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On-page SEO is the work of making one page understandable, useful, technically accessible, and easy to connect with the rest of a website. It cannot rescue weak evidence or a mismatched topic. It can help a strong article communicate its purpose clearly to readers and search systems.
Before writing: define the page contract
Write the primary reader question, search intent, target audience, decision after reading, evidence required, and pages that should link to and from the article. Inspect current results to understand expected format, then find a genuine improvement rather than copying their outline. Use the free keyword research process to validate the need.
Write a specific title and introduction
The title should describe the outcome and scope. “Email Tools” is vague; “Email Marketing Tools for a One-Person Newsletter” signals audience and use. Keep the title tag concise enough to remain understandable when truncated, but never remove necessary meaning merely to hit a character target.
The introduction should confirm the problem, explain what the page helps decide, state important limitations, and move into the answer. Avoid generic history that delays useful information.
Build logical headings
Use one H1. H2 headings represent major sections; H3 headings belong inside their H2. Headings should help a reader scan the argument, not act as containers for repeated keywords. If a section contains only two generic sentences, combine it or add evidence, method, example, or action.
Answer comprehensively without padding
Cover the likely next questions required to act: prerequisites, process, criteria, trade-offs, examples, risks, and next steps. Comprehensive does not mean long at any cost. Remove duplicated definitions and transitions that do not change understanding.
Use internal links as navigation
Link to prerequisites when a beginner needs them and to next-reading when a deeper task follows. Anchor text should describe the destination. A comparison may link back to the content-format decision guide and forward to measurement. Do not add a fixed number of irrelevant links for SEO.
Optimise external references and affiliate links
Cite reliable primary sources for specifications, policy, or law. Open links in the same tab unless a real workflow requires otherwise. Check affiliate URLs, disclose clearly before them, and avoid stuffing several identical buttons into each section.
Prepare images and tables
Use images that explain or demonstrate something. Compress them, set width and height, choose WebP or AVIF where supported, and write alt text that communicates the image’s purpose. Decorative images can use empty alt text. Wrap wide tables in a horizontally scrollable labelled region so mobile layouts do not break.
Complete metadata and structured data
| Element | Good practice | Common failure |
|---|---|---|
| Meta description | Accurately previews value and scope | Repeats keywords or promises unsupported results |
| Canonical | Uses the final preferred HTTPS URL | Points to a template or wrong hostname |
| Open Graph | Unique title, description, URL, suitable image | Retains site-starter metadata |
| Article JSON-LD | Matches visible title, date, author, publisher | Claims ratings or facts absent from the page |
Technical and accessibility checks
- Exactly one H1 and one main landmark.
- Unique title, description, canonical, and social metadata.
- Descriptive URL with lowercase words and hyphens.
- Keyboard-accessible links, controls, modal, and menu.
- Visible focus, sufficient contrast, and no horizontal page overflow.
- Images have dimensions and appropriate alt text.
- JSON-LD parses and reflects visible content.
- Page is included in the sitemap only when public and canonical.
Review for affiliate-specific quality
Confirm the recommendation criteria make sense, disadvantages are visible, claims distinguish testing from research, disclosure appears early, merchant terms are current, and the page remains useful without commission links. Search optimisation must not distort editorial conclusions.
After publication
Request indexing only when necessary, then observe impressions, query patterns, engagement, and affiliate clicks. A page appearing for unintended queries may need clearer scope. A page earning impressions but few visits may need a more precise title. A page receiving clicks but no conversions may have poor product fit-not merely a weak button.
Thirty-minute final review
- Read the article once for usefulness and once for accuracy.
- Compare title, H1, introduction, and conclusion for one consistent promise.
- Open every internal, external, and affiliate link.
- Check the page at narrow and wide widths.
- Validate metadata, structured data, headings, and labels.
- Schedule the next factual review.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I use the primary keyword?
Use natural language needed to make the topic clear. There is no useful universal density. Repetition that sounds unnatural makes the page worse.
Can I change the publication date after an edit?
Use a meaningful modified date when substantial review or improvement occurred. Do not change dates merely to make old content look new.
Does every article need FAQ structured data?
No. Include visible FAQs when they help readers, and follow current search documentation before adding any corresponding markup.
Optimise the whole answer
The best checklist preserves a chain: real reader need, accurate page, clear structure, accessible implementation, honest commercial context, and measured improvement. Publish only when each link in that chain is credible.