On-page SEO is everything you can control directly on your website to help Google understand what your pages are about. Unlike link building — which relies on other websites — on-page SEO is entirely in your hands. This checklist covers every element I audit for my Philippine clients, in the exact order I check them.
What Is On-Page SEO?
On-page SEO refers to optimizing individual web pages so they rank higher in search results. It includes your content, HTML elements (title tags, meta descriptions, headings), images, and internal links. Getting it right is the foundation everything else builds on — no amount of link building will save a page that doesn’t clearly communicate its topic to Google.
✅ Title Tags
The title tag is the clickable blue headline in Google search results — one of the most important on-page elements.
- Keep it between 50–60 characters — Google cuts off longer titles
- Include your primary keyword near the beginning
- Include location: “Affordable SEO Services Philippines | Maria Theresa Florido”
- Make it compelling — it’s also an ad, written to earn the click
- Every page needs a unique title tag — never duplicate them
✅ Meta Descriptions
The 2–3 line summary below the title in search results. Not a direct ranking factor, but it heavily influences whether someone clicks your result.
- Keep it between 120–155 characters
- Include your primary keyword — Google bolds matching keywords in results
- Write a clear value proposition — tell searchers exactly what they’ll find
- Include a call to action: “Learn more,” “Get a free quote,” “Find out how”
✅ Heading Structure (H1, H2, H3)
- Use one H1 per page — your main headline, including your primary keyword
- Use H2s for major sections — each main topic should have its own H2
- Don’t skip heading levels — the structure should be logical and nested
- Include keywords naturally in headings — written for humans, not stuffed
✅ Content Quality and Depth
- Service pages: At least 400–600 words covering what you do, who it’s for, what’s included, expected results, and how to get started
- Blog posts: 1,000–2,000+ words for competitive topics — answer the question completely
- Answer “People Also Ask” questions directly in your content
- Write with Philippine context — local examples, local prices, local relevance
✅ Keyword Optimization
- One primary keyword per page — don’t try to rank for five different terms on one page
- Include your keyword in: the title tag, H1, first paragraph, at least one H2
- Use related keywords naturally — Google understands synonyms and variations
- Don’t obsess over keyword density — write naturally
✅ Images
- Compress all images before uploading using TinyPNG or Squoosh
- Use descriptive file names: “bakery-quezon-city.jpg” not “IMG_0847.jpg”
- Write alt text for every image — a short, accurate description including your keyword where relevant
- Size images to the maximum they’ll be displayed at — don’t upload a 4000px image shown at 800px
✅ Internal Links
- Link from high-traffic pages to your most important pages
- Use descriptive anchor text — “Learn more about my SEO audit service” beats “click here”
- Aim for 2–5 natural, relevant internal links per page
✅ URL Structure
- Short and descriptive: yoursite.com/seo-audit-philippines/ beats yoursite.com/?p=134
- Use hyphens, not underscores
- Include your primary keyword in the URL
Start With the Highest-Impact Pages
If your website has 20 pages, don’t try to fix everything at once. Start with your homepage, your main service pages, and your contact page. Get those right first, then work through the rest of the site systematically.
Want me to run through this checklist on your website? Send me a message and I’ll do a free on-page SEO review of your most important page.