On-page SEO is optimising the content on your pages so search engines and AI tools understand what the page is about. It is the part of SEO you control most directly.
Key elements
- Title tag
Clear, descriptive, with natural keywords. Example: "WordPress Development Services for UK Businesses".
- Meta description
Summarises the page and encourages clicks.
- Headings (H1, H2, H3)
Structure content logically. H1 = main topic, H2 = sections, H3 = subpoints. AI systems favour clear heading structure.
- Content
Write for real people: short paragraphs, simple language, helpful explanations.
- Internal linking
Link service pages to relevant hubs, guides within hubs, and to contact or services where useful. See [Technical SEO](/insights/technical-seo/) for structure.
- Images
WebP where possible, descriptive filenames, sensible file sizes. See [Image optimisation](/insights/technical-seo/image-optimisation-best-practices/).
- URLs
Simple and predictable: /services/web-design/, /insights/growth/what-is-seo/.
- Schema
FAQ, Article, Organisation where relevant. See [Structured data](/insights/technical-seo/structured-data-and-schema-basics/).
- Mobile
Readable text, easy tap targets, no layout shift. See [Core Web Vitals](/insights/technical-seo/core-web-vitals-explained/).
Myths to ignore
- “Just add more keywords”
- “Keyword density matters”
- “Google does not read long content”
- “Short pages rank better”
Reality: clear beats clever, helpful beats keyword-heavy, structured beats messy.
Quick checklist
- Strong title and H1
- Logical headings
- Helpful content
- Internal links
- Image optimisation
- Schema where useful
- Clean URL
- Fast performance
- Clear CTA
Hit these and your on-page SEO improves. See Keyword research and What is SEO.
Want visibility and tracking set up properly? Explore SEO foundations →