On-Page SEO Checklist — 35 Essential Optimisations
A complete on-page SEO checklist with 35 actionable items. Every element search engines evaluate on each page, ranked by priority.
On-page SEO is everything you control on your own website: titles, headings, content, images, and code. This 35-point checklist covers every element that search engines evaluate on each page.
Title tags and meta descriptions
| # | Item | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unique title tag on every page containing the primary keyword near the front | High |
| 2 | Title length between 50-60 characters so it displays fully in search results | High |
| 3 | Unique meta description for every page, 150-160 characters | High |
| 4 | Meta description includes a value proposition or call to action | Medium |
| 5 | No duplicate title tags across the site | High |
| 6 | Brand name included in title tag, preferably at the end | Medium |
Headings and content structure
| # | Item | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | One H1 per page containing the primary keyword | High |
| 8 | H2 and H3 tags follow a logical hierarchy (no skipping levels) | High |
| 9 | Headings are descriptive and useful for users scanning the page | Medium |
| 10 | Target keyword appears in at least one H2 | Medium |
| 11 | No empty heading tags or headings used purely for styling | Low |
Content optimisation
| # | Item | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Content comprehensively covers the topic (not thin or superficial) | High |
| 13 | Target keyword appears naturally in the first 100 words | High |
| 14 | Related keywords and synonyms used throughout (semantic SEO) | Medium |
| 15 | Content length is appropriate for the topic — longer for in-depth subjects | Medium |
| 16 | Paragraphs are short (2-4 sentences) for readability | Low |
| 17 | Lists, tables and bold text used to break up content | Low |
| 18 | Outbound links to authoritative, relevant sources | Medium |
Image optimisation
| # | Item | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | All images have descriptive alt text containing keywords where relevant | High |
| 20 | Image file names are descriptive (e.g. seo-checklist.jpg not IMG_001.jpg) | Medium |
| 21 | Images are compressed for web (under 100 KB where possible) | High |
| 22 | Responsive images using srcset for different screen sizes | Medium |
| 23 | Lazy loading enabled for below-the-fold images | Low |
Internal and external links
| # | Item | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Internal links connect related pages using descriptive anchor text | High |
| 25 | Important pages receive more internal links (link equity distribution) | Medium |
| 26 | No broken internal or external links | High |
| 27 | External links open with rel="noopener" (though not a ranking factor) | Low |
| 28 | Navigation links are crawlable (not JavaScript-dependent) | High |
Internal linking is often overlooked. See our internal linking strategy guide for a deeper dive.
Technical on-page elements
| # | Item | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Page loads in under 2.5 seconds (LCP under 2.5s) | High |
| 30 | Mobile responsiveness tested and verified | High |
| 31 | Canonical tag set correctly (self-referencing or to preferred URL) | High |
| 32 | Meta robots tag set correctly (index/follow for normal pages) | High |
| 33 | HTTPS enforced (SSL certificate active and valid) | High |
| 34 | URL is clean, short and contains the target keyword | Medium |
Schema markup
| # | Item | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | Relevant schema type applied (Article, Product, LocalBusiness, FAQ, etc.) | Medium |
Schema helps search engines understand your content and enables rich results. Our schema markup guide explains how to implement each type correctly. For a broader view of SEO, read our introduction to SEO.
Frequently asked questions
The title tag remains the single most impactful on-page element. It appears as the clickable headline in search results and is a strong relevancy signal. A well-written title that includes the target keyword and matches search intent can significantly improve click-through rates.
Aim for 150-160 characters. Meta descriptions no longer directly affect rankings, but they influence click-through rates, which indirectly affect SEO performance.
No. Modern search engines understand context and synonyms. Forcing a specific keyword count creates a poor reading experience. Write naturally and use related terms.
One H1 per page. The H1 should contain the primary keyword and match the page's main topic. Multiple H1 tags confuse the page hierarchy for search engines.
Short, descriptive URLs with hyphens separating words are best. Avoid unnecessary parameters, dates, or random strings. A clean URL helps search engines and users understand the page content.