On-page SEO is the work you fully control: the content, structure and metadata of each page. An on-page SEO audit finds the pages where those signals are weak — and fixes them. You can run a free on-page audit now, or use this guide as your checklist.
What is on-page SEO?
On-page SEO (sometimes called on-site SEO) is the practice of optimising individual pages so they rank and convert: title tags, meta descriptions, headings, body content, keyword usage, internal links, images, schema and calls to action. It is distinct from technical SEO (infrastructure) and off-page SEO (links and authority).
On-page vs technical vs off-page SEO
| Discipline | Focus | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| On-page | The page itself | Titles, headings, content, internal links, schema |
| Technical | Infrastructure | Crawl, index, speed, Core Web Vitals, canonicals |
| Off-page | Authority | Backlinks, digital PR, brand mentions |
On-page fixes are usually the fastest wins because you control every variable. See the full technical SEO audit guide for the infrastructure layer.
On-page SEO audit checklist
Metadata
- Unique title tag per page, 50–60 characters, primary keyword front-loaded.
- Meta description 120–160 characters with a reason to click.
- Open Graph and Twitter tags set for social sharing.
Structure
- Exactly one H1 that matches the page’s main intent.
- Logical H2/H3 hierarchy that reads as an outline.
- Descriptive, hyphenated URL.
Content
- Matches the dominant search intent of the target query.
- Deep enough to answer the question fully (usually 600+ words).
- Claims sourced and dated; no invented statistics.
- A single, relevant next action (CTA).
Internal links
- 3–6 contextual internal links with descriptive anchors.
- Money pages receive links from supporting content.
- No broken internal links.
Images and media
- Descriptive alt text on every meaningful image.
- Modern formats (WebP/AVIF) with explicit dimensions.
Schema
- Article/BlogPosting on posts, FAQPage where FAQs exist.
- BreadcrumbList on inner pages; Organization on the homepage.
On-page SEO tools
You can check most of this with the free website SEO audit tool, which scans up to five pages for metadata, headings, content depth, internal links, image alt text and indexability. Use the full checklist for the manual pass.
On-page SEO services
When you want the fixes implemented rather than just diagnosed, GSA’s content refresh service rewrites structure and copy, updates metadata, adds internal links and schema, and implements the changes in your CMS — from $200 per page, with a three-page sprint at $499.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I audit on-page SEO?
Review new pages at launch, and re-audit existing pages at least quarterly or when rankings slip.
What is the most important on-page factor?
Matching search intent with the right content, then titles and headings. Everything else amplifies those.
Is on-page SEO enough on its own?
Rarely. It works best alongside a technically sound site and some authority (links). On-page is the fastest lever, not the only one.
Run a free SEO audit
Get a prioritised diagnosis in under a minute — no signup. Or book a 15-minute call and we’ll tell you what to fix first.