On-page SEO encompasses every optimisation you make to an individual web page — from the HTML elements in the <head> to the words in the body copy, the images, the internal links, and the structured data markup. It's the foundation that determines whether Google can properly understand and rank your content, regardless of how many external signals you build.
Here's the complete 2026 checklist.
Technical HTML elements
1. Title tag
50–60 characters. Include your primary keyword near the beginning. Every page should have a unique, descriptive title tag — no two pages on your site should share a title. Example: 'SEO Agency Manchester | Omakaase' not 'Home | Our Services | Omakaase'.
2. Meta description
150–160 characters. Not a direct ranking factor, but click-through rate from the SERP affects ranking indirectly. Write it like a mini-ad: what will the reader get, why should they click, what makes this page worth visiting. Include keywords (they bold in the snippet when they match the query).
3. Canonical tag
Every page should have <link rel='canonical'> pointing to its own URL (or to a preferred version if the content is duplicated across multiple URLs). This prevents duplicate content issues and consolidates link equity.
4. Hreflang tags (if multilingual/multi-regional)
If your site serves multiple languages or regions, hreflang tags tell Google which version of a page to show to users in each locale. Missing or incorrect hreflang is one of the most common technical issues on international sites.
Content structure
5. H1 tag
Every page should have exactly one H1 tag that includes the primary keyword. It should match or closely relate to the title tag but doesn't need to be identical.
6. H2 and H3 headings
Use H2 and H3 to structure your content logically. Include secondary keywords and related terms naturally. Headings help both readers and search engines understand the structure of your content — they're a primary signal for topical relevance.
7. Keyword placement and density
Include your primary keyword in: the first 100 words of body copy, at least one H2, image alt text, and throughout naturally. Avoid keyword stuffing — Google's algorithms are sophisticated enough to understand synonyms and related terms, and density-forcing reads poorly and raises spam flags.
8. Content length and depth
There is no universal ideal content length. The correct length is: long enough to answer the query comprehensively, short enough that you don't pad with filler. For competitive informational queries, 1,500–3,000 words of genuinely useful content typically outperforms shorter pages. For transactional pages (e.g., 'buy running shoes'), shorter and clearer typically converts better.
Images and media
9. Image alt text
Every image should have descriptive alt text that includes relevant keywords where natural. Alt text serves two purposes: accessibility (screen readers) and image SEO. Missing alt text is a common oversight that's easy to fix.
10. Image file names
Name image files descriptively before uploading: 'seo-agency-manchester-team.jpg' not 'IMG_20240315_122345.jpg'. Google indexes image file names as part of image search.
11. Image compression and format
Serve images in WebP or AVIF format where possible. Compress images before upload. Large, uncompressed images are the most common cause of slow LCP scores, which both hurt rankings and reduce conversions.
Internal linking
12. Link to relevant internal pages
Include 2–5 internal links from each page to relevant supporting pages, service pages, or related content. Internal links distribute link equity and help Google discover the structure of your site. Use descriptive anchor text — 'our SEO services' rather than 'click here'.
13. Check for orphaned pages
An orphaned page has no internal links pointing to it. Google discovers most pages through links, not direct crawling. Any important page with no internal links is at risk of being under-indexed or ranking poorly.
Structured data
14. Schema markup
Add appropriate schema markup to every page: Organization or LocalBusiness on your homepage, Article or BlogPosting on blog content, FAQPage on pages with Q&A sections, BreadcrumbList on all pages. Structured data helps Google understand your content and can generate rich results in SERPs.
User experience signals
15. Page speed (LCP under 2.5s)
Slow pages rank worse and convert less. Run your key pages through PageSpeed Insights and address critical issues first — typically image optimisation, removing render-blocking scripts, and enabling caching.
16. Mobile responsiveness
Google uses mobile-first indexing — it crawls and indexes the mobile version of your pages. Every page must be fully functional and readable on mobile. Test using Google's Mobile-Friendly Test.
17. URL structure
URLs should be short, descriptive, and include the primary keyword: /blog/on-page-seo-checklist not /blog/article?id=4837. Avoid unnecessary parameters, dates, or subfolders that add length without meaning.
18. Outbound links to authoritative sources
Linking to authoritative external sources (government data, published research, industry bodies) signals that your content is well-researched. It does not 'give away link juice' — this is a persistent SEO myth. Citing sources improves E-E-A-T signals for content that makes claims or cites statistics.
Our SEO audits cover all 18 of these elements across your entire site, identifying specific pages with optimisation gaps and prioritising fixes by ranking impact. If you'd like to understand where your site stands, we can run an audit as part of an initial consultation.
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