On-Page SEO Audit Checklist

On-Page SEO refers to the things on your page that are typically user-facing. This includes title tags, meta descriptions, image alt texts, headers, and hyperlinks. This On-Page SEO Audit Checklist is a perfect guide to help you check your website for these factors.

It is important to have a strong on-page SEO foundation because Google will use this information to understand what your page is about and how it should rank in search results. Additionally, these elements are going to influence whether or not users click on your result in search results.

 Here’s how to audit your website for On-Page SEO:

You can watch the video below if you wish instead.

1. Check Title Tags:

Title Tags, also sometimes referred to as Title Links, serve the dual purpose of catching the attention of users and search engines. These tags function similarly to the title of a book or movie, as the tag provides a quick insight into the content and relevance of the webpage to a user’s query. Below is an example of a title tag:

The title text is essential in enticing users to click on a result and providing them with valuable information.

• Check if each page on your website has a unique and descriptive title tag.
• Include your primary keyword in the title tag to improve relevance.
• Ensure the title tag is within the recommended character limit (around 50-60 characters).

Title tags are critical because they are one of the first elements that Google will crawl and use to determine the relevance of your webpage to a user. Also, it is a key opportunity for you to “sell” your webpage to users and entice them to click on your results in search results.

2. Check Meta Descriptions:

The Meta Description is the second piece of text a user encounters in each search result. Much like the title tag, its purpose is to captivate and persuade readers to visit your webpage. 

• Make sure each page has a unique meta description that summarizes the content.
• Include relevant keywords naturally and encourage click-throughs from search engine results.
• Keep the meta description within the recommended character limit (around 150-160 characters).

Having a unique meta description for each page on your website is very important because it allows you to include your primary keyword in the description, making it more relevant to the user. 

But also it helps search engines understand what your page is about and how it will be helpful to users.

3. Check Heading Tags:

Headers are comparable to chapters found in a novel or book. Headers are used to help separate and identify ideas and paragraphs in web content. The usage of headers allows you to show readers that they are going into more detail about a specific topic. 

Below is an example of heading tags:

Also, Headers play a relevant role in search engines, as they assist them in better understanding the organization of your text on the page and evaluating its convenience for any searcher.

• Ensure your pages have proper hierarchical heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.).
• Use H1 tags for the main page title and H2-H6 tags for subheadings.
• Incorporate relevant keywords in the heading tags to improve keyword targeting.

Additionally, you want to make a habit of incorporating more “question keywords” in your headings, this will help you better address your users’s pain points. Also, it gives you a chance to show up for a “featured snippet” on the search results page. Which will lead to more traffic and higher click-through rates.

4. Evaluate Content Readability and Relevance:

As of 2022, having content that is relevant, engaging, accurate, and well-written is essential for ranking well in search engines. 

• Make sure your content is unique, high-quality, and relevant to your target audience.
• Include your primary keyword and related keywords naturally throughout the content.
• Optimize the content’s length, aiming for comprehensive coverage of the topic.
• Use proper formatting (paragraphs, bullet points, etc.) for readability.

Additionally, you want to make sure that your content is written by a subject matter expert (SME) in your industry. This will ensure that your content is accurate, and is written by someone who has a deep understanding of your industry.

One great article that I recommend for learning about writing content is this one by Brian Dean. Great read.

5. View Image Alt Text

Image Alt Text serves as a crucial descriptor for both users and search engines to help understand the image content. Although the text is typically invisible to users, it is displayed in place of the image if it cannot be loaded. 

Additionally, visually impaired users relying on screen reading devices can vocalize the alt text, allowing them to experience the meaning and context of the image.

• Optimize images by using descriptive filenames and alt tags.
• Compress the images to reduce file sizes and improve page load speed.
• Ensure images are responsive and properly sized for different devices.

Images are important for helping to tell the story of your content, but you want to also make sure that all users can experience the content, adding Image alt text helps you do that.

6. Evaluate Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks are connections between web pages on and off your website. They are used by searchers to navigate the internet and by search engine crawlers to find new web pages to crawl and potentially index. But also for demonstrating authority on a topic.

• Create a logical internal linking structure within your website.
• Link-related pages using relevant anchor text to enhance user navigation and SEO.
• Ensure all internal links are functional and lead to the correct pages.
• Add external links to reputable websites that are relevant to your web content.

Hyperlinks can help make your website more navigable and can help show Google that your website is an authority on the topic of the page.

Next Steps:

Again, you want to regularly monitor your website’s on-page SEO performance and make necessary updates as your site evolves. 

Also, you may find that search engines will “rewrite” or change your titles, and meta descriptions in search engine results. This is normal, but you want to monitor this to make sure that the information you are trying to convey is being accurately communicated.

Thanks for reading this article by Bounce Rank.