The on-page SEO checklist: 24 things to fix on every page

Run this checklist on every page before publishing. It covers the on-page signals that decide whether search engines and users understand your page.

Title and meta description

1. Title is 50 to 60 characters.
2. Title includes the primary keyword first.
3. Title does not include the brand unless it fits naturally.
4. Meta description is 140 to 160 characters.
5. Meta description follows the formula: '[Promise]. [Proof]. [CTA or risk reversal]'.
6. Every page has a unique title and meta description.

Headings and structure

1. One H1 per page.
2. Heading levels never skip.
3. H2s match search intent subtopics.
4. TL;DR and key takeaways open long-form pages.

Content

1. Primary keyword appears in the first paragraph.
2. Sentences average under 20 words.
3. Paragraphs under 4 sentences on long-form pages.
4. Subhead every 200 to 300 words.
5. Flesch reading ease between 70 and 95.

Internal links

1. At least 3 contextual internal links in the body copy.
2. Anchor text is descriptive.
3. Page links up to its pillar and down to its spokes.
4. No orphan pages.

Schema and structured data

1. Page-specific FAQ schema with 6 to 12 questions.
2. Breadcrumb schema on every page.
3. Article schema on blog posts.
4. Product or service schema on relevant pages.

Images

1. Every image has alt text.
2. Images use modern formats (AVIF, WebP).
3. Images declare width and height.

Bonus

1. Page is mobile-friendly.
2. Page passes Core Web Vitals.
3. Page has a clear primary CTA.
4. Page links to a related service, industry or case study.