On-page SEO: a checklist for every page on your site
On-page SEO is everything on the page itself that helps Google and your visitors understand it: the title, the headings, the words, the links and the images. You don’t need special tools. Take one page at a time, give it one clear job, and work through the checks below. Small details add up, and they’re all in your hands.
What on-page SEO is, and isn’t
| Part of SEO | What it covers | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|
| On-page | What’s on each page: words, headings, titles, links, images | This checklist |
| Technical | Whether Google can reach, read and index the site at all | Technical SEO |
| Off-page | Other sites mentioning and linking to you | Link building guide |
They work together. A well-written page on a site Google can’t read won’t rank, and nor will a broken page on a well-known site.
Step 1: Give the page one job and one search term
Before you change anything, write down two things:
- What should a visitor do after reading this page? Call, book, ask for a quote, or read the next page.
- Which one search should this page answer? For a service page, that’s usually the service plus the place, such as “boiler servicing High Wycombe”.
If two of your pages answer the same search, they compete with each other. Keep one for that search and give the other a different job. Our SEO content guide explains how to choose the terms.
Step 3: One H1, then clear headings
- Each page gets one main heading (H1) that says what the page is about.
- Use H2s for the main sections and H3s for points within them, in order. Don’t pick heading levels for their size; that’s what styling is for.
- Make headings say something. “Prices” is fine. “Section 2” isn’t.
Someone skimming only your headings should still understand the page.
Step 4: Answer the question in the opening lines
People decide in seconds whether a page is what they wanted. Put the answer, or the offer, in the first paragraph, then explain. Use the words your customers use, not industry jargon.
Write for people first. Repeating the main term over and over doesn’t help: Google treats that as keyword stuffing, and readers notice it too. Use it where it reads naturally, along with the related words people would expect to see.
Step 5: A short, readable URL
A good page address is short and made of real words, separated by hyphens: /boiler-servicing/ rather than /page?id=4821.
Don’t rename the address of a page that’s already live just to tidy it. If you must change it, set up a 301 redirect from the old address to the new one, so visitors and Google aren’t sent to an error page.
Step 7: Images: size, file name and alt text
- Size. Resize photos to the size they’re shown at, and compress them before uploading. WebP files are usually much smaller than JPEGs or PNGs at the same quality.
- File name. Name the file for what it shows (
boiler-service-van.webp), notIMG_4821.jpg. - Alt text. Describe the image for someone who can’t see it. If it’s purely decorative, leave the alt text empty.
A 20-minute routine per page
| Check | Done? |
|---|---|
| The page has one job and one main search term | |
| The title starts with that term and fits in about 60 characters | |
| The description gives a reason to click | |
| There’s one H1, and the headings are in order | |
| The first paragraph answers the question | |
| The address is short and readable | |
| It links to two or three related pages with descriptive wording | |
| Images are compressed, sensibly named and have alt text | |
| It reads well and works on a phone |
Do your most important pages first: usually the homepage and your main service pages.
Common mistakes
- Repeating the keyword. It reads badly and can count against you.
- The same title on many pages. Each page needs its own.
- Changing page addresses without redirects. Visitors and links end up on an error page.
- Fixing every warning a tool shows. Many are minor. Fix what affects visitors first.
- Huge images. One oversized photo can slow down an otherwise quick page.
DIY or get help?
You can do everything on this list yourself, a page at a time. Once you’ve worked through it, the gains usually come from better content and from other sites mentioning you. If you’d rather hand the whole thing over, on-page work is part of every SEO package we offer, alongside our wider SEO service.
Next steps
- SEO content guide: choose the right terms and write pages that answer them
- Local SEO audit: check your local set-up in about an hour
- Google Search Console guide: see which searches bring people to each page
Not sure which pages to fix first? Book a free discovery call and, within 48 hours of the call, you’ll get a free audit of your site showing where to start. Or, if you’d rather spend your time running the business, see what’s included when we do it for you.