On-Page SEO:
The Complete Checklist (2026)

Include the primary keyword naturally — ideally near the start of the title. Avoid keyword stuffing.

Titles over 60 characters are truncated in SERPs. Use a title tag preview tool to check display length.

Every page must have a distinct title tag. Duplicate titles confuse Google about page purpose.

For high-authority sites, appending ' | Brand Name' can improve CTR. For new sites, prioritise keyword inclusion over branding.

Write a unique, compelling meta description for every page. Google may rewrite it, but a well-written description improves CTR.

Descriptions over 155 characters are truncated on desktop. Aim for 120–155 characters.

Google bolds the searched keyword in the meta description — including it improves visual prominence in SERPs.

The meta description is your organic ad copy. Include a reason to click: a specific benefit, a number, or a clear call to action.

Use exactly one H1 tag per page. The H1 should include the primary keyword and accurately describe the page's main topic.

The H1 and title tag can differ, but they should be semantically consistent — both describing the same primary topic.

Use H2 tags for the main sections of the page. H2s should reflect the semantic sub-topics of the page, not just visual formatting.

Use H3 tags for supporting points within H2 sections. Maintain a logical hierarchy — do not skip heading levels.

Naturally incorporate secondary keywords and related terms in H2 and H3 headings. Avoid forcing keywords where they do not fit.

The format, depth, and information in the content should match what the searcher is looking for. Analyse the current top-ranking pages for the target keyword to understand intent.

Cover all the significant sub-topics and questions related to the primary keyword. Use the 'People Also Ask' box and related searches to identify gaps.

Include the primary keyword naturally in the opening paragraph. This confirms the topic to Google early in the page.

Use related terms, synonyms, and entity names naturally throughout the content. Avoid repetitive exact-match keyword usage.

Word count should be determined by topic complexity, not arbitrary targets. Check the average word count of top-ranking pages for the target keyword.

Include author attribution, practitioner experience examples, specific data or case studies, and publication/update dates to signal Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

The URL slug should include the primary keyword. Use hyphens to separate words — not underscores or spaces.

Keep URLs concise — ideally under 60 characters. Avoid stop words (the, a, an, of) unless they are part of the keyword.

Avoid URLs with query strings (?id=123) for indexable pages. Use clean, static URLs.

Every article should link to the relevant service or hub page. This passes authority upward and creates clear topical pathways.

Link to 2–4 related articles within the same topical cluster. Use descriptive anchor text that reflects the target page's topic.

Use keyword-rich, descriptive anchor text for internal links. Avoid generic anchors like 'click here' or 'read more'.

Every page should have at least one internal link pointing to it. Orphan pages receive no authority from the internal link graph.

Write alt text that accurately describes the image content. Include the primary keyword where it fits naturally — do not force it.

Name image files descriptively before uploading (e.g., 'seo-audit-process.jpg' not 'IMG_1234.jpg').

Compress images to reduce file size without visible quality loss. Use WebP format where possible. Large images are a common cause of poor Core Web Vitals scores.

Implement schema markup relevant to the page type: Article, FAQPage, LocalBusiness, Service, BreadcrumbList, etc. Use JSON-LD format.

Test all schema markup using Google's Rich Results Test tool to confirm it is correctly implemented and eligible for rich results.

Implement BreadcrumbList schema on all pages to improve SERP display and communicate site structure to Google.

Largest Contentful Paint measures loading performance. Optimise the largest element on the page (usually a hero image or heading) to load within 2.5 seconds.

Cumulative Layout Shift measures visual stability. Avoid layout shifts caused by images without dimensions, dynamic content insertion, or late-loading fonts.

Interaction to Next Paint measures responsiveness. Optimise JavaScript execution to ensure the page responds to user interactions within 200ms.