On-page SEO checklist: optimise every page for Google

Many people think of SEO as something mysterious that only agencies master. Yet the largest part of the work begins directly on your own page, with things you have in your own hands. That is exactly what on-page SEO is: everything you optimise on a page so that Google understands it and people enjoy reading it. No code wizardry, just clean handiwork. In this article I go through a practical checklist with you that you can work through page by page.

The nice thing about it: you do not have to do everything at once. Take your most important pages, home page, services, contact, and work through the points one by one.

The title tag, your shop window in search

The title is the blue, clickable text that sits right at the top of the Google results. It is often the first thing someone sees of you, and it helps decide whether they click. And yet it is surprisingly often forgotten or simply reads «Home».

This is how you turn it into a good title:

• Every page gets its own title. Duplicate or empty titles confuse Google and cost clicks.
• Important things first: The central word of the page belongs at the start, «Joinery Schaffhausen» says more than «Welcome to our website».
• Keep an eye on length: Around 50 to 60 characters are shown, after that Google cuts off. Keep it short and concrete.
• Write for people: The title should invite, not just string keywords together.

Directly below sits the meta description, the short descriptive text. It is not a direct ranking factor, but a good sentence here brings more clicks. See it as a small invitation.

Headings: structure that Google can read

Imagine your page like a document with chapters. The H1 is the title of the document, of which there is exactly one per page. Below it, H2 headings divide the sections, and H3 the sub-points. This order should be clean, without jumps.

Why it matters: Google reads the headings to understand what the page is about and how it is built. And your visitors skim the page precisely along these headings. A clear structure therefore helps both at once.

• Exactly one H1 per page, naming the main topic.
• H2 for the big sections, H3 only where there really are sub-points.
• Headings that say something, not «Section 2», but what it is about.
• Do not use a heading just for the look; that is what bold text is for.

Internal links: paths between your pages

Internal links are links from one of your pages to another. They are one of the most underestimated levers in on-page SEO. They help Google find all your pages and show which ones are especially important. At the same time they lead your visitors to the next sensible step.

What I pay attention to here:

• Descriptive link text: Link to «our prices» instead of «click here». The text tells Google and people what awaits at the destination.
• Connect important pages well: Pages that bring you revenue should be reachable from several places.
• Link where it fits thematically: An article about loading time may point to the services page if it fits in terms of content.
• No dead ends: Every page should offer at least one way onward, so that no one gets stuck.

A simple test: click through your own page as if you were a customer. Do you get everywhere you want to go?

Content that answers the question

The best technology is of little use if the text does not answer the visitor's question. With every page consider: what does someone who lands here want to know? Write exactly that, clearly, honestly and concretely. Today Google recognises surprisingly well whether a text really helps or just strings keywords together.

Use the word you want to be found under naturally in the text, in the heading, in the first paragraph, wherever it fits. But do not force it into every sentence. Such «keyword stuffing» feels unpleasant and no longer achieves anything today.

The small things that together add up

Finally, a few points that are quickly done and yet have an effect:

• Describe images: Every image gets an alt text that says what is to be seen. Good for Google and for people using a screen reader.
• Meaningful addresses: /leistungen/webdesign is better than /seite?id=42.
• Mobile and fast: Most people search on a phone. A slow page loses the click.
• Compress images: Large photo files slow everything down, a small intervention with a big effect.

How to go about it

On-page SEO is not a one-off action, but an attitude: every new page gets a good title, a clear structure and fitting internal links from the start. If you take this checklist to heart, at some point you optimise almost automatically as you go, and your page becomes bit by bit more findable.

If you like, I will look at your page and tell you honestly where the biggest lever lies. Gladly via the contact form, or first browse through other articles in which I explain such topics step by step.