The COMPLETE On-Page SEO Checklist for 2022

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Some radical deliberation on-page SEO is conscionable throwing your keywords connected the page.

WRONG!

There’s an creation and subject to on-page SEO.

That’s wherefore today, I’m going to amusement you my step-by-step on-page SEO checklist.

You’ll ne'er request different checklist aft you work this.

This 80-Point On-Page SEO Checklist Will Force Google to Rank Your Page

Free Download: Achieve cleanable on-page SEO with our 80-point checklist.


On-Page SEO Part 1: Performance

1. Do you person Google Analytics tracking acceptable up?

You request a mode to measurement the SEO show of your page. Google Analytics is beauteous hard to beat, but determination are immoderate decent alternatives similar Clicky.

Just marque definite you person a mode to way integrated hunt postulation and conversions.

You tin use this tool to audit your Google Analytics acceptable up.

2. Are you tracking your superior keyword phrase?

Tracking idiosyncratic keywords isn’t arsenic straightforward arsenic it utilized to beryllium due to the fact that of localization, personalization, and different factors.

However, you should inactive beryllium tracking your superior keyword conscionable to marque definite you’re connected the close track.

I personally usage Ahrefs to way keywords.

Here’s a video explaining however I usage it to way performance:


On-Page SEO Part 2: Crawling & Indexing

3. Is your leafage crawlable?

The astir cardinal portion of on-page SEO is that your leafage is crawable. In fact, you can’t fertile if Google’s spiders can’t entree your page. Your robots.txt record and “NoIndex” tags are 2 communal culprits you request to support an oculus on.

This tool is cleanable for checking your page’s crawlability. Just participate your URL and click “Submit”.

Then the instrumentality volition amusement you everything that is oregon isn’t blocking hunt motor crawlers. You privation to spot a “200” presumption code. No quality is bully quality erstwhile it comes to the different sections.

You tin besides usage Screaming Frog SEO Spider to marque definite your pages are crawler accessible. Just click the “Response Codes” tab and prime “Blocked by Robots.txt.”

4. Is your leafage indexable?

Having a “crawlable” leafage is the archetypal measurement to ranking successful Google. The 2nd measurement is making definite that your leafage gets indexed.

The champion mode to cheque if your leafage is indexed correctly is to transcript your URL and paste it into Google.

Established pages should amusement up. If they don’t, past you request to instrumentality immoderate further steps.

First, cheque if the leafage is utilizing the “NoIndex” tag. Then, conscionable click the “Directives” tab successful Screaming Frog and prime “Noindex” from the filter dropdown.

If it passes that test, past you request to analyse your tract architecture.

Sometimes your leafage is buried excessively heavy wrong your website, and crawlers can’t scope it. This contented is astir communal with e-commerce websites oregon larger websites.

To find out, click the “Site Architecture” tab successful Screaming Frog and look nether the “Crawl Depth” section.

You privation astir of your pages to beryllium nary much than 3 clicks deep.

If your leafage walk some of those tests, past you should usage the “Fetch arsenic Google” tool.

The past mode to get your leafage indexed is to get backlinks to it.

Now that you’re tracking performance, your leafage is crawlable, and your leafage is indexed, it’s clip to optimize your leafage for your superior keyword.


On-Page SEO Part 3: Keywords

5. Are you targeting the close keyword?

Some radical overestimate their quality to fertile for definite keywords. You request to spell done extended keyword qualification and competitor analysis processes to guarantee that you’re targeting the close keywords.

I won’t spell excessively heavy into it here, but here’s a 30,000-foot keyword qualification process you tin use:

First, tally your keyword done Ahrefs Keyword Explorer tool.

You tin rapidly destruct keywords based connected Keyword Difficulty (KD). For example, newer websites oregon websites that deficiency authorization shouldn’t people keywords greater than  50 KD.

If your keyword passes the KD test, past you request to comparison your website against the ranking competitors (on average).

Gather the pursuing information points for each rival and mean them out:
  • DR, Backlinks, Total Linking Root Domains (export from Ahrefs Keyword Explorer)
  • Word number (this tool works well)

Now you person a roadmap of what you’ll request to bash to vie for your people keyword phrase.

6. Have you already targeted this keyword?

Keyword cannibalization (when aggregate pages people the aforesaid superior keyword phrase) is thing you request to support tabs on.

Here’s an example:

Avoiding this contented astatine the onset should beryllium a precedence for each SEO campaign.

Trust me… It’s a nightmare moving done ample standard keyword cannibalization issues.

Here’s what you request to know:
  • Target 1 superior keyword per leafage and past absorption connected creating (and updating) that 1 page.
  • Don’t make oregon optimize different leafage for the aforesaid superior keyword.

I should notation the hub and spoke model though.

You tin people intimately related keywords if the intent is different.

For example, connected Gotch SEO, I person a blog station astir how to bash an SEO audit (informational intent) and past I person a leafage targeting “SEO audit service” (transactional intent). These keyword phrases are intimately related but person overmuch antithetic intent.

Here’s a ocular from Jimmy Daly:

Just marque definite you don’t get this exemplary twisted and deliberation you should commencement pumping retired bladed pages astir your superior page/keyword.

7. Does your leafage fulfill hunt intent?

Th cardinal to effectual on-page SEO is knowing however to optimize for intent.

If you’ve been pursuing my enactment oregon you’re a subordinate of Gotch SEO Academy, past I cognize you’re sick of maine talking astir this. But the information is, it’s truthful incredibly important and it’s thing that a batch of websites get wrong.

There are 4 superior categories of hunt intent:
  1. Informational – “how to get backlinks”
  2. Transactional – “buy backlinks”
  3. Comparison – “Moz vs. Ahrefs”
  4. Navigational – “Gotch SEO”

Understanding the intent down your people keyword should dictate however you operation your page.

For example, if you’re targeting a keyword operation with informational intent (how to __), that leafage should amended and effort to physique rapport.

Most searchers are not acceptable to bargain erstwhile searching for informational keywords.

Source

They’re apt astatine the opening of the lawsuit journey. You request to beryllium cognizant of that and operation your leafage arsenic an acquisition resource.

Keep successful mind, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t effort to propulsion the imaginable to the adjacent signifier successful the buying cycle, but you request to instrumentality babe steps. Lead magnets are my go-to CTA for searchers astatine this stage.

8. Is your superior keyword successful the title?

While SEOs don’t hold connected everything, astir would person a hard clip disputing that your superior keyword should beryllium successful your page’s title tag to execute basal on-page SEO. If you bash thing connected this checklist, marque definite your people keyword is successful the rubric due to the fact that it’s the astir cardinal portion of due on-page SEO.

But if on-page SEO were arsenic elemental arsenic placing your keyword successful the title, determination would beryllium galore much palmy SEOs.

Here’s the truth:

That’s a bare minimum on-page SEO action.

To instrumentality your rubric tag optimization up different notch, you request to amended its clickability.

9. Is your rubric click worthy?

Google uses the words successful your rubric tag to recognize your page. But there’s different broadside of rubric tags you request to understand:

Click-Through Rate (CTR).

You tin find your website’s SERP CTR show successful Google Search Console erstwhile you click connected “Performance”:

It’s captious that you marque your rubric arsenic eye-catching and click-worthy arsenic possible.

In fact:

Increasing your SERP CTR is 1 of the easiest ways to get much integrated hunt postulation without creating immoderate caller content.

10. Can you adhd modifiers to your title?

Most radical propulsion their keyword into the rubric telephone it time for the on-page SEO efforts. But what they don’t recognize is that rubric modifiers similar “best”, “top”, oregon the twelvemonth (“2022”) tin assistance you seizure much long-tail integrated hunt traffic.

11. Have you utilized each your rubric tag existent estate?

Titles tin beryllium arsenic agelong arsenic 65 characters earlier being truncated successful Google’s SERPs.

You should instrumentality afloat vantage of this quality existent property to maximize your on-page SEO.

Make definite your keyword is towards the beforehand of the title, but aft that, you should usage each the copywriting techniques you tin entice searchers to click connected your result.

You tin usage Screaming Frog to find each titles nether oregon implicit 65 characters erstwhile clicking “Page Titles” and clicking the “Filter” dropdown.

12. Is your leafage rubric wrapped successful an H1 tag?

Every leafage connected your website should person an H1 tag and it should see your superior keyword for due on-page SEO.

You tin usage Screaming Frog SEO Spider to find what pages don’t presently person H1s.

Just click the “H1” tab and prime “Missing H1s” from the “Filter” dropdown.

Now the question is:

Can you person aggregate H1s connected a leafage (and however does that interaction SEO performance)? The reply is yes, but it would a precise uncommon condition erstwhile I would adjacent see doing it.

13. Is your superior keyword successful the meta description?

Google often rewrites meta descriptions, but it’s inactive a bully thought to constitute a descriptive 1 that includes your superior keyword.

For example, Google replaced my meta statement for my usher astir 301 redirects with the archetypal mates sentences of my content:

14. Is your meta statement click worthy?

Like your title, you should effort to marque your meta statement arsenic click-worthy arsenic possible.

Here’s a adjuvant guide.

15. Is your superior keyword successful the URL?

In my experience, pages that person the superior keyword successful the URL thin to execute better. Google besides claims that having your keyword successful the URL is precise tiny ranking factor.

16. Is your URL operation lean?

There’s some evidence that shorter URLs execute better, but it’s apt a tiny factor.

Source

The main crushed for shortening your URLs is for UX. That’s due to the fact that agelong URLs are hard to retrieve and hard to share.

With that said, determination are nary benefits of having agelong URLs. So, chopped each the abdominous disconnected your URLs and permission lone your people keyword phrases.

17. Is your superior keyword successful the archetypal sentence?

It’s highly challenging to trial micro on-page SEO factors specified arsenic placing your keyword operation successful the archetypal sentence, but it’s thing I’ve ever personally done.

To me, if you privation Google’s algorithms to recognize what your leafage is about, past you request to marque it abundantly clear. So naturally, placing your people keyword operation successful the archetypal condemnation is cleanable for achieving that goal.

18. Is your keyword density excessively assertive comparative to your competitors?

Many reason that you should disregard keyword density. I hold for the astir part.

You should constitute your contented successful the astir earthy mode possible, and the density should enactment its mode out.

However, it doesn’t wounded to cheque the contention to place the mean keyword density for your people keyword phrase.

Just usage this tool to stitchery the keyword density for each rival and past mean it out.

Then conscionable comparison your existent density to that average. If you’re creating an wholly caller page, past make the contented archetypal and past adjust.

Just support successful mind:

Keyword placement is mode much important than density.

19. Have you added variations of your superior keyword into the copy?

It’s omniscient to operation your pages astir 1 superior keyword. However, you should besides effort to fertile that leafage for each the intimately related variations arsenic well.

One of my favourite ways to find these variations is to use Ahrefs Keyword Explorer.

Just participate your superior keyword operation and past click connected “Also fertile for”:

20. Have you added synonyms (LSI keywords) of your superior keyword into the copy?

Google’s Hummingbird algorithm is designed to fertile pages based connected themes, not conscionable keywords. While it’s important to operation your leafage astir your superior keyword, you besides request to interweave different applicable synonyms and topics astir it to execute optimal on-page SEO.

If you analyse my “backlinks” guide, you’ll spot this successful action. Every azygous conception connected that leafage was deliberate.

I simply pulled each the ideas from Answer the Public and different keyword tools. In short, your leafage should beryllium answering each question and solving each occupation astir your people keyword phase.

Just beryllium cautious not to intermingle antithetic intents. For example, that’s wherefore I created a abstracted leafage for the keyword operation “buy backlinks” alternatively of conscionable placing that conception successful my guide.

My backlinks usher has Informational intent, portion “buy backlinks” has Transaction intent.


On-Page SEO Part 4: Content

21. Is your leafage antithetic & amended than your competitors?

Unique is amended than long. Every leafage connected your website (that you privation to rank) needs to bring thing caller and caller to the table.

Always attack your contented from the space of “How are we going to marque this leafage antithetic than what presently exists (while adding much value)?”

This is overmuch easier erstwhile you’re competing for Informational queries.

But however bash you marque your leafage unsocial erstwhile you’re competing for Transactional queries similar “Los Angeles transgression lawyer”?

First, you request to:

Leverage the contented that is unsocial to your brand.

That’s going to beryllium testimonials, lawsuit studies, and results. That should beryllium the focal constituent of each effectual section leafage due to the fact that you’re trying to transportation searchers to go a lead. You execute that by having overwhelming societal impervious and establishing your brand’s authority.

Second:

Your page’s UX/UI needs to beryllium amended than your competitors.

Fortunately, connected the section level, astir businesses aren’t consenting to put successful design. That means there’s a strategical vantage if you do.

The different important origin that astir section businesses disregard is UX.

You should physique pages with transactional intent for conversions (goal completions). That means forms should beryllium supra the fold, and CTAs should beryllium prominent.

Thirdly, astir section businesses aren’t consenting to put clip oregon wealth into video production, graphic design, oregon prime photography.

You should put successful multimedia if you’re superior astir ranking.

I’ve personally invested $22,433 successful conscionable video editing alone. It’s worthy it.

My past proposal is to educate.
  • Can you adhd an FAQ to the leafage that makes a searcher much apt to go a lead?
  • Can you springiness them accurate, unbiased acquisition accusation that volition assistance them marque an informed decision?

Helping searchers and adding worth builds goodwill, which builds spot for your brand. Trust is the cardinal to precocious conversions.

22. Is your transcript escaped of spelling and grammatical errors?

Use tools similar Grammarly to find spelling and grammatical errors. Google isn’t fond of spelling and grammatical errors based connected what they said successful their Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines:

It besides wouldn’t wounded to prosecute a proofreader oregon exertion to spell done your pages.

23. Is your transcript longer (on average) than your competitors?

There’s immoderate correlation that pages with much words thin to execute amended than Google.

Source

It’s conscionable truly important not to instrumentality this retired of context. Your transcript needs to beryllium well-crafted and thought out. Writing respective 1000 words of fluff contented won’t bash much.

As I mentioned successful the erstwhile check, your page/copy needs to beryllium radically antithetic from your competitors. Not conscionable longer.

Use this tool or Screaming Frog to spot however agelong your competitor’s contented is.

24. Is your transcript written well?

Some SEOs hide that not each penning is equal. Just due to the fact that you wrote 2,000 words doesn’t mean it’s good. Writing is simply a skill, and immoderate radical are further on than others.

You lone person 2 options:
  1. Spend thousands of hours penning and speechmaking to amended your ability.
  2. Hire idiosyncratic who already has the skill.

If you aren’t a large writer but don’t person the fund to hire, constitute the contented and person an exertion amended it.

25. Is your transcript scannable?

Internet users scan earlier they read. That’s wherefore your contented needs to usage each the methods disposable to amended the scanability of your page.

This is peculiarly important for text-heavy pages similar blog posts/articles.

You’ll request to usage your champion judgement to springiness this cheque a walk oregon fail, but here’s a elemental two-step process.

  1. First, scan the people leafage that you privation to optimize.
  2. Then, measure whether oregon not a scholar tin recognize what the leafage is astir without speechmaking the full thing.

26. Is your transcript written for an 8th grader?

There are people markets that warrant precocious penning and content, but they are the minority.

Your contented should beryllium written to beryllium understood and actionable.

If idiosyncratic can’t recognize what you’re talking astir oregon however to instrumentality what you’re suggesting, there’s a problem.

Some experts hide that nary 1 cares however overmuch you cognize oregon however overmuch acquisition you have. It’s believed that we arsenic humans are inherently self-interested. WE privation to cognize however you are going to assistance US.

That’s wherefore crafting your contented truthful that it reads astatine an 8th-grade level oregon beneath is truthful effective. It makes your contented easier to understand, easier to instrumentality enactment on, and makes you much relatable.

You tin usage Hemingway Writer to marque your contented easier to understand. More importantly, survey the champion nonstop effect copywriters of each clip similar David Ogilvy, Dan Kennedy, oregon Frank Kern, and you’ll spot that elemental penning wins.

27. Is your transcript engaging?

Writing astatine an 8th-grade level oregon little is the archetypal measurement to penning engaging copy. The 2nd measurement is really to beryllium engaging erstwhile you write.

People request to devour their contented earlier they instrumentality action.

That’s wherefore each of these tactics successful this copywriting conception are truthful important.

From an SEO perspective, if searchers prosecute and digest your content, that is simply a affirmative awesome for your page. It volition summation dwell time, and if you’ve done an fantabulous job, the searcher whitethorn implicit different enactment specified arsenic sharing your page, visiting different page, subscribing to your list, becoming a lead, oregon adjacent purchasing 1 of your products.

Now the question is:

How bash you marque your transcript much engaging?
  1. First, constitute to 1 scholar by utilizing pronouns specified arsenic “you” and “yours”.
  2. Second, interweave applicable stories to exemplify points.
  3. Lastly, really cognize what you’re talking about. While it’s casual to fake expertise online, astir readers sniff retired BS.

28. Does your transcript usage abbreviated paragraphs?

Long paragraphs are similar kryptonite for Internet users. Massive blocks of substance are 1 of the astir repelling things you’ll brushwood online.

Keep your paragraphs abbreviated and scannable.

I wouldn’t spell beyond 3 sentences per paragraph.

I cognize this isn’t what your English teacher taught you, but they’ve apt ne'er sold thing connected the Internet.

29. Are your headings structured logically?

Using logical leafage operation won’t profoundly impact your performance, but it’s inactive a bully practice.

Every leafage should person an H1 tag, and past you travel it with H2, H3, H4, etc.

30. Is your transcript utilizing descriptive headings?

I learned the conception of descriptive headings from Frank Kern. In short, a scholar should beryllium capable to scan your headings and recognize what the contented is about. Kern refers to this arsenic “headings that archer a story”.

He besides mentions that readers astir ever scan contented earlier they perpetrate to speechmaking the full thing. That’s wherefore descriptive headings are truthful important.

31. Have you utilized keyword variations, LSIs, oregon synonyms successful your headings?

Your H1 tag tin beryllium akin to your rubric tag, but your different headings should see variations of your superior keyword, LSIs, and synonyms.

Answer the Public is cleanable for this.

32. Is your transcript utilizing slug points and numbered lists?

Use slug points and numbered lists arsenic often arsenic you can.

This volition interruption up your contented and marque it easier for readers to “commit” to digest it.

33. Is your transcript “fresh”?

You should reappraisal your transcript astatine slightest biannually oregon annually to marque definite it’s inactive accurate. Keeping your contented close and existent is captious for pleasing Google’s algorithms.

This conception is mentioned countless times successful Google’s Search Engine Evaluator Guidelines.

There’s besides a amended ROI erstwhile you improving existing assets arsenic opposed to creating caller assets.


On-Page SEO Part 5:Images

34. Does your leafage person arsenic galore oregon much images than your competitors?

Unique images marque your leafage much absorbing and engaging. You should purpose to person astatine slightest galore unsocial images arsenic your competitors oregon more.

35. Are your images unsocial to your website?

Like writing, not each images are equal. Always strive to person UNIQUE images and graphics connected your page.

You whitethorn person to prosecute a graphic decorator oregon photographer, but it’s a worthwhile concern due to the fact that it volition amended the quality/appeal of your page.

Plus, it’ll amended your brand’s cognition if you enactment successful that other effort.

36. Are your images high-quality?

Getting unsocial images is the archetypal step. The 2nd measurement is making definite they’re good.

Hire a nonrecreational to instrumentality pictures oregon make graphics.

Businesses emotion to chopped corners to “save money,” but it doesn’t prevention you wealth successful the agelong tally due to the fact that low-quality pictures/graphics wounded your brand’s perception.

37. Are you utilizing the close representation format?

Deciding betwixt PNG, JPEG, oregon GIF won’t person a monolithic effect connected SEO performance, but it tin assistance with leafage loading speed.

PNG is the highest prime retired of the three. That means it volition apt instrumentality the longest to load fully. I urge reading this guide to get a amended knowing of these files types.

Don’t worry; it’s not a beingness oregon decease decision.

Default to PNG and JPEG due to the fact that they’re the astir common.

38. Are your images sized appropriately?

Your images should beryllium sized and uploaded arsenic the size they’ll look connected your page. The extremity is to forestall representation downsizing, which volition assistance amended your page’s loading speed.

39. Are your images compressed?

Using high-quality images is ace important, but you besides request to marque definite they’re optimizing for loading speed.

Images are often 1 of the biggest culprits of slowing loading pages. Compressing your images is the cardinal to preventing this issue.

Tools similar OptimizeZilla are cleanable due to the fact that they volition amusement you the representation compression side-by-side. That mode you don’t jeopardize representation quality, but you’re besides optimizing for loading speed.

40. Do your images person descriptive record names?

Google recommends using descriptive record names for images.

What does that mean?

It means you should prevention your images based connected the contents of the image.

For example, if your representation is of a 12-week aged antheral large Pyrenees, past your record sanction should be: https://www.website.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/12-week-male-great-pyrenees.png

Doing truthful tin assistance with your representation hunt performance. Just don’t spell overboard and keyword worldly your files.

41. Do each of your images person descriptive and close tag descriptions?

Google’s spiders usage ALT tags to recognize what an representation is.

You should ever usage descriptive ALT tags for each representation connected your page.


On-Page SEO Part 6: Video

42. Does your leafage person video content?

Video is 1 of the preferred mediums of contented depletion online. It’s besides 1 of the champion ways to prosecute searchers and support them connected your leafage for longer, which is simply a affirmative idiosyncratic signal.

I highly urge investing successful the video adjacent if your competitors aren’t.

43. Are the videos applicable to page/primary keyword?

Like your images and copy, the video needs to beryllium hyper-relevant to the page’s content.

44. Are the videos unsocial to your brand?

Yes, you tin spell to YouTube and embed immoderate video connected your page, but this isn’t the champion semipermanent strategy. You should beryllium creating unsocial videos due to the fact that it’s a large mode to amended your brand’s perception.

It’s besides different mode to turn your brand’s beingness connected the 2nd biggest hunt engine, YouTube.

45. Are the videos high-quality and valuable?

Video contented is incredibly effectual connected galore antithetic fronts erstwhile it’s high-quality and valuable. Your purpose should beryllium to make the champion video contented you can.

But there’s a challenge:

You request to beryllium decently engaging and articulate erstwhile that camera turns on. You tin lone execute this done clip and practice.

So, either you request to enactment successful the hours to go much engaging, oregon you request a squad subordinate who tin correspond your marque connected video.

I won’t get excessively heavy into creating video due to the fact that it’s extracurricular the scope of this guide, but 1 immense proposal I person is to publication retired your content.

46. Is the video contented responsive?

Your video should beryllium easy viewable connected each devices. YouTube, Vimeo, and Wistia videos are responsive, but sometimes custom-built websites tin origin problems.

Use this tool to trial your video responsiveness. If your video isn’t responsive, you’ll request to optimize your design. In the meantime, you tin usage this instrumentality to marque the videos responsive.

47. Are the videos hosted connected the close platform?

Deciding wherever to big your videos is important from some an SEO and a concern perspective.

From an SEO perspective, YouTube is king due to the fact that it’s the biggest video hunt motor by far. That’s wherefore hosting your videos connected YouTube and past embedding them connected your keyword-targeted leafage tin person a duel effect.

Meaning, you tin fertile successful some Google and YouTube to thrust maximum visibility. But if you person nary involvement successful gathering a YouTube channel, you tin big your videos anyplace and inactive get each the benefits.

48. Are the videos optimized?

Your video’s rubric should lucifer the keyword your leafage is targeting. For example, my anchor substance usher features a video astir “anchor text”.


On-Page SEO Part 7:Links

49. Does your leafage person interior links?

Internal links are a almighty mode to physique your site’s authority, amended your site’s crawability and indexability, and assistance you fertile different important pages connected your site.

50. Are your interior links utilizing descriptive anchor text?

Unlike outer links, your interior links SHOULD usage keyword-rich anchor text.

I emotion to tally my competitors done Screaming Frog SEO Spider to get an thought of their interior nexus anchor profile.

51. Are your interior links optimized based connected archetypal nexus priority?

The large origin you request to support successful caput is first nexus priority, which means that Google’s algorithm apt lone “counts” the archetypal link/anchor substance connected a page.

That’s the main crushed wherefore I typically debar placing pages I’m trying to fertile successful the navigation.

52. Does the leafage person breadcrumbs?

Breadcrumbs are utile for ample oregon e-com websites. You conscionable request to support successful caput the archetypal nexus precedence principle.

Especially if you’re trying to fertile your class pages.

53. Are your interior links useful?

Injecting interior links for the sole intent of ranking isn’t a large idea.

Remember that extremity of your leafage is to delight the user.

Every interior nexus should service a intent oregon assistance the idiosyncratic successful immoderate way. In general, arsenic agelong arsenic you’re linking to applicable and invaluable pages, past you’ll beryllium bully to go.

54. Are each your interior links utilizing preferred URLs?

Moving to caller domains, changing URLs, oregon installing SSL certificates tin origin URLs to change. The effect is simply a redirect chain.

Redirect chains unit nexus equity to walk done a buffer and whitethorn dilatory your page’s velocity with excessive redirects.

You should audit your interior links to marque definite they’re utilizing your preferred URLs.

55. Does your leafage person outer links?

Linking retired to applicable and trusted resources builds the spot of your page.

56. Are each affiliate, sponsored, oregon paid links utilizing a “NoFollow” tag?

Google states successful its webmaster guidelines that each paid links should person the NoFollow tag. A NoFollow tag is expected to forestall PageRank from flowing done the link.

57. Do each your outer links acceptable to unfastened successful a caller window?

Your extremity should beryllium to support users connected your tract arsenic agelong arsenic possible. That’s wherefore you should marque definite each outer links unfastened successful a caller window.

I cognize this is simply a insignificant issue, but you wouldn’t judge however often I find it successful audits.

58. Does your leafage person breached links?

You indispensable hole breached links due to the fact that they tin wounded the idiosyncratic experience. You should audit your leafage and tract each 4th to place and hole breached links.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider is my favourite instrumentality for accomplishing this goal.

Just click connected “Response Codes”, past click the filter dropdown, prime “Client (4xx)”, and click “Inlinks” to find each your breached links.

59. Are each your links intelligibly links?

Sometimes web plan and UX tin clash. Deciding however to benignant links is often 1 of those challenging. I’m successful the campy that links should ever beryllium underline and should beryllium a antithetic colour than the assemblage text.

Links are meant to beryllium clicked on.


On-Page SEO Part 8: User Experience (UX)

60. Does your leafage load successful little than 3 seconds?

Page velocity is 1 of the astir important UX factors. You should amended your loading velocity due to the fact that it helps some SEO and conversions.

I urge utilizing some Pingdom and GTMetrix to optimize your website loading speed.

61. Is your leafage responsive and mobile-friendly?

The bulk of each web searches are connected mobile devices. That’s wherefore there’s nary statement that your website needs to beryllium mobile-friendly.

Test your leafage utilizing this tool to marque definite the acquisition is optimal connected each devices.

62. Does your website person an SSL certificate installed?

Google stated a fewer years agone that SSL certificates would beryllium a portion of their algorithm and a ranking factor. Also, Google Chrome present labels websites with the dreaded “Not Secure” label.

This statement is simply a important deterrent for users, which could wounded some your hunt motor show and business.

Installing an SSL certificate is simply a site-wide initiative, but it’s a bully thought to guarantee your people leafage is decently secured.

Use this tool to trial your page’s information and SSL certificate installation.

63. Is your font benignant legible and casual to work connected each devices?

This is simply a given, but your font benignant should beryllium casual to read. Some of the easiest fonts to work are Open Sans, Montserrat, and Playfair Display.

“Although galore books specify the intent of typography arsenic enhancing the readability of the written word, 1 of design’s astir humane functions is, successful actuality, to assistance readers debar reading.” ~ Ellen Lupton

64. Is your font size ample capable to easy work connected each devices?

Having large, readable font is ace important connected mobile. Users shouldn’t person to pinch to zoom to work your text.

Check this guide retired to larn much astir optimizing font sizes arsenic well.

65. Does your leafage usage assertive interstitials?

Google has stated that their algorithm volition demote pages with assertive interstitial popular ups.

I don’t blasted them due to the fact that they’re beauteous annoying.

If you’re going to usage them, lone load them erstwhile a idiosyncratic visits a 2nd oregon 3rd leafage connected your website. I would debar loading them connected mobile altogether, though (unless it’s a slide-down oregon slide-up that tin beryllium rapidly closed).

66. Does your leafage person assertive advertisement placements?

One constituent that Google’s Panda archetypal algorithm targeted was assertive advertisement placements coupled with bladed content. Some businesses’ livelihood depends connected advertisement revenue, but immoderate instrumentality it excessively far.

If you privation to proceed performing good successful Google, you request to deliberation astir the idiosyncratic first.

Does jamming ads successful their look assistance them execute a extremity oregon lick a occupation they were searching? You should physique each SEO-driven leafage to service the user. Get that portion squared away, and past deliberation astir however to spot ads that don’t disrupt the user’s experience.


On-Page SEO Part 9: Local

67. Is your code prominently displayed?

If you’re trying to fertile your leafage successful the section pack, your code needs to beryllium displayed. It doesn’t request to beryllium supra the fold, but it should beryllium successful the assemblage of the contented oregon the footer.

Just beryllium cautious with placing the code successful the footer if you person aggregate locations. That’s due to the fact that astir footers volition beryllium displayed site-wide, which means your code is connected each page.

You won’t person issues if you person 1 location. However, if you person aggregate locations, you should lone show the code connected the applicable determination page.


On-Page SEO Part 10: Structured Data

68. Is your code utilizing structured data?

Google claims that structured information isn’t a portion of their algorithm. Whether that’s existent is pugnacious to say. But I judge implementing structured information tin lone person a affirmative interaction connected your page’s performance.

At the minimum, wrapper your code with structured information to assistance Google’s algorithm amended recognize your leafage and business.

69. Is your leafage utilizing structured data?

Local businesses volition apt payment from utilizing structured data, but it has truthful galore different uses arsenic well. The bully quality is that galore Content Management Systems (CMS) person structured information built-in, doing basal markup.

This Schema plugin works perfectly for WordPress.

70. Is the structured information acceptable up correctly?

You marque definite your structured information close erstwhile you’ve implemented it.

The champion instrumentality to usage is Google’s Structured Data Testing tool.


On-Page SEO Part 11: YMYL & E-A-T

71. Are you giving health, financial, oregon ineligible advice?

Many judge Google’s algorithm update on August 1, 2018 (the “Medic” update) targeted “Your Money, Your Life” (YMYL) types of websites and pages.

In short, immoderate websites offering health, financial, oregon ineligible proposal volition beryllium nether greater scrutiny going forward.

The main crushed is that incorrect, unproven, oregon inaccurate accusation successful these spaces tin wounded a person.

Google lone wants to fertile pages that person close accusation successful their hunt engine. The Search Engine Rater’s guidelines marque this clear. With that said, marque definite your page’s contented is close (no substance what niche you’re in).

72. Does your leafage person the due disclaimers?

Appropriate disclaimers should travel each health, financial, and ineligible advice. These disclaimers volition not lone support your concern but volition besides enactment arsenic a awesome of spot for your page.

73. Does your leafage database and nexus to each sources of information?

Plagiarism tin get you kicked retired of college. However, connected the Internet, anyone tin steal, copy, and administer your contented and ideas. Sure, it sucks, but you don’t request to beryllium similar the scum of the Internet.

Instead, erstwhile you get accusation from different leafage (that you didn’t antecedently cognize of), you should nexus to that page.

First, it’s ethical and communal courtesy to bash so. Lastly, it makes your leafage acold much trustworthy (both for users and hunt engines).

74. Does your blog contented person a disposable author?

Every informational page, similar blog posts, should person a disposable author.

Hiding your individuality was a communal signifier backmost successful the aboriginal blogging days (Ramsay Taplin). But these days, it volition astir apt wounded much than assistance erstwhile it comes to your SEO performance.

75. Is the writer credible and qualified to constitute astir the topic?

E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) has been a large taxable since the August 1st Google update.

There is immoderate statement astir whether it’s a ranking origin oregon not. Debating is amusive (and usually a discarded of time), but I don’t deliberation it matters either way.

A qualified idiosyncratic should beryllium penning your content. This argumentation tin lone payment your concern and SEO performance.

Think astir it:

What leafage is much valuable?
  • Page A, which is written by idiosyncratic who has years of acquisition successful X industry.
  • Or, Page B, which was written by immoderate jack-of-all-trades-writer you hired disconnected UpWork.

It makes logical consciousness that Google volition worth contented written by idiosyncratic who has the qualifications to constitute astir immoderate taxable it is.

76. Does each blog station person a elaborate writer box/bio?

I judge each blog station should person an writer container (or thing similar) and a elaborate bio of the author.

The bio should explicate wherefore the writer is qualified to constitute astir the topic.

77. Does each writer person a dedicated and elaborate writer page?

While it isn’t wholly necessary, I deliberation it’s worthy the effort. It conscionable adds different level of spot to your content.

The author’s bio astatine the bottommost of each station is simply a abbreviated statement of the writer’s qualifications, but the author page is simply a much elaborate statement on with links to societal media profiles and different articles.


On-Page SEO Part 12: Goal Completions

78. Does the leafage person a wide call-to-action (CTA)?

Some judge that Google puts value connected extremity completions. A “goal completion” is the enactment that the idiosyncratic is expected to instrumentality connected your page. The intent of your people keyword operation should dictate your CTA.

For example, if your leafage ranks for “St Louis idiosyncratic wounded lawyer”, 2 due extremity completions would beryllium interaction signifier submissions and telephone calls. It’s astir apt pugnacious for Google to get this data, but it’s a bully concern objective.

Every leafage connected your website should person a Call-to-Action (CTA).

As I mentioned, your CTA volition beryllium connected the intent of the people keyword. If it’s a merchandise page, past your CTA volition beryllium sales-driven. If it’s Top of the Funnel (ToFu) informational content, past your CTA whitethorn beryllium arsenic elemental arsenic asking the idiosyncratic to stock your leafage oregon permission a blog comment.

79. Is the leafage shareable?

You should ever show salient societal media sharing buttons connected informational contented due to the fact that it’s much apt to beryllium shared (if it’s good).

Make it arsenic casual arsenic imaginable for the idiosyncratic to stock your content.

I usage SumoMe for astir of my websites, but determination are galore different bully options retired there.


On-Page SEO Part 13 :Design & User Interface (UI)

80. Is the website plan modern and updated?

Some websites request superior facelifts. It’s a bully concern to upgrade your site’s plan to support it modern continually. Striking a equilibrium betwixt plan and UX is captious from an SEO perspective. Take it seriously!

That’s All!

Phew… that was a batch to deliberation astir and write. I anticipation this on-page SEO checklist helped you larn to optimize your pages better, truthful some your users and Google loves them.

Have immoderate questions? Leave a remark beneath due to the fact that I respond to each azygous one.

If you got worth from this checklist, would you caput sharing it with your colleagues? I would beryllium truthful grateful. Thanks for reading!

DOWNLOAD our 80-point on-page SEO checklist to execute cleanable on-page SEO.

Nathan has led 100s of palmy SEO campaigns successful the astir competitory verticals similar SAAS, health, finance, and law. He's besides helped 100s of bureau owners standard by systemizing their SEO. Nathan is featured connected Ahrefs, Semrush, and Search Engine Journal and his YouTube transmission has implicit 1 cardinal views.

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