate.
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