# On-page SEO checklist for every new page

> Run through this checklist before you publish any page: title, headings, content, links, images, structured data and speed.

Web page: https://oravol.com/insights/on-page-seo-checklist

## About this article

- **Published:** 4 October 2026
- **Topic:** SEO & AI Search
- **Publisher:** ORAVOL

## Key takeaways

- Each page should target one clear topic and intent.
- Write titles and descriptions for searchers, not just for keywords.
- Link new pages from relevant existing ones so they are discovered and understood.

## Article

On-page SEO covers everything on the page itself that helps search engines understand it and helps searchers choose it. Use this checklist before publishing.

### Topic and intent

- The page has one clear topic and matches the intent behind its main search.
- No other page on your site targets the same thing.

### Title tag

- Unique, descriptive and close to the start of the main topic.
- Short enough to display fully in most results, roughly 50 to 60 characters.
- Includes your brand where it fits.

### Meta description

- Summarises what the visitor will get in about 150 to 160 characters.
- Written to earn the click, with a clear benefit or next step.

### URL

- Short, readable and descriptive, using hyphens between words.

### Headings

- One main heading (H1) that states the topic.
- Subheadings (H2, H3) that follow a logical outline and reflect the questions people ask.

### Content

- Answers the main question early, then adds depth.
- Includes specifics: process, prices or price factors, examples, locations, dates.
- Shows who wrote or stands behind it, and why they are qualified.
- Original, accurate and up to date.

### Links

- Links to related pages on your site with descriptive anchor text.
- At least one relevant existing page links to this new page.
- External links point to reputable sources where they help the reader.

### Images and media

- Compressed and correctly sized.
- Descriptive file names and alternative text for meaningful images.
- Width and height set to prevent layout shifts.

### Structured data

- Relevant schema markup added, such as Article, Product, Service or LocalBusiness, matching visible content.

### Experience

- Loads quickly and reads comfortably on a phone.
- Clear next step: a contact form, a related guide or a product to explore.

### After publishing

- Included in the XML sitemap.
- Inspected in Google Search Console if you want it crawled sooner.

Our [SEO service](https://oravol.com/services/seo) applies this checklist across whole sites, and our [copywriting team](https://oravol.com/services/content-copywriting) writes pages with it built in.

## Questions

### Does the meta description affect rankings?

Not directly, but it often appears as the snippet in results. A clear, relevant description can encourage more people to click.

### How long should a page be for SEO?

There is no ideal length. A page should be as long as needed to fully answer the searcher's question, and no longer.