On-Page SEO Checklist: How to Optimise Every Page of Your Small Business Website
Titles, headings, URLs, internal links and images: a practical on-page SEO checklist you can apply to every page today, no technical background needed.
On-page SEO is the part of search optimisation you fully control. You cannot force other sites to link to you, and you cannot control Google's algorithm, but you can make sure every page clearly tells search engines and people what it is about. Run each important page on your site through this checklist and you will fix most of the problems we find in small business SEO audits.
1. One primary keyword per page
Every page should target one main search phrase, plus a few close variations. Your "Services" page cannot rank for ten different services at once; give each important service its own page. Before writing, search the phrase on Google yourself. If the results are all articles, a sales page will struggle; if they are all service pages, an article will struggle. Match the format Google is already rewarding.
2. Title tag and meta description
The title tag is the blue link in search results and one of the strongest on-page signals. Keep it under about 60 characters, put the primary keyword near the start, and include your brand at the end. For example: "Commercial Cleaning Services in Davao | CleanPro". The meta description does not directly affect rankings, but it affects whether people click. Write 140–160 characters that make a specific promise and include the keyword naturally.
3. A single, clear H1 and logical headings
Each page needs exactly one H1 heading that states the topic, usually close to your title tag. Use H2s for main sections and H3s for subsections, in order, like a table of contents. Headings help Google understand structure and help readers scan. Many sites misuse headings purely for visual styling, which muddies the signal.
4. Clean, descriptive URLs
A good URL is short, lowercase, uses hyphens and describes the page: /services/office-cleaning rather than /page?id=4372. Once a page is live and ranking, avoid changing its URL; if you must, set up a 301 redirect from the old address so you keep the authority it has earned.
5. Content that fully answers the search
Think about what someone searching your keyword actually wants to know: prices, process, timelines, locations served, common questions. Answer them clearly on the page. Include the keyword in the first paragraph and use related terms naturally throughout, but never stuff it. If the page reads awkwardly, it is over-optimised.
6. Internal links
Link related pages together using descriptive anchor text: "see our office cleaning packages" rather than "click here". Internal links help Google discover pages, understand how they relate, and pass authority from strong pages, like your homepage and popular articles, to the pages that generate revenue. Every blog post should link to at least one relevant service page.
7. Images that help instead of hurt
Compress images before uploading; large photos are the most common cause of slow pages. Use modern formats like WebP where possible. Give every meaningful image descriptive alt text, which helps accessibility and image search. Name files descriptively too: "office-cleaning-team.webp", not "IMG_4821.jpg".
8. Mobile and speed
Google indexes the mobile version of your site first. Open every key page on your phone and check that text is readable without zooming, buttons are easy to tap and nothing overflows the screen. Test speed with PageSpeed Insights and fix the biggest issues it flags.
Applying this checklist to an old site can take days. Every site built through our 7-Day Website Package ships with these on-page foundations already in place across every page.
Need help with this? See our SEO marketing service.