On-page SEO checklist

Use this checklist on every new page before publishing, and on every content refresh. Covers the on-page optimization work that actually moves rankings.

Strategy

• [ ] Primary keyword + intent identified
• [ ] Target cluster documented (primary keyword + 2-5 supporting)
• [ ] Top 5 competitors analyzed (format, structure, depth, gaps)
• [ ] Angle that differentiates this page from competitors identified

Title tag

• [ ] Primary keyword near the front
• [ ] Under 60 characters
• [ ] Promises value / earns click
• [ ] Brand at end (if applicable)
• [ ] Unique vs, other pages on the site

Meta description

• [ ] 150-160 characters
• [ ] Primary keyword included naturally
• [ ] One-sentence unique value prop
• [ ] Subtle CTA
• [ ] Not duplicate of title tag

URL

• [ ] Short (<60 characters)
• [ ] Primary keyword in slug
• [ ] Hyphenated, lowercase
• [ ] No query strings or IDs
• [ ] Folder structure consistent with site

Headings

• [ ] One H1 with primary keyword
• [ ] H2s for each major section (3-8 per page typical)
• [ ] Primary keyword or variation in at least one H2
• [ ] PAA questions included as H2s where relevant
• [ ] H3s used for sub-sections (not for styling)
• [ ] Hierarchy doesn't skip levels

Content

• [ ] Primary keyword in first 100 words (natural)
• [ ] Supporting/semantic keywords woven throughout
• [ ] Direct answer to the query in the first section
• [ ] Depth matches the top 5 competitors' average (+/- 20%)
• [ ] No padding or filler
• [ ] Original examples, data, or screenshots included
• [ ] Author bio with credentials visible
• [ ] External links to 2-4 authoritative sources
• [ ] FAQ section covering PAA questions

Images

• [ ] All images have descriptive alt text
• [ ] File names are hyphenated + descriptive
• [ ] WebP or AVIF format (or justified alternative)
• [ ] Compressed (photos <200KB, illustrations <100KB)
• [ ] Responsive srcset for key images
• [ ] Width + height attributes set
• [ ] Lazy-load below-the-fold images
• [ ] Hero image is NOT lazy-loaded

Internal linking

• [ ] 3-10 internal links to related content
• [ ] Descriptive anchor text (not "click here")
• [ ] Link to at least one pillar page / hub
• [ ] This page linked from at least one high-authority page

Schema markup

• [ ] Article (or appropriate type) schema in JSON-LD
• [ ] Author, datePublished, dateModified, image populated
• [ ] Passes Rich Results Test
• [ ] BreadcrumbList schema if on a deep URL

Technical

• [ ] Canonical tag set (self-canonical for most pages)
• [ ] No unintended noindex
• [ ] Page loads <2.5s LCP
• [ ] Mobile-responsive design
• [ ] HTTPS

Post-publish

• [ ] Submitted via Search Console (or waits for crawl)
• [ ] Internal links from other pages added
• [ ] Social share hooks set (OG image, Twitter card)
• [ ] Tracked in analytics
• [ ] Calendar reminder set for 90-day performance review