June 9, 2026·8 min read·Nikola Teofilović

On-Page SEO Checklist: 15 Items to Audit Every Page

A 15-point on-page SEO checklist covering title tags, meta descriptions, headings, content, images, and page speed — audit every key page in one pass.

On-page SEO is everything you directly control on your page — title tag, meta description, headings, content, images, speed. It is the fastest lever that actually works: no waiting for backlinks, no waiting on Google — it can lift your rankings today. This 15-point checklist is what we run on every page before moving on to harder problems.

Before any tactics, one rule: one page = one primary keyword target. If you try to rank a single page for 5 keywords, it ranks for 0. Identify the main keyword for each page and build everything below it around that one term. (No budget for Ahrefs? 6 free keyword research tools get the job done.)

Title tag — the first signal Google reads

1. Length: 40–60 characters

Under 40 — you are wasting valuable space. Over 60 — Google truncates it in the SERP with "..." at the end. Sweet spot: 50–58 characters.

2. Primary keyword at the front

Front-load the keyword. "AC Repair Belgrade — Same-Day Service | Skok" outperforms "Skok — Your Partner for AC Repair". Google weights words at the beginning of the title more heavily.

3. Benefit or differentiator

After the keyword, give one reason to click. "AC Repair Belgrade — We Come the Same Day" beats "AC Repair Belgrade — Petrović Company". For local businesses, add the city and neighbourhood — see the local SEO guide for a more detailed approach.

Meta description — the supporting hook

4. Length: 120–150 characters

Under 120 — you are not using the available space. Over 150 — it gets cut off. Aim for 135–145 characters.

5. Aligned with the actual search query

Open Google Search Console, see which queries trigger impressions for this page, and adapt your meta description to match that language. Do not write what you think people should search — write what they actually type.

6. Clear CTA at the end

"Request a quote", "Call today", "Book your spot" — one concrete action. Never "Learn more — maybe — if you feel like it".

Headings (H1, H2, H3) — a hierarchy Google understands

7. Exactly one H1 per page

Multiple H1s confuse Google. Use one H1 that contains the primary keyword. Everything below it is H2 and H3.

8. 60–70% of H2s in "capsule" format

Capsule format: the H2 is a question, the first sentence gives a direct answer, and the rest expands on it. Example:

H2: "How much does AC repair cost in Belgrade?"
First paragraph: "AC repair in Belgrade costs between 3,000 and 8,000 dinars depending on the type of fault and the model of the unit. The lower end covers a standard refrigerant recharge; the higher end applies to compressor replacement..."

Google favours this format and frequently pulls it into a featured snippet — position zero, above all organic results.

9. H2s and H3s contain keyword variants

Do not repeat the exact same keyword every time — use synonyms and related terms. If the primary keyword is "AC repair", your H2s can include "air conditioner servicing", "inverter AC installation", and "split system maintenance".

Content — what goes in the body of the page

10. Minimum 800 words for a service page, 1,500+ for a blog post

Thin content (under 300 words) is practically invisible to Google. The goal is not word count for its own sake but exhaustive topic coverage. If your competitor addresses 12 sub-questions on a single page, cover 14.

11. Internal links with 1–3 word anchor text

Every page should have 2–5 links to other pages on your site. The anchor (the clickable text) must be short (1–3 words) and contextual — never "click here" or "learn more". Bad: "For more about this service click here." Good: "For a full price breakdown, see our service pricing page."

12. Schema markup where it makes sense

LocalBusiness schema for companies, Article schema for blog posts, FAQ schema wherever you have question-and-answer content. Validate through Google Rich Results Test before deploying — one broken schema can wipe out your rich snippet potential.

Images and media

13. WebP format and alt text on every image

WebP images are 30–50% smaller than JPEGs at the same visual quality. Every image must have an alt text that describes what is in the image — not just for accessibility, but because Google reads alt text as contextual signal. Bad: alt="image-1.jpg". Good: alt=" technician servicing an air conditioning unit in Vračar".

14. Lazy-load images below the fold

Images that are not immediately visible should not load immediately. Add the loading="lazy" attribute to every image below the first screen — this alone can shave a full second off your LCP.

Technical

15. Speed — green zone in PageSpeed Insights

Performance score above 80 on both desktop and mobile. LCP under 2.5 s. CLS under 0.1. INP under 200 ms. A slower site means lower rankings, fewer conversions, and less patience from users. On mobile it matters even more — the mobile-first checklist covers the practices that keep your LCP under 2.5 s.

If you have checked all 15 items on every key page of your site, you are already ahead of 80% of websites in the region. Most fall short not because they do not know about these things, but because they never apply them systematically.

If you want us to run a full on-page audit and flag exactly what needs fixing — with an impact estimate for each issue — get in touch. The first review is free, no sales pitch attached.

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