On-page SEO is everything you can control inside your own page so Google understands it and prefers it. It does not depend on external links or budget: it depends on doing well what is in your hands. And the good news is that the bulk of on-page SEO is structured common sense. This is the guide to apply it today, no hype.
On-page SEO is not about tricking Google: it is about making it easy for it to understand what your page is about and who it serves.
Start with search intent
Before writing a single line, understand what the person typing your keyword is looking for: do they want to learn, compare or buy? If your content does not answer that intent, nothing else matters. A page that solves exactly what the user was looking for is half the SEO battle won.
The keyword and where to place it
- One main keyword per page (not ten competing with each other).
- Place it in the SEO title, the H1, the first paragraph, some H2 and the URL.
- Spread it naturally in the body; keyword stuffing is penalized.
- Add variants and related terms: Google understands synonyms.
SEO title and meta description
The title and meta description are your ad on Google: they decide whether you get the click. A good title combines the keyword with a hook and is around 60 characters. The meta description, about 150-160, summarizes the value and adds a call to action. They do not rank on their own, but a good CTR does help you climb.
Heading structure and content
- A single H1, and then a logical hierarchy of H2 and H3.
- Answer the user's question better than the competition and cover the subtopics.
- Clear language, short paragraphs and up-to-date content.
Linking, images and technical details
- Link to your own related articles (it distributes authority) and to reliable sources when it adds value.
- Images with descriptive file names and alt text, in a modern format and well compressed.
- Short, readable URL, HTTPS, structured data (schema) and a correct canonical.
Speed is no longer optional: it is part of on-page. Work on performance optimization and watch your Core Web Vitals, because a slow page ranks worse however good it is. And if you are starting a project from scratch, choosing a fast stack as we saw in Astro vs Next.js gives you a head start.
On-page checklist
Element | What to check |
|---|---|
Intent | The content answers what the user is looking for |
SEO title | Keyword plus hook, around 60 characters |
Meta description | 150-160 characters with a call to action |
Headings | One H1 and a logical hierarchy of H2 and H3 |
URL | Short and with the keyword |
Content | Complete, clear and up to date |
Internal links | 2-4 to related content |
Images | Descriptive alt and optimized weight |
Speed | Core Web Vitals in green |
How to prioritize when you have a hundred pages
Nobody optimizes a hundred pages on the same day, so it pays to choose. Open Search Console and filter the pages that already appear between positions 4 and 15 for queries with impressions: Google already considers you relevant and a push can take you to the first screen of results.
For each one, repeat the basics in this order: check that the content truly answers the search intent, adjust the title and meta, tidy the headings, add internal links from related articles and check mobile speed. Nothing more is needed.
Pages that do not even appear usually need new content, not touch-ups. And those already ranking first, leave alone until there is a reason to touch them.
Do you have content that does not take off or a website that does not show up on Google? At Codegea we work on your site's on-page SEO, from content to speed, so every page plays in your favor. Write to me and we will see where to start.
Written by
Carolina Dávila
Co-founder & Project Manager
Co-founder of Codegea. Coordinates projects, teams and deliveries so every launch lands on time.