On-Page SEO Optimization Checklist for 2025

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A practical, developer-friendly on-page SEO checklist tuned for 2025: intent-matched copy, clean markup, Core Web Vitals, accessibility, best practices, structured data, and internal links that actually move rankings.

What this checklist covers (and why it works)

Google doesn’t rank pages for being clever, beautiful, or on-brand — it ranks pages that are useful, fast, and well-structured. This checklist translates the metrics Google reqrds into actionable, concrete steps. It bundles well with my guides on Ranking Without Backlinks, Internal Linking, Keyword Research, Meta Tags That Convert, and Core Web Vitals.

1) Crawlability & Indexing: Be Discoverable By Design

  • Make sure the page is indexable, as in, make sure that whatever search engine that is trying to make your site pages pull into rankings is actually allowed to do that based on limits you set — that means no noindex and not blocked in robots.txt.
  • Set a single, self-referencing canonical on appropriate URLs. Google does not like to guess, so clearly indicate your link signage.
  • Expose URLs via sitemaps (split into posts/pages if organizing a large project).
  • Avoid soft-404s: if a page is just a thin stub or placeholder, keep it noindex until it’s fully written. Google treats unfinished “coming soon” or one-liner pages as soft errors, which drag down site quality signals and waste crawl budget.

Docs: Crawling & Indexing overview, robots.txt guide, Canonicalization methods, Sitemaps overview.

2) Information Architecture: Clusters, Anchors, and Breadcrumbs

Information architecture is the skeleton of your website — it decides if your content becomes a navigable library or a junk drawer. Google doesn’t just “see” pages; it interprets the relationships between them. A page with no interlinking content sticks out because it is so isolated. A page woven into a tight cluster, on the other hand, with clear entry points and strong connective tissue — signals authority, trust, and intent. You do not want your business strategy to look like an accident.

  • Every page belongs to a cluster....every. page. belongs. to. a. cluster.
    Think “pillar → supporting articles.” Example: a pillar on user-behavior design supported by tactical posts on psychology of color or responsive breakpoints. This parallels how people actually learn: big concepts → modular breakdowns → actionable details. For accessibility, clusters also reduce cognitive load by letting users know where they are and what to read next. Orientation then, is as much a conern as anything else, so clustering often pulls triple or quadruple duty.
  • Add 3–7 contextual internal links per page.
    Use descriptive anchors that make sense out of context. For example, if you’re covering security, link to “Wireshark Basics” not “click here.” Anchors function as micro-summaries for both humans and crawlers. Google rewards clear and relevant link text, and screen readers announce it more meaningfully — so it’s not only people-first *but also* algorithm-friendly.
  • Breadcrumbs matter twice as much as you think.
    For humans: “Home → Blog → Security → Bug Bounty” keeps orientation clear and reduces unwanted bounce. For search engines: JSON-LD breadcrumb markup may surface in rich results, expanding your SERP footprint. Example: { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [...] }. Done right, breadcrumbs become a trust signal — just like pursuing bug bounties in the security space builds trust — navigation clarity doubles as proof of topical authority.
  • Always link to conversion paths.
    Authority content should never dead-end at anypoint, it is much more "merry-go-round" than "coul-de-sac." Each cluster should connect naturally to business-driving destinations like Start Your Project, Portfolio, or Services. Internal links aren’t just SEO plumbing, they are nuanced sales architecture. Treat them as subtle CTAs.
  • Flatten your depth.
    If any page is 5+ clicks from the homepage, you’ve buried it, you've orphaned that page (how merciless!). Rule of thumb: 2–3 clicks max. For example, “Home → Blog → SEO → Internal Linking” is digestible; “Home → Resources → Blog → SEO → Advanced → Internal Linking → Best Practices” is death by hierarchy. I need to give some grace here, however, to local SEO pages; they are the one area where depth is not as concerning. For instance, this site has "Home → Locations → Regions → States → Cities," but that is necessary to effectively coordinate a national SEO campaign (which I have structured in intentionally).
  • Design with crawl budget in mind.
    This may come as a shock to some, and I do hate being the bearer of bad news, but Google doesn’t crawl infinite pages equally. Small businesses especially are working with limited crwal budgets, which are determiend by a mix of factors from how often your site is updated weekly to how trusted your site is to how much traffic it gets, etc. A clear Information Architecture (IA) (with sitemaps, clean canonicals, and shallow depth) helps bots (as in, indexing crawlers) prioritize what matters. Example: I have consulted on sites with 3k indexed URLs...but only 200 were meaningful; the crawl was wasted on tag pages and faceted duplicates. Don’t be that site. Don't waste your shot to be something.

Deep dive resources: Internal Linking Best Practices, Topical Authority, and Google’s Sitemaps overview.

3) Content & Intent: Answer the Query Better Than Everyone Else

  • Pin the dominant intent (informational / commercial / local) by scanning the top SERP: titles, H1s, FAQs, and “People Also Ask.” Rule of thumb: if leaders use comparison tables and checklists, you do it cleaner and faster...then you add something of value that they do not have.
  • Front-load the value promise in the first 100–150 words: what the reader will learn, the outcome, and the single best action to take next. (Skimmers get payoff immediately; Google gets a crisp topic signal.)
  • Scannable structure with H2/H3s → one idea per section allows you to avoid walls-of-text. In business, especially online business, simple sells. Use short paragraphs, bullets, and callouts for key steps because they are actionable.
  • Original assets win: diagrams, code samples, mini-checklists, and real data. Avoiding stock fluff ties every asset to a user task. Definitionally, avoiding recycling of other materials demands the type of useful creativity that builds long term value despite a higher upfront cost.
  • Close with a firm, relevant CTA + next steps (related reads, tool downloads, or contact forms). Now come the hard part — emphasize the usefulness of what you offer, don't just be another salesperson.

People-First, Accessible, Fast

  • Answer first, elaborate second. Put the TL;DR before nuance.
  • Clear anchor text (never “click here”): e.g., improve site speed, brand tone strategy. Screen readers announce meaning; Google reads intent.
  • Heading order is linear (no skipping levels). Alt text is descriptive and task-oriented, not keyword stuffing.
  • Performance: compress images, lazy-load non-critical media, inline only critical CSS. Ship the smallest page that still slaps.

SEO Signals

  • Entity clarity: naming the concepts/tools you’re actually using in your business and processes creates value through transparency and makes claims concrete for buyers.
  • E-E-A-T: show hands-on experience (walkthroughs, screenshots), cite sources where relevant (to competitive authoritative bodies), and sign the post with a real byline.
  • Internal links that advance the task (2–6 per section is plenty). Example routes: component thinking, security headers, 2025 web design trends.
  • Schema where it helps (BreadcrumbList, FAQPage, HowTo) and clean canonicals to the primary URL.
  • Meta that earns the click: write meta titles/descriptions for humans first; aim for clarity + curiosity, not keyword salad.

Writer’s Flow (Do This Every Time)

  1. Scan the SERP and PAA to lock intent; jot the 4–6 subtopics readers expect.
  2. Promise in 150 words: outcome, who it’s for, and what’s next.
  3. Build H2/H3s → each answers one question; add a code sample, figure, or mini-checklist where it helps.
  4. Link out/in: 1–2 authoritative externals; 3–7 internal links that advance the reader’s goal.
  5. Accessibility pass: headings, alt text, color contrast, focus states, 44×44 targets on mobile.
  6. Performance pass: compress, lazy-load, defer, and re-run Lighthouse.
  7. Soft CTA: “Next →” to a closely related piece or tool. Keep it relevant.
Example: a first-150-words opener that actually delivers
“If your site feels slow on mobile, fix the top three bottlenecks first: image weight, render-blocking CSS/JS, and server caching. Below, I’ll show you the exact checks I run, how to cut image weight by 60% in five minutes, and the headers I use in production. By the end, your LCP should drop under 2.5s without touching your framework.”

Reference: Helpful Content.

4) Titles & Descriptions — Win the Click, Pre-Sell the Conversion

  • Title (50–60 chars) Lead with the exact query intent phrase; finish with your proof or USP. Example: “Internal Linking Best Practices — Build Topic Authority Fast.” Why: SERPs bold query matches. USP adds CTR edge without clickbait.
  • Meta description (~150 chars) Pack outcome + proof + soft CTA. Template: “Do X to achieve Y. Includes Z asset. CTA.” Example: “Use this 7-step checklist to 3× crawl depth and keep readers engaged. Download included.”
  • Mirror promise in H1 & intro The H1, intro paragraph, and meta title must all harmonize. Google measures alignment; users sniff out mismatches instantly.
  • Optimize by data In Search Console: impressions high, CTR low → rewrite title first. CTR gains come from clarity, not stuffing.

Reference: Meta Tags That Actually Convert • Title link guidance

5) URLs & Canonicals — Stable, Human, Deduped

  • Kebab-case slugs with the primary term baked in. /blog/performance/lazy-loading-vs-eager-loading/ is semantic, human, and machine-friendly.
  • Stable = authority. URLs are contracts. Change only when forced; always 301 + fix internal links. Orphaned legacy URLs bleed crawl budget + equity.
  • Canonical discipline. One canonical target per topic. Consolidate near-synonym pages into a single canonical. Self-reference canonicals; avoid cross-canonicals unless merging.

Reference: MDN: rel=canonical

6) Structured Data — Explain Yourself to Machines

  • BlogPosting / Article schema Include author, datePublished, headline, image, wordCount.
    Why: signals freshness, credibility, and content scope.
  • BreadcrumbList schema Mirrors your navigation; boosts SERP real estate; reassures users. Keep labels consistent with visible breadcrumbs.
  • Organization, WebSite, LocalBusiness Site-level trust and local relevance. Add logo, sameAs social links, contactPoint, service area JSON.
  • Validation is non-negotiable. Use Rich Results Test. Broken JSON-LD = wasted crawl cycles.

Docs: Gallery • Schema.org 

<script type="application/ld+json">{{ blogPostingSchema | dump | safe }}</script>

7) Media & Performance — Speed that Survives Real Users

  • LCP ≤ 2.5s — optimize hero. Use AVIF/WebP; set width/height; add fetchpriority="high" to hero image.
  • CLS < 0.1 — nothing shifts. Always set dimensions; pre-reserve space for embeds/ads; use font-display: swap.
  • INP < 200ms — no lag. Defer non-critical JS, throttle listeners, hydrate sparingly. Measure in field, not just lab.
  • Delivery stack: Preconnect origins → compress → lazy-load below fold → defer scripts. Crawl budget loves lean pages.
  • SRI on all third-party JS/CSS. See Subresource Integrity.

Docs: Core Web Vitals • INP • Lighthouse

8) Accessibility — Inclusive by Default (and It Ranks Better)

  • Heading flow: H1 → H2 → H3. One H1 per page. No skips for style.
  • Alt text: describe purpose, not just what’s visible. Contextual, task-oriented.
  • Contrast: ≥ WCAG AA. Dark on light or white on dark. Never blue-on-blue.
  • Focus & targets: visible focus rings; 44×44 CSS px tap targets (mobile rule).
  • Link text: descriptive anchors. Example: improve site speed beats “click here.”

See: Accessibility Basics • WCAG

9) Trust & Conversion — EEAT Signals Where It Counts

  • Author box with credentials + contact path. Add headshot, role, expertise proof. Link to About/LinkedIn. Anonymous = invisible.
  • About, Contact, Policies in header/footer. They look boring but they’re Google’s trust anchors.
  • Proof trumps claims: case studies, screenshots, testimonials, before/after metrics. Quant > fluff.
  • Soft CTAs matched to context. Ex: On a speed blog → “Get a Core Web Vitals audit.” On branding → “See our portfolio.”

Guidance: Helpful Content & EEAT

10) Measurement & Iteration — Improve What You Ship

  • Search Console: watch coverage, queries, CTR, and rank drift. Segment by device. Mobile rules rankings.
  • CTR triage: high impressions + low CTR → rewrite titles first, then meta, then intro alignment.
  • Vitals by field data: use CrUX & RUM, not just Lighthouse. Users matter more than lab bots.
  • Annotate changes: schema rollout, template swap, new nav → log it. Otherwise causality = guesswork.

Docs: Search Console • Chrome UX Report

Quick Pre-Publish Checklist

  • Primary keyword in title, echoed in H1 + intro.
  • Meta description (~150 chars) = benefit + proof + soft CTA.
  • 3–7 internal links to pillars + sibling blogs (use real slugs).
  • Unique images: descriptive alt, set width/height, loading="lazy".
  • Valid structured data (Rich Results Test pass).
  • Lighthouse green + field Vitals within thresholds.
  • Self-referencing canonical, breadcrumbs aligned, in sitemap.

Eleventy/Nunjucks: Minimal, Robust Head Partial 

<title>{{ title | default(site.title) }}{% if site.brandSuffix %} | {{ site.brandSuffix }}{% endif %}</title>
<meta name="description" content="{{ description | striptags | truncate(160, true, '') }}">
<link rel="canonical" href="{{ canonicalUrl }}">
<meta property="og:title" content="{{ title }}">
<meta property="og:description" content="{{ description | striptags | truncate(200, true, '') }}">
<meta property="og:image" content="{{ og_image or image }}">
<script type="application/ld+json">{{ blogPostingSchema | dump | safe }}</script>

Where to Go Next

Keep stacking advantages: Improve Site Speed • Brand Tone Strategy • File Structure for Scale • All About Headers • 2025 Web Design Trends. Or start your project — I’ll tune this stack for your niche.

Spot an error or a better angle? Tell me and I’ll update the piece. I’ll credit you by name—or keep it anonymous if you prefer. Accuracy > ego.

Portrait of Mason Goulding

Mason Goulding · Founder, Maelstrom Web Services

Builder of fast, hand-coded static sites with SEO baked in. Stack: Eleventy · Vanilla JS · Netlify · Figma

With 10 years of writing expertise and currently pursuing advanced studies in computer science and mathematics, Mason blends human behavior insights with technical execution. His Master’s research at CSU–Sacramento examined how COVID-19 shaped social interactions in academic spaces — see his thesis on Relational Interactions in Digital Spaces During the COVID-19 Pandemic . He applies his unique background and skills to create successful builds for California SMBs.

Every build follows Google’s E-E-A-T standards: scalable, accessible, and future-proof.

Start Your Project See Our Work