What Is On-Page SEO? And How to Do It

Search may have changed a lot over the last few years, but on-page SEO remains as relevant as ever for ensuring your content gets seen by relevant audiences.

This article will detail exactly what on-page SEO is, why it matters, and the specific techniques you can use to optimize your content. Let’s begin. 

What Is On-Page SEO?

On-page SEO is improving webpages to show prominently in search engine results and responses from large language model tools (LLMs) like ChatGPT to improve visibility and attract relevant traffic.

Common on-page SEO best practices are:

• Writing content that matches search intent
• Optimizing title tags and meta descriptions
• Structuring pages with clear headings
• Adding internal links between related pages
• Improving page speed and the mobile experience

If you’re wondering whether you can do on-page SEO yourself, the answer is yes. You can do most on-page tasks yourself without hiring an agency or specialist. This on-page SEO guide will show you the exact steps to take (and tools to use).

What Is On-Page Content?

On-page content is all the text, images, videos, and interactive elements on a webpage. 

High-quality on-page content should match search intent, provide unique value, and be structured for both readability and search engine understanding.

On-Page SEO vs. Off-Page SEO

On-page SEO involves tasks performed on a webpage (i.e., internally) to improve search visibility, while off-page SEO involves tasks performed outside of your site (i.e., externally) to boost search visibility.

For example, optimizing your site’s content is an on-page SEO technique. Getting backlinks to that content is an off-page SEO technique.

Here’s a breakdown of on-page SEO vs. off-page SEO examples:

On-Page SEO Methods	Off-Page SEO Methods
Adding internal links	Link building
Adding keywords to content	Content marketing
Optimizing image alternative (alt) text	Local SEO
Optimizing title tags	Social media marketing
Adding interactive page elements that boost user engagement	Influencer marketing
Writing enticing meta descriptions	Digital public relations
Improving page speed	Guest posting
Using descriptive headings	Getting brand mentions
Writing descriptive URL slugs
Adding schema markup

You have full control over the on-page SEO tasks you carry out on your site. Which makes focusing on on-page SEO a good place to start with your SEO strategy.

Why Is On-Page SEO Important?

On-page SEO is important as it helps search engines and AI systems understand your content and match it to relevant queries, which can improve your visibility and drive qualified traffic to your website.

Even on-page factors that have little or even no direct effect on traditional search engine rankings (like meta descriptions) are worth optimizing. Because those factors have implications for the user experience, and a better user experience does improve your search visibility.

How to Do On-Page SEO for Your Site: 9-Item Checklist

Use this on-page SEO checklist to optimize your site:

• Write unique, helpful content that answers queries completely and offers value competitors don’t
• Place target keywords strategically in the H1, first paragraph, subheadings, and URL
• Write a relevant and accurate title tag in no more than 60 characters that includes your keyword near the beginning
• Write an enticing meta description about 105 characters long that communicates clear benefits and includes a call to action
• Use headings to structure content for users, search engines, and LLMs
• Optimize URL slugs to be short, descriptive, and keyword-rich
• Add strategic internal links using descriptive anchor text to connect related pages
• Add external links to authoritative sources that support your claims
• Include and optimize images with descriptive alt text and proper file sizes

1. Write Unique, Helpful Content

Unique, helpful content (i.e., high-quality content) that matches search intent, covers topics comprehensively, and demonstrates expertise is more likely to appear in search engines and responses from AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews.

Start by using the Keyword Magic Tool to find topics relevant to your niche that people search for. Enter a seed term and your domain, select your target country, and click “Search.”

The Keyword Magic Tool generates related keywords along with metrics that are personalized for your domain. Look for terms that have a realistic Personal Keyword Difficulty (PKD %) score and a reasonably high search volume. To find terms you’re likely to appear for that also have the potential to drive a qualified traffic to your website. 

Also, target less competitive long-tail keywords that are especially relevant to your business. They may have lower search volumes, but they tend to be easier to rank for and often represent searchers who are highly motivated to take action.

We recommend grouping like terms, and then targeting all the terms in that one group on a single page. You can easily group keywords using Keyword Strategy Builder.

After selecting and grouping terms, create content that:

• Answers the queries completely
• Includes your target keywords naturally (but without keyword stuffing)
• Offers unique insights, data, or examples competitors lack
• Uses visuals to clarify complex concepts

2. Place Target Keywords Strategically

Placing target keywords strategically in your content signals to both search systems and readers that your content is relevant.

Ideally, try to incorporate keywords in the following locations to clearly indicate what your content is about:

• H1 heading
• First paragraph
• Subheadings
• URL slug
• Image alt text (HTML that describes an image)

Natural keyword placement is sufficient. There’s no need to stuff keywords into every sentence.

After incorporating queries into your content, analyze your content using the On Page SEO Checker. After you configure the tool for your site, it will show you whether your keywords appear in important areas.

If On Page SEO Checker detects issues, it provides recommendations. Like adding a more relevant meta description or refining your title tag.

On Page SEO Checker also suggests semantically related keywords you can include to further strengthen topical relevance.

3. Write a Relevant and Accurate Title Tag

Writing a title tag that’s relevant to your primary keyword and that accurately tells search systems and users what your page is about is more likely to show prominently in search and get more clicks.

A title tag is the HTML page title that can appear in places like browser tabs, AI tool citations, and traditional search results like this:

Here are some best practices for writing strong title tags that actually show up as the preview title:

• Keep your title tag between 50 and 60 characters to avoid truncation
• Include your target keyword to clearly indicate what the page is about
• Write a unique title tag for each page to avoid confusing search engines and users about which page is about which topic
• Make your title tag compelling (and accurate), so users want to click

For example, “On-Page SEO Tips | Marketing Blog” is a weak title. It’s not descriptive, which means it’s a missed opportunity to provide more details that could drive clicks.

“On-Page SEO: 9 Techniques to Rank Higher in 2026” is a much more effective title. It tells users exactly what they can expect to learn and how they’ll benefit.

On Page SEO Checker offers tips on improving your pages’ title tags.

4. Write an Enticing Meta Description

Writing an enticing meta description that users find interesting persuades them to click your page over others.

A meta description is an HTML element that provides a brief page summary that can appear in traditional search engine results page (SERP) listings, AI citations, etc. Here’s what a meta description looks like in a traditional search listing:

Follow these best practices to increase the likelihood that meta description you provide is actually used as the preview description:

• Keep your meta description concise: Aim to keep you meta description to around 105 characters to reduce the chances of truncation
• Include your target keyword: Doing this can help users see that your page matches their search intent
• Use active voice: Active voice is more direct and saves space
• Add a call to action (CTA): Encourage clicks with phrases like “try for free” or “learn more”

Here’s an example of a weak meta description that’s too vague as well as a bit long: “This article talks about running shoes and covers different types and brands. Read more about running shoes here.”

In contrast, here’s a strong meta description that conveys the article’s value and creates a sense of urgency: “Our testers picked the 9 best running shoes for beginners. Compare specs to find your perfect shoe today.”

5. Structure Your Page with Headings

Structure your pages with headings like H1, H2, H3, etc., to organize your content into scannable sections that help users, search engines, and LLMs understand your page structure and content.

Properly using headings not only makes your page easier for users to read, but also improves its chances of appearing in special results like featured snippets and AI-generated answers.

Here’s how to use headings:

• Use an H1 for your page title
• Use H2s for the main subtopics
• Use H3s nested under H2s for more detailed sections within those subtopics
• Use deeper subheadings nested under H3s and beyond for even more specific sections

Write headings—and the content that follows them—in these ways to help AI systems and search engines extract clear answers from your pages:

• Include target keywords in your headings naturally: Include any of the keywords from your page’s keyword group in headings where possible
• Make your headings descriptive: “Getting Started” is vague. In contrast, “How to Start Keyword Research” provides more context.
• Answer the heading immediately in the first sentence: For example, if your heading is “What Does SEO Stand for?”, the first sentence below it could be “SEO stands for ‘search engine optimization.’”
• Make each section self-contained: AI extracts individual sections, so ensure each section and paragraph can stand alone and make sense

6. Optimize Your URL Slug

Optimize your URL slug to be short, descriptive, and keyword-rich so that search systems and users can understand if your page is relevant.

Follow these tips to optimize your URL slugs:

• Include your target keyword: This signals relevance to the main query
• Keep your URL slugs short: Aim for three to five words when possible
• Make your URL slugs readable: Use words that represent your page’s content. Avoid random numbers, publish dates, and unnecessary text.
• Use hyphens to separate words: Use “yourdomain.com/blog/email-marketing-guide” and not “yourdomain.com/blog/emailmarketingguide” or “yourdomain.com/blog/email_marketing_guide”
• Avoid unnecessary URL parameters: Remove session IDs, tracking codes, and date stamps unless they’re required for functionality

An optimized URL could look like this:

7. Add Strategic Internal Links

Adding internal links to connect related pages can increase user engagement with your site and help search systems discover content and understand your site structure.

Here are some tips for adding internal links:

• Link to relevant pages that are about similar topics and likely to benefit readers
• Update existing content with new internal links when you publish fresh content that’s related
• Link from high-authority pages, meaning pages that already show in search and attract backlinks, to boost the ranking potential of the pages being linked to
• Avoid over-linking because too many internal links can seem spammy
• Use descriptive anchor text (the text the link is placed on) that communicates what the linked page is about

In the example below, our article about broken links uses the anchor text “internal linking mistakes” to link another article that covers internal linking mistakes in detail.

8. Add External Links to Authoritative Sources

Adding external links to authoritative sources that support your claims directs readers to related resources they may find helpful and builds trust.

Follow these best practices for external linking:

• Link only to high-quality, relevant sources
• Use descriptive and natural anchor text, so users know what to expect when they click the link
• Balance link placement and quantity to avoid looking spammy

Check for external link issues on your site with Semrush’s Site Audit tool. After configuring the tool, go to the “Issues” tab and type “external” in the search bar to filter for external link-related issues.

Click “Why and how to fix it” next to any issue to learn more and get recommendations for fixing it.

9. Include and Optimize Images

Include images that are optimized with descriptive alt text and proper file sizes to improve the user experience and get more opportunities to appear in search experiences.

Alt text is an HTML attribute that describes a page’s image when the image can’t be displayed or when users rely on assistive technologies to navigate the page.

Here are some alt text best practices:

• Keep it brief (125 characters or fewer) but descriptive
• Include a target keyword if it naturally fits in the description
• Skip alt text for purely decorative images
• Avoid phrases like “image of” or “picture of”

Use the “Issues” report in Site Audit to find missing alt attributes.

Beyond adding alt text, use these image SEO tips to optimize your images for performance:

• Compress images: Use a tool like Squoosh before uploading to reduce file size without sacrificing visual quality
• Use descriptive file names: For example, something like “red-running-shoes.jpg” provides sufficient context about the image
• Choose the right format: Use WebP for photos (smaller file sizes with good quality), PNG for graphics with transparency, and SVG for logos and icons
• Implement lazy loading: use this to ensure images load only when they appear on the user’s screen, improving page speed
• Specify image dimensions: Include the dimensions in your pages’ HTML files to prevent layout shifts as images load

Advanced On-Page SEO Tactics

After you’re familiar with on-page SEO basics, try these advanced search optimization techniques:

Optimize for Page Speed

Optimizing for page speed (beyond optimizing images) can improve your search visibility and also reduce users’ bounce rates.

Measure an individual page’s speed with Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool. The tool provides performance scores for Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)—the time your page’s main content takes to load—and a few related metrics. And also lists tactics for improving speed and the overall page experience.

To begin, enter a page URL into PageSpeed Insights and click “Analyze.”

When the PageSpeed Insights is ready, you’ll get your page’s LCP score:

Above the “Insights” section, click “LCP” to get diagnostics for improving page speed.

Add Schema Markup

Adding schema markup (a type of structured data) to your pages provides more details about your pages and makes you eligible to show for special results called rich snippets that display extra information in the SERP.

Common schema types include:

• Article: Identifies content type, author, publish date, and sections
• Product: Displays prices, availability, and reviews for products
• Local Business: Shows address, hours, and contact information for physical businesses
• Review: Displays star ratings and review counts

Use Google’s Rich Results Test to check if you’ve implemented schema markup on your pages correctly.

If you need to add or correct schema for your pages, use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper. 

Apply Additional LLM-Focused Optimizations

The tactics we’ve recommended throughout this article already work to improve AI search visibility, but performing additional LLM optimizations further strengthens your ability to appear in AI-generated responses.

Optimize your content for LLMs by:

• Providing direct answers and then expanding to provide additional context
• Using even more specific queries that match how people actually interact with AI tools. Creating keyword groups is a great first step, but consider using a tool like Semrush’s Prompt Research to find additional variations
• Breaking complex answers into clear steps with numbered lists or short, sequential paragraphs that are easy to parse and cite
• Avoiding vague pronouns by restating subjects clearly. For instance, saying “keyword difficulty” instead of “it” reduces ambiguity
• Including specific statistics makes your content more likely to appear in AI-generated responses
• Keeping your content updated to align with AI tools’ clear preferences for recent content

Semrush’s AI Visibility Toolkit lets you see how your brand is performing in different AI tools, so you can easily measure whether your LLM optimization efforts are paying off.

Measure Your On-Page SEO Success

Measure on-page SEO success by tracking key metrics before and after implementing optimizations, so you know what’s driving results.

Use tools to track key metrics like:

• AI mentions and citations: See whether LLMs talk about you and where you’re cited in responses with the AI Visibility Toolkit
• Keyword positions: Track your target keywords’ rankings with Semrush’s Position Tracking tool
• Organic traffic: Measure how many people are coming to your site from search with Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
• Organic click-through rate (CTR): Measure CTR from SERPs in Google Search Console, which indicates whether your titles and descriptions are enticing
• SERP feature appearances: Monitor your visibility in featured snippets, AI Overviews, and People Also Ask sections with Semrush’s Organic Research tool

You can access several of these tools with a Semrush One subscription. Sign up today.