Good on-page SEO helps people and search engines understand a page. Start with useful content and a clear structure.
Give every page a clear purpose
Decide what the page helps a reader do. Put the main answer near the beginning, then use descriptive sections to explain details. A short page that answers a narrow question can be more useful than a long page padded with repeated keywords.
Check that the headline accurately describes the content. Do not add dates, testing claims or promises that the article cannot support.
Write distinct titles and descriptions
Use a concise, descriptive page title that distinguishes the page from others on the site. Write a description that summarises what the reader will find. Search engines may choose a different title link or snippet, so a saved description is not a guarantee of how a result appears.
Keep the wording natural. The title and description should help a person decide whether the page matches their question, rather than repeat a keyword several times.
Make headings and links useful
Use one clear main heading, then organise the content with meaningful subheadings. Link related pages using descriptive anchor text. Avoid making important navigation depend on a button that does not have a usable URL.
Images that communicate information need appropriate alternative text. Decorative artwork can have empty alternative text or be hidden from assistive technology.
Check the preferred URL
Choose the preferred address for the content and use consistent internal links. A canonical link expresses a preference for a URL when duplicate or similar versions exist. Permanent redirects are appropriate when content genuinely moves to a matching replacement.
Do not redirect every removed article to the homepage. A replacement should meet the visitor’s original intent; otherwise an honest not-found response may be more appropriate.
Describe what is actually on the page
Structured data should match the visible content. Article markup can describe the headline, author, publication date and modification date when those details apply. Breadcrumb markup should reflect the real navigation.
Do not invent ratings, testing results or author credentials for markup. Adding structured data can make a page eligible for supported search features, but it does not guarantee a rich result.
Verify the live page
- Open the rendered page and inspect its title, description and canonical.
- Check important links on a phone and desktop.
- Confirm public pages are accessible and are not accidentally marked noindex.
- Include preferred, indexable URLs in the sitemap.
- Review the URL in Search Console when verified access is available.
Primary references
See Google’s SEO Starter Guide, canonical URL guidance, sitemap guidance and Article structured data documentation.