ON-PAGE SEO CHECKLIST
On-page SEO checklist: 15 checks to run before you hit publish
An on-page SEO checklist covers everything on the page that helps it rank and get clicked: search intent, title tag, meta description, headings, opening answer, content depth, internal links, image alt text and structured data. Judge each against the top results. Digimetrics On-Page Optimisation benchmarks a page against the top three in 45 seconds to 3 minutes.
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Updated 23 October 2026 · Digimetrics editorial team
The short answer
- On-page SEO is what you control on the page: content, title, headings, links, images and markup.
- Intent comes first: if Google ranks guides and your page is a sales page, no tag tweak will close the gap.
- Google writes most snippets from page content and uses the meta description when it describes the page better.
- Google says there is no ideal word count and that heading order does not matter for ranking; completeness does.
- Benchmark against the top three results, not a generic score: that is where the real gaps show up.
What is on-page SEO, and how does it work?
On-page SEO is optimising the content and code of an individual page so search engines understand it and searchers choose it. It works by matching the page to the search intent and making its topic unmistakable.
Google's SEO Starter Guide says creating compelling, useful content will likely influence your presence in search more than any other suggestion in the guide. On-page SEO is how you make that content legible: a clear title, a direct opening, a logical structure and links that show how it fits the rest of your site.
It differs from technical SEO (can Google crawl and index the page?) and off-page SEO (do other sites link to and mention you?). If the page is not indexed, start with the technical SEO checklist. If it is indexed but stuck, this checklist is where the gains usually are.
The on-page SEO checklist: 15 factors
Run these 15 checks on every important page. Copy the table into a spreadsheet to use as an on-page SEO checklist template.
The first six are the heaviest hitters. The rest polish a page that already matches intent.
| # | Check | Pass condition | Tool |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Search intent | Page type matches what ranks for the keyword | Manual check of page one |
| 2 | Title tag | Unique, descriptive, concise, no keyword repetition | On-Page Optimisation |
| 3 | Main heading (H1) | Clearly the main title and describes the page | On-Page Optimisation |
| 4 | Opening paragraph | Answers the query directly in the first lines | On-Page Optimisation |
| 5 | Content depth | Covers the subtopics top results cover, plus something original | On-Page Optimisation |
| 6 | First-hand value | Original data, examples or experience, not a rehash | Article Comparison |
| 7 | Meta description | Unique one or two sentence summary of this page | Technical SEO Crawler |
| 8 | Subheadings | Break content into scannable sections | On-Page Optimisation |
| 9 | Internal links in | Related pages link here with descriptive anchors | Anchor Text Cleaner |
| 10 | Internal links out | Links to the next useful page for the reader | Anchor Text Cleaner |
| 11 | Images | Sharp, near relevant text, descriptive alt text | Google Crawler Simulator |
| 12 | URL | Readable words, not random identifiers | Manual check |
| 13 | Readability | Plain language, short sentences, no errors | AI Content Optimiser |
| 14 | Structured data | Valid markup that matches visible content | Schema Generator |
| 15 | Freshness | Facts, prices and dates still correct | Content Checker |
How to optimize titles, descriptions and headings
Write a unique, descriptive title for every page, a one or two sentence description that sells the click, and headings that make the structure obvious. Avoid repetition and boilerplate.
Google's title link documentation asks for descriptive, concise text and warns against vague titles such as "Home", keyword stuffing, and boilerplate titles that vary by one word across many pages. It also notes there is no character limit; titles are simply truncated to fit the device width.
For descriptions, Google says snippets are mainly created from page content, and it sometimes uses the meta description when it describes the page better. Identical descriptions across pages do not help. So write a specific summary for important pages, and make your opening paragraph strong enough to be the snippet anyway.
On headings, Google is refreshingly blunt: heading order does not matter for Google Search ranking, though semantic order helps screen readers, and there is no ideal number of headings.
| Element | Do | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Describe the page; add brand at the start or end | Home, Untitled, the same title on many pages |
| Meta description | Unique summary with the page's key points | Copying the same description site-wide |
| H1 | One clear main heading that matches the title's promise | Several headings with equal visual weight |
| Subheadings | Phrase as the questions readers ask | Headings stuffed with keyword variants |
How much content does a page need?
As much as it takes to answer the query completely and better than the pages already ranking. Google says length alone does not matter and there is no magic word count.
Word count is a symptom, not a target. Pages that rank well tend to be long because they answer the follow-up questions, not because length is rewarded. Google's helpful content questions ask whether a page provides a substantial, complete or comprehensive description of the topic, and whether it offers insight beyond the obvious.
That is why On-Page Optimisation benchmarks depth against the top three results rather than a fixed number. In the official tutorial's sample (fictional brand Brightpath), the page had 420 words and the suggested fix was about 900 words with a comparison table and FAQ: the gap was missing subtopics, not word count for its own sake.
- List the subtopics each top-three result covers.
- Mark the ones your page skips.
- Add the missing ones, plus one thing only you can offer: data, a worked example or first-hand experience.
- Cut anything that does not help the reader reach their goal.
Internal links, anchor text and images
Link related pages to each other with anchor text that describes the destination, and give every meaningful image descriptive alt text placed near relevant copy.
Google says anchor text tells users and Google what the linked page contains, so "click here" wastes the signal. It also says most new pages Google finds each day are found through links, which makes internal links the simplest way to help a new page get discovered.
In the official tutorial's sample, Anchor Text Cleaner found 38 links and four problems on one page, including one exact phrase repeated on nine links, flagged as over-optimised. Varied, descriptive anchors read better and look less manipulative. For definitions, see anchor text and meta description.
For images, Google recommends sharp, high-quality images placed near relevant text, and alt text that explains the image in the context of the page.
On-page vs off-page SEO checklist
On-page SEO covers what is on your page; off-page SEO covers signals from elsewhere, mainly links, mentions and reviews. You need both, but on-page is fully in your control and usually faster to fix.
A short off-page checklist to pair with this one: check who links to you and to your competitors, earn links with genuinely useful resources, claim unlinked brand mentions, and keep your Google Business Profile and reviews healthy if you serve a local area. The full method is in how to check backlinks.
| On-page SEO | Off-page SEO | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Content, titles, headings, internal links, images, markup | Backlinks, brand mentions, reviews, Business Profile |
| Who controls it | You, fully | Other people, influenced by you |
| Speed of change | As soon as Google recrawls | Builds over months |
| Digimetrics tools | On-Page Optimisation, AI Content Optimiser, Anchor Text Cleaner | Backlinks Explorer, AI Mentions Tracker |
HOW IT WORKS
How to do on-page SEO step by step
- 1
Choose one page and one keyword
Pick the page closest to page one for a keyword that matters. Find candidates in Search Console or the Rank Checker.
- 2
Check the intent
Search the keyword and note what ranks: guides, product pages, comparisons or tools. Match that page type.
- 3
Run the benchmark
Enter the URL and keyword in On-Page Optimisation. It compares title, headings, description and depth against the top three results.
- 4
Rewrite the weak elements
Paste the suggested rewrites that fit your voice, starting with the title, opening and missing subtopics.
- 5
Fix links and images
Add internal links from related pages with descriptive anchors and clean up generic ones with the Anchor Text Checker.
- 6
Re-check in a few weeks
Google suggests waiting a few weeks to judge a change. Track the keyword's position and clicks before deciding on the next edit.
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK
Frequently asked questions
Still unsure? Email support@digimetrics.ai and a person will reply.
What is included in on-page SEO?
Search intent match, title tag, meta description, headings, opening paragraph, content depth and originality, internal links and anchor text, images and alt text, URL, readability and structured data.
How do I improve on-page SEO on an existing page?
Pick a page close to page one, compare it with the top three results for its keyword, then fix the biggest gaps first: intent, title, opening and missing subtopics. On-Page Optimisation does the comparison and writes suggested rewrites.
Does keyword density still matter?
No. Google says keyword stuffing is against its spam policies and that its language systems understand related terms. Use the main keyword naturally in the title, heading and opening, then write for the reader.
Do meta keywords help on-page SEO?
No. Google states that Google Search does not use the keywords meta tag.
How do I learn on-page SEO as a beginner?
Take one page you own, run through the 15 checks above and make the changes. Read Google's SEO Starter Guide alongside it. Doing it on a real page teaches more than any course.
What tools help with an on-page SEO checklist?
A benchmark tool for content and tags, a crawler for site-wide missing tags, and an anchor checker for links. In Digimetrics: On-Page Optimisation, Technical SEO Crawler and Anchor Text Cleaner.
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