Want to make a page rank higher in Google?
This on-page SEO checklist is your ultimate companion.
On-page SEO is the process of optimizing individual page content to rank higher on Google. Activities include optimizing title tags and URL slugs, adding header tags, and much more.
Complete all 11 tasks (and three bonus tasks) in this checklist, in any order. To optimize your content for target keywords, make your page Google-friendly, and improve user engagement.
Here’s the complete on-page SEO checklist:
1. Identify target keywords
2. Optimize the title tag
3. Write your headline in an H1 tag
4. Write a meta description that boosts clicks
5. Check the URL slug for SEO-friendliness
6. Add target keywords to your body content
7. Review your content quality
8. Mark up subheadings with header tags
9. Improve navigation with internal links
10. Add engaging visual content
11. Apply schema markup
Bonus:
12. Make sure your page is indexed
13. Increase page speed
14. Make sure your page is mobile-friendly
1. Identify Target Keywords
- Intent: The nature of the motivation or intent behind each search
- Volume: Keyword search volume, or the typical number of searches made each month
- KD%: Watchword trouble, a proportion of how hard it will be to rank in the main 10 neglected Google results
This is what watchword research resembles in real life:
Suppose you claimed a blossom shop. The catchphrase "blue blossoms" could appear to be an incredible watchword to target.
The catchphrase gets a ton of search interest — 60,500 ventures each month. Be that as it may, it likewise has a catchphrase trouble of 63%. And that implies it's hard to rank for.
2. Optimize the Title Tag
The title tag is the page title that appears in the SERP. It should tell Google what your page is about. And entice users to click through.
It looks like this on the SERP:
<title>What Is a Title Tag & How to Optimize Your Title Tags for SEO</title>
3. Write Your Headline in an H1 Tag
4. Write a Meta Description That Boosts Clicks
<meta name="description" content="Meta description here.">
The meta-portrayal is certainly not an immediate positioning variable. It's important for this on-page streamlining agenda since it's a vital aspect for standing apart on the SERP and drawing in additional snaps.
Use it to make sense of what the client will get from your page and why it merits visiting. Also, ensure it incorporates your essential catchphrase.
(Google frequently bolds clients' pursuit questions in meta depictions on the SERP. Making your posting possibly stand apart more.)
Note: Google might produce its own title labels and meta depictions for your pages. Enhancing them can lessen the gamble of this event.
We prescribe adhering to a limit of 120 characters (counting spaces) for your meta portrayals. Google is less likely to truncate them in desktop and mobile SERPs as a result of this.
5. Check the URL Slug for SEO-Friendliness
The URL slug should be concise, clear, and descriptive.
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Consider using your page’s primary keyword as the URL slug
- Separate words using a hyphen (“-”)
- Avoid mentioning years that might change (e.g., “best-headphones-2023”)
- If you change your URL slug, make sure to redirect the old version
6. Add Target Keywords to Your Body Content
Google uses keywords and context to determine whether a page is relevant to a specific keyword. If your body content doesn’t mention your target keyword, Google may think your page is not relevant to the keyword.
When doing on-page optimization, use your primary keyword within the first paragraph. And then scatter repeats (and/or secondary keywords) throughout.
But avoid keyword stuffing—i.e., forcing keywords where they don’t sound natural.
Here’s an example of keyword stuffing from Google:
7. Review Your Content Quality
The nature of your content largely depends on search intent. For example, a short description might satisfy someone shopping for products. But someone seeking information might want an in-depth guide.
Either way, your content must meet high standards to compete on the SERP and keep users engaged. That’s why you need to review content quality when completing your on-page SEO checklist.
Here are some of the main content quality indicators:
Run your content through Semrush’s SEO Writing Assistant and make improvements there.
The tool provides SEO, readability, and tone of voice suggestions based on the top 10 competitors for your target keyword(s). And checks for plagiarism.
8. Mark Up Subheadings with Header Tags
Semrush’s State of Content Marketing Report 2023 found that 29% of high-performance articles use H2, H3, and H4 tags.
That’s because subheadings break up text and make it easier for users to scan your content. And the appropriate H-tags (header tags) help Google understand the structure of your page.
You should only have one H1 header. But you can add as many H2 through H6 tags as necessary, depending on the depth of your content.
They work in a nested hierarchy system. Like this:
9. Improve Navigation with Internal Links
Internal links are links between pages on your site. They help Google and users to find their way around.
For example, Soak&Sleep has internal links to its “single duvets” and “single mattresses” categories in its “single bedding” page description.
(There are also helpful links in the navigation menu, breadcrumb navigation, and other elements.)
Notice how these internal links are attached to descriptive anchor text—not generic text like “Click here.” This helps Google (and users) understand what the linked page is about.
10. Add Engaging Visual Content
Use images and videos wherever they add value to your content. This includes photos, illustrations, how-to videos, and more.
Articles with more images tend to get more unique page views, shares, and backlinks, Semrush research shows.
Here are some tips for using videos:
- Create videos that match search intent. For example, create tutorial videos to support your written how-to guides.
- Host your videos on YouTube—one of the largest search engines on the internet. And embed your videos from there.
11. Apply Schema Markup
BONUS: Start on Your Technical SEO
While technical SEO is different from on-page SEO, you need both to rank well on Google.
Read our in-depth guide to technical SEO. But here’s a brief overview to get you started.
1. Make Sure Your Page Is Indexed
For your page to appear in search results, Google’s web crawlers must first add it to the Google index.
You can check if your page is indexed via Google Search Console.
Tip: Haven’t used the tool before? Our Google Search Console guide will help you get set up.
Just inspect the page’s URL using the search bar. Then look at the information provided.
2. Increase Page Speed
Google and users want pages that load quickly. The smallest delay can drive visitors to close your page and go elsewhere.
Here’s a quick list of things that could slow down your page speed:
- Large amounts of HTML on the page
- Redirect chains
- Large JavaScript or CSS files
Check your page speed in Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool. Just enter your page’s URL. Then click “Analyze.”
Then look at your “Core Web Vitals Assessment” (on “Mobile” and “Desktop”) to see whether you passed. Core Web Vitals are key speed metrics that affect user experience. And Google rankings.
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): The time it takes for the main content of the page to appear
- First Input Delay (FID): The response time to the user’s first interaction
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): A measure of layout movements that occur during loading
3. Make Sure Your Page Is Mobile-Friendly
More than 60% of Google searches are performed on mobile devices. So Google predominantly looks at the mobile version of a page when evaluating its quality (and determining its rankings).
This means mobile SEO is paramount.
Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to find out if your page delivers a good user experience on mobile.
Just enter your page’s URL. Then click “TEST URL.”
If your page “isn’t usable on mobile,” look at the “Why it’s not usable” section. Click a problem to get more details.
Improving mobile-friendliness isn’t necessarily something you can do in a day. (Unlike many of the tasks in this on-page SEO checklist.) But it’s usually worth the time investment.
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