On-Page SEO: Elements, Examples and a Checklist

The main on-page elements

Writing title tags that work

Google builds the title link in results mainly from the <title> element, but it may use the H1, other headings or anchor text instead when the title is missing, stuffed with keywords, very long or identical across many pages.

Weak:   <title>Home</title>
Weak:   <title>Shoes, Shoes Online, Buy Shoes, Cheap Shoes</title>
Better: <title>Men's Running Shoes: Lightweight and Cushioned | StrideKart</title>

• Put the main topic near the start, where it is least likely to be truncated.
• Keep titles unique; template titles such as "Product | Store" on every page give no information.
• Add the brand at the end unless the brand is what people search for.
• Describe the page honestly; a misleading title raises clicks briefly and loses trust.

Meta descriptions and heading structure

The meta description does not affect ranking, and Google often rewrites the snippet to match the query. A good description still helps when Google uses it, so write one for important pages:

<meta name="description" content="Compare lightweight men's running shoes. Filter by cushioning, width and price, with easy size exchanges.">

Headings should form an outline that someone could skim to understand the page:

H1: Men's Running Shoes
  H2: Running shoes for flat feet
  H2: Running shoes for long distances
  H2: How to choose your size
    H3: Measuring your foot at home

Google does not penalise a page for having more than one H1, but a single clear H1 keeps the structure easy to follow for readers and assistive technology.

Content, keywords and readability

Use the main phrase naturally in the title, H1 and opening paragraph, then cover the subtopics searchers expect. There is no target keyword density. Search engines recognise synonyms and related terms, so a page that covers the topic fully usually beats one that repeats a phrase.

• Answer the main question early, especially for informational queries.
• Use short paragraphs, lists and tables where they make information easier to scan.
• Include specific examples, figures you can verify and first-hand detail.
• Show who wrote or reviewed the page when expertise matters.

Planning what to write is covered in more depth in our guide to writing content for search.

Images, URLs and internal links

• Alt text: describe the image, for example alt="Blue men's running shoe, side view", rather than alt="shoes running shoes buy shoes".
• Image files: compress images, serve modern formats such as WebP or AVIF and set width and height attributes to avoid layout shifts that hurt CLS.
• URLs: /mens-running-shoes/ is clearer than /index.php?id=482&cat=7. Do not change existing URLs just to add a keyword; if you must, use a 301 redirect.
• Internal links: link to related pages with descriptive anchors, as explained in our internal linking guide.

Image weight and layout stability are also part of technical SEO and Core Web Vitals.

Structured data

Structured data, usually written as JSON-LD using the schema.org vocabulary, describes the page's entities in a machine-readable way. It can make a page eligible for rich results such as product details, review stars and breadcrumbs. It does not directly raise rankings, and eligibility does not mean Google will always show the rich result.

Some rich result types have narrowed: FAQ rich results are now shown only for authoritative government and health sites, and HowTo rich results have been retired. See structured data for SEO for current types and testing.

An on-page checklist

1. The page targets one keyword group and matches its search intent.
2. The title tag is unique, descriptive and starts with the main topic.
3. The meta description summarises the page accurately.
4. There is one clear H1 and a logical H2 and H3 outline.
5. The main question is answered early and subtopics are covered.
6. Images have descriptive alt text and are compressed.
7. The URL is short and readable.
8. Relevant internal links point to and from the page.
9. Valid structured data is added where a supported type applies.

Working through this checklist on real pages is the quickest way to learn it; the SkillNewton SEO training uses project work for exactly this kind of practice.

Common mistakes

• Leaving duplicate title tags across many pages, often caused by a CMS template.
• Repeating the same keyword in the title, headings and alt text until the page reads unnaturally.
• Using images of text for headings, which search engines and screen readers handle poorly.
• Changing URLs for small wording tweaks without adding 301 redirects.
• Spending time on the meta keywords tag, which Google ignores.

Frequently asked questions