On-page SEO is essential for making your website visible in search results. In 2025, search engines prioritize user experience, relevant content, and technical performance. Here’s a quick summary of the key points covered in this checklist:
Keyword Optimization: Research user-focused keywords, use them naturally in titles, headers, and content, and leverage local keywords for location-based businesses.
Content Structure: Write original, engaging, and easy-to-read content. Use short paragraphs, clear headers (H1-H3), and organized sections.
Technical SEO: Optimize title tags, meta descriptions, URLs, and images. Ensure your site is mobile-friendly and meets Core Web Vitals standards.
Website Speed: Improve page load times with image compression, caching, and modern formats like WebP.
Local Search: Set up and maintain your Google Business Profile, ensure NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency, and create location-specific content.
This checklist ensures your website meets modern SEO standards, improves user experience, and ranks better in search results. Let’s dive in!
How To Do ON-PAGE SEO in 2025 with Practical Checklist - Beginners Guide
Keyword Research and Usage
Effective keyword research is the backbone of SEO success. In 2025, it requires a mix of data analysis and understanding what users are searching for.
Finding the Right Keywords
Start by identifying the main keywords that represent your business and services. Focus on terms that match user search intent - what your audience is really looking for. A good keyword strategy balances:
Search volume: Choose terms with enough monthly searches to make an impact.
Competition level: Go for keywords where you have a realistic chance of ranking.
User intent: Make sure your keywords align with what searchers want to find.
Long-tail keywords (phrases with 3-5 words) are especially useful for conversions. For instance, "custom kitchen cabinets San Diego" is more specific - and likely more effective - than just "kitchen cabinets."
Once you’ve chosen your keywords, it’s time to use them strategically across your content.
Placing Keywords Correctly
Where you place your keywords matters. To send strong SEO signals, include them in these key areas:
Page title: Within the first 60 characters.
Meta description: Keep it within 155 characters.
H1 heading: Use it once to clearly define the page topic.
First paragraph: Include within the opening 100 words.
Body content: Naturally incorporate every 300-400 words.
Forget about keyword density - it’s outdated. Instead, aim for content that flows naturally while including relevant terms and their variations.
Local Keyword Targeting
If your business serves specific areas, local keyword optimization is a must. Build your strategy around:
City/region + service: Examples like "plumber in Chicago" or "Chicago emergency plumbing."
Neighborhood terms: Such as "Loop Chicago plumber" or "Wicker Park plumbing service."
Nearby landmarks: Phrases like "plumber near Millennium Park" or "plumbing service near Navy Pier."
Use these location-based terms thoughtfully in titles, headers, and throughout your content. This approach helps your business appear in local searches and map results.
For businesses with multiple locations, create individual pages for each service area. Make sure each page has unique content tailored to the specific location. This avoids duplication and boosts visibility in local search results.
Content Writing and Organization
Continuing with our SEO checklist, let’s focus on creating high-quality content and structuring it effectively to improve user engagement and search rankings.
Writing Original Content
Creating content that stands out is key to SEO success. Here’s how to make your content more impactful:
Cover All Bases: Include details like costs, installation steps, maintenance tips, and potential energy savings.
Back It Up: Use original data, case studies, and up-to-date statistics from trusted sources to support your points.
Solve Problems: Address your audience’s specific concerns and provide clear, actionable answers.
This approach ensures your content grabs attention and provides real value.
Making Content Easy to Read
How your content is presented can make or break its effectiveness. Keep these tips in mind:
Keep It Short: Stick to 2-3 sentence paragraphs. Big blocks of text can scare readers away.
Break It Up: Use white space, bold text for key ideas, italics for subtle emphasis, and short sentences (15-20 words on average) to make your content more scannable.
Organize Your Content for Flow:
Introduction: Set the stage with 40–60 words to give readers context.
Main Sections: Use clear subheadings to guide readers through your content.
Supporting Details: Include examples, stats, and concise explanations to back up your points.
Wrap-Up: End with a quick summary of the main takeaways.
Header Tag Structure
Using header tags properly improves both readability and SEO. Here’s the breakdown:
H1 Tag: Use one H1 tag with your primary keyword (e.g., "Complete Guide to Solar Panel Installation").
H2 Tags: Divide your content into major sections, like:
Benefits of Solar Installation
Installation Process Steps
Cost Breakdown
Maintenance Guidelines
H3 Tags: Add subtopics under each H2, such as:
Under "Cost Breakdown":
Equipment Expenses
Labor Costs
Available Tax Incentives
H4-H6 Tags: Use these only when absolutely necessary for deeper layers of organization. Most content works well with just H1-H3.
Technical SEO Basics
These technical elements help search engines understand your content and improve user experience.
Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
Title tags and meta descriptions play a key role in rankings and influencing click-through rates.
Title Tag Best Practices:
Keep titles between 50–60 characters.
Place your primary keyword near the beginning.
Write a title that's both descriptive and engaging.
Add your brand name at the end.
Example: "Solar Panel Installation Guide: Costs & Process | Green Energy Co"
Meta Description Guidelines:
Write compelling copy within 150–160 characters.
Naturally include your main keyword.
Add a clear call-to-action.
Highlight what makes your content stand out.
Example: "Learn expert solar panel installation tips, discover current costs, and uncover energy-saving potential. Get your free consultation today and start saving on your electricity bills."
Clear URL Structure
A clean URL structure helps users and search engines easily understand your content.
URL Format Tips:
Use hyphens (-) to separate words.
Keep URLs short and descriptive.
Include your target keyword.
Leave out unnecessary words like "a", "the", or "and."
Avoid using special characters or numbers.
Bad URL: example.com/p=123?category=solar-energy-installation-guide-and-tips-2025 Good URL: example.com/solar-panel-installation-guide
Once your URLs are optimized, focus on improving visual elements to enhance overall performance.
Image Setup
Choose concise, keyword-focused file names with hyphen-separated words (e.g., solar-panel-installation-process.jpg).
Use JPG for photos, PNG for graphics, or WebP for modern browsers.
Resize images to match the required dimensions.
Add alt text that describes the image and includes relevant keywords.
Alt Text Formula:
Clearly describe the image content.
Add the target keyword when appropriate.
Keep it under 125 characters.
Example alt text: "Professional installing solar panels on residential rooftop during a sunny day"
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Website Speed and Usability
Focusing on website speed and usability is a critical part of technical SEO. A site's performance not only affects user experience but also plays a big role in search engine rankings.
Page Speed Optimization
Quick-loading pages improve engagement and can positively influence search rankings. Here's how to enhance page speed:
Server Response Time:
Choose a hosting provider with servers near your audience.
Use server-side caching to reduce load times.
Enable HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 for faster data transfer.
Utilize a content delivery network (CDN) to distribute content efficiently.
Resource Optimization:
Compress CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files to reduce file sizes.
Set up browser caching with proper headers.
Use lazy loading for images and videos to prioritize visible content.
Implement critical CSS rendering for faster page displays.
Clean up unused code and scripts.
Modern Image Formats:
Convert images to WebP format for better compression, with fallback options.
Use responsive images with the srcset attribute for different screen sizes.
Where supported, try AVIF for even smaller image sizes.
Mobile-First Design
With mobile traffic leading the way, designing for smaller screens is non-negotiable.
Mobile Elements:
Build responsive designs that adapt to any screen size.
Ensure touch targets are at least 44x44 pixels for easy interaction.
Use a minimum font size of 16px for readability.
Avoid horizontal scrolling to keep navigation seamless.
Core Web Vitals are Google’s way of measuring key aspects of a site's performance, directly impacting rankings:
Metric
Target Score
What It Measures
LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
≤ 2.5s
Speed of loading main content
FID (First Input Delay)
≤ 100ms
Time to respond to user input
CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)
≤ 0.1
Visual stability during load
Optimization Tips:
Preload important resources to speed up loading.
Cut down JavaScript execution time to improve responsiveness.
Reserve space for dynamic elements to prevent layout shifts.
Streamline font loading to avoid delays.
Minimize layout shifts during page rendering.
Monitoring Tools:
Google Search Console
PageSpeed Insights
Chrome User Experience Report
Web Vitals Chrome Extension
These metrics provide a solid foundation for improving mobile performance and local SEO efforts.
Local Search Optimization
Local search optimization helps businesses show up in location-based search results, attracting local customers to both physical and online stores.
Google Business Profile Setup
A well-maintained Google Business Profile (GBP) is key to improving local search visibility. Here’s what to prioritize:
Profile Completeness:
Fill out every relevant section of your GBP.
Upload at least 10 high-quality photos showcasing your business.
Select the most relevant and specific business categories.
Clearly define your service area.
Include accurate business hours, including holiday schedules.
Review Management:
Respond to reviews within 24–48 hours.
Keep responses professional and constructive.
Thank customers for positive reviews.
Address negative feedback with actionable solutions.
Encourage happy customers to leave reviews.
Keeping your profile active and up-to-date helps maintain customer engagement.
Regular Updates:
Post weekly updates about your business.
Share details about upcoming events or promotions.
Add new products or services as soon as they’re available.
Update seasonal hours in advance.
Review and verify all information for accuracy on a monthly basis.
Business Information Consistency
Consistency across all platforms builds trust with search engines and improves your local rankings.
Essential NAP Details (Name, Address, Phone):
Information Type
Format Example
Listing Locations
Business Name
"Main Street Cafe"
All directories
Address
"123 Oak St, Suite 100"
Maps, directories
Phone Number
"(555) 123-4567"
Website, social platforms
Operating Hours
"Mon-Fri: 9 AM - 6 PM"
All platforms
Website URL
"www.example.com"
All listings
Key Directory Listings:
Google Business Profile
Bing Places
Yelp
Yellow Pages
Industry-specific directories
Chamber of Commerce websites
Local business associations
Local Content Creation
Creating location-focused content can enhance your SEO efforts.
Location-Specific Pages:
Build unique pages for each service area.
Mention local landmarks and references.
Include testimonials from nearby customers.
Use local schema markup for better search visibility.
Create URLs tailored to specific locations.
Local Keyword Integration:
Incorporate city or neighborhood names.
Mention local landmarks and regional terms.
Use area codes and references to local events.
Community-Focused Content:
Write about local events and news.
Share success stories from local customers.
Highlight your involvement in the community.
Promote partnerships with nearby businesses.
Publish guides specific to your area.
SEO Tools and Services
To strengthen your on-page SEO efforts, using dedicated tools can make a big difference. These tools build on the technical and performance basics, helping you fine-tune your strategy.
Humble Help SEO Features
Humble Help provides automated SEO solutions tailored for small businesses. Their platform combines AI with expert support to simplify tasks like on-page optimization. For example, the Brand Boost Package includes a complete website assessment and content creation service. In addition to automation, reliable testing tools play a key role in keeping your site running smoothly.
SEO Testing Tools
Here are some tools you can use to track and improve your SEO performance:
Technical SEO Tools:
Page Speed: Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix offer performance scores and specific recommendations for improvement.
Mobile Testing: Check how your site works on mobile devices with Google's Mobile-Friendly Test or BrowserStack.
Schema Validation: Use Schema Markup Validator and Google Rich Results Test to ensure your structured data is set up correctly.
Crawling: Tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb help analyze your site's structure and identify technical issues.
Core Web Vitals: Google Search Console and Lighthouse provide insights into loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability.
Content Optimization Tools:
Surfer SEO: Offers real-time content suggestions powered by AI.
MarketMuse: Helps with content planning by analyzing topic relevance and depth.
Clearscope: Scores content quality and assists with keyword optimization.
Frase: Uses AI to streamline content creation and optimization.
SEMrush Writing Assistant: Provides SEO tips as you write.
These tools give you the data and insights needed to fine-tune your website for both search engines and users.
Next Steps
After addressing technical and content optimizations, it's time to put your strategy into action. Here's how to move forward effectively:
Start with a detailed website audit using your SEO tools to uncover key issues that need fixing.
Focus on these priorities:
Technical Fixes: Address broken links, fix duplicate content, and organize your site structure for better navigation.
Content Updates: Evaluate current content, especially high-traffic and landing pages. Adjust title tags, meta descriptions, and headers to align with SEO goals.
Improving Site Speed: Use tools like PageSpeed Insights to identify loading issues. Begin by optimizing images and enabling caching before tackling more advanced fixes.
Use a project management tool to monitor your progress, set clear monthly goals, and schedule quarterly SEO audits to keep things on track. For most small businesses, these steps can be completed within 2-3 months.
As search algorithms change, staying informed will help maintain your competitive edge.
Also, document key baseline metrics to track your improvements:
Page load times
Mobile usability scores
Core Web Vitals
Organic traffic numbers
Keyword rankings
Conversion rates
This data will show the impact of your efforts and highlight areas that still need work.
