The Complete Checklist for On-Page SEO:
URL Slug:
-> Keep it short, under 60 characters
-> Max 3 words per slug optimally
-> Include the primary keyword
-> Use hyphens, never underscores
-> Lowercase only
-> Kill dates and numbers unless the content is date-specific
-> One folder deep max where possible
Title tag:
-> Primary keyword in the first 5 words
-> Under 60 characters so it doesn't truncate (sometimes this doesn't apply and you can keyword stuff up to 120 characters - look at what's already ranking for reference)
-> Write it like a headline
-> Add a modifier: best, guide, checklist, [year], free
-> Make it slightly different from your H1
-> One title tag per page, obviously
-> Site title and Homepage title should be the same
Meta description:
-> 150-160 characters
-> Include the keyword (it gets bolded in SERPs)
-> Write it as a click pitch, not a summary
-> Add a reason to click the competitors don't have (angle/differentiator)
-> Know Google rewrites it 60%+ of the time, write it anyway
H1:
-> Exactly one per page
-> Contains the primary keyword or close variant at the beginning
-> Matches search intent, not brand voice slop
-> Promises what the page delivers
Heading structure (H2-H4):
-> H2s = subtopics, pulled from PAA and "related searches" (these are typically also your main inner pillar page titles)
-> Include Wikipedia entities as ofte as possible
-> Never skip levels (H2 -> H4)
-> Write headings as questions or statements where intent is informational
-> Each heading should make sense standalone - LLMs and skimmers read these first
-> Secondary keywords go in H2s, naturally
-> H5-H6 usually overkill
First 100 words:
-> Answer the query/search intent in the first 2 sentences
-> Primary keyword in the first sentences optimally
-> No ai slop intros ("In today's digital landscape..")
Body content:
-> Match intent before anything else - informational, commercial, transactional
-> Cover the topic completely, not just the main keyword
-> Include entities and semantic variants, don't worry to much about keyword density
-> Short paragraphs, 2-3 sentences max
-> One idea per paragraph
-> Add firsthand experience — screenshots, results, opinions ("I/we tested this")
-> Include unique stats or data competitors don't have
-> Cite sources with outbound links to authoritative pages
-> Cut every sentence that doesn't earn its place
-> Update it multiple times per year - refresh dates, stats, and screenshots quarterly for money pages especially
Keywords:
-> One primary keyword per page, no cannibalization
-> Secondary keywords woven in naturally
-> Synonyms and related entities throughout
-> Check what's actually ranking - Google defines intent, not you
Internal links:
-> 3-10 contextual internal links per page
-> Descriptive anchor text, never "click here"
-> Link from your lowest-authority pages upstream to your money pages
-> Link to new pages within clusters from at least 3 existing pages
-> No orphan pages, ever
-> Fix broken internal links immediately
External links:
-> Link out to 1-3 authoritative sources (Wikipedia, Government orgs, Institutions, etc)
-> Open in new tab for UX
-> No links to competitors ranking for your keyword (NEVER)
-> Nofollow anything sponsored or untrusted
Images:
-> Descriptive filenames before upload (your-main-keyword.jpg)
-> Alt text that describes the image and includes keywords
-> Strip Metadata if using AI images
-> Compress everything
-> Lazy load below the fold
-> Set explicit width/height to prevent layout shift
-> Original images beat stock every time
-> Minimum 1 image per page
-> Add an image every 300-400 words optimally
Schema markup:
-> Article or BlogPosting on content
-> FAQ schema on question sections (Google doesn't really care anymore but GPT does)
-> HowTo schema on tutorials
-> Product/Review schema where relevant
-> Breadcrumb schema sitewide
-> Organization schema on the homepage
-> Validate in Rich Results Test before shipping