On-Page SEO Mastery: 25 Things Google Looks for in Every Page

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on page seo factors

1. What Is On-Page SEO & Why It Matters?

On-page SEO encompasses the process you use on your website in order to help Google to understand what the content has to do with. If Google recognizes your website’s content in a clear way, it is able to be more likely to rank your site higher. If it doesn’t, your site is found on the 5th page of results from search which is where nobody will ever go.

Imagine opening up a restaurant, but not putting the signboard in front of it.
Even if your food is fantastic, but nobody can find your place.
On-page SEO can be your virtual signage.

2. Google’s Top 25 On-Page SEO Factors

Let’s break them down one by one.

a. Title Tag Optimization

Google looks at your title tag first.  It has to be:

  • Clear
  • Keyword-focused
  • Click-worthy

Bad Example: “Blog About SEO”

Good Example:
 “On-Page SEO Mastery: 25 Factors Google Checks in Every Page (2026 Guide)”

Your title should have the primary keyword.

b. Meta Description That Encourages Clicks

Meta descriptions aren’t directly helpful to ranking, but they dramatically increase the CTR (click-through percentage), which is the ranking indicator.

Benefits of emotions, using the keywords.

Examples: “Learn the top 25 SEO on-page factors Google is looking for by 2026. Simple strategies, real-world examples and easy-to-follow guidance to increase your rank quickly.”

c. H1 Tag — The Main Heading

Every page must have only one H1, and it should match your topic.

Example:
“H1: On-Page SEO Mastery: 25 Things Google Looks for in Every Page”

Never leave the H1 blank or use multiple H1s — it confuses Google.

d. Proper Use of H2 & H3

Your subheadings must be logical and keyword-rich. They help Google understand your content structure.

Example hierarchy:

  • H2: Keyword Research Basics
  • H3: How to choose the right keywords
  • H3: Tools for keyword research

Good content structure improves readability and SEO.

e. Keyword Placement in Strategic Locations

Google expects your main keyword to appear in:

  • Title
  • First 100 words
  • H1
  • Meta description
  • Few H2s (naturally)
  • URL

Don’t force keywords — Google is smart enough to detect stuffing.

f. Density of Keywords (Not Too High, Not Too Low)

There’s no thumb rule, but generally:

1%–1.5% density works well.

Write naturally.

Google now uses semantic search, so use synonyms.

Example:

Instead of repeating “on-page SEO,” also use:

“SEO page optimization”

“Google ranking factors”

“SEO content optimization”

These are trending SEO keywords.

g. Matching Search Intent Perfectly

If someone searches:

“how to do on-page SEO”.

Instead of a sales pitch, they expecting a detailed guide.

Google ranks pages that satisfy expectations.

Types of search intent:

Informational → how to, what is.

Commercial → best tools, comparisons.

Transactional → buy now.

Navigational → specific brand.

Match your content accordingly.

h. High-Quality, Helpful, Human-Like Content

Google’s Helpful Content Update changed everything.
Now Google rewards content that is:

  • Useful
  • Practical
  • Experience-based
  • Not robotic
  • Not AI-sounding

Example:
 “If your page speed is slow, imagine waiting 10 seconds for a restaurant menu to load — you would leave instantly. Users behave the same way on websites.”

i. Page Experience & Readability

Google checks:

  • Font size
  • Line spacing
  • Paragraph length
  • Visual layout

Short paragraphs (2–3 lines) work best.

j. URL Structure should SEO-Friendly

URLs should short and keyword-rich.

Bad URL:

website.com/ab123-xyz=page?id=45

Good URL:

website.com/on-page-seo-guide

Short, clean URLs rank better.

k. Image Optimization

Large images slow down your page.
Use compressed images + meaningful file names.

Example file name:
on-page-seo-checklist-2025.jpg

Avoid uploading:
IMG_8890.jpg

You can also use .webp formatted images. Recommended. 

l. Alt Tags for Images

Alt tags help Google “read” your images.

Example:
Alt=”On-page SEO checklist for beginners”

It also helps in Google Images ranking.

m. Schema Markup (Structured Data)

Schema helps Google understand page type:

  • Article schema
  • FAQ schema
  • How-to schema
  • Product schema

If you add FAQ schema, your page can get extra space in search results.

Example:
Add FAQ at the end → use a WordPress SEO plugin like RankMath or Yoast to generate schema.

n. Internal Linking (Very Important)

Internal links pass authority and help visitors explore your site.

Example:
“Also read our SEO audit checklist to optimize your entire website.”

Tip:
Link from high-authority pages to new pages.

Credibility is improved by linking to trustworthy sites.

Example:

Connect for Moz, SEMrush, HubSpot, Google Search Central, and so on.

Google considers this to be an indicator of trust.

p. Mobile Friendly website

More than 65% of people prefer to browse on their phones, particularly since 2024 when mobile-first indexing was first introduced.

If you have a non-responsive website:

Google drops your ranking position.

User abandon quickly

Use responsive design and avoid tiny text.

q. Page Speed Optimization

Google loves fast pages.
Tools to test speed:

Examples of what slows pages:

  • Heavy images
  • Too many plugins
  • Slow server
  • No caching

A fast website = better rankings + better user experience.

r. Core Web Vitals

Google uses measures to:

  • LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) – load time
  • FID (First Input Delay) – interaction time
  • CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) – page stability

When elements move around when the site loads, then the CLS isn’t working correctly.

For example: you try to click on a button and it doesn’t move – extremely poor UX.

s. EEAT means Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness

Google wants trustworthy content.

You can improve E-E-A-T by:

  • Adding author bio
  • Mentioning experience
  • Citing sources
  • Including real case studies
  • Adding business address & contact

Example:
“After optimizing 500+ pages across various websites, here’s what really works in on-page SEO.”

t. Content Freshness

Outdated content loses rankings.
Always update:

  • Stats
  • Tools
  • Screenshots
  • Strategies
  • Examples

Google prefers fresh and up-to-date blogs.

u. Anchor Text Optimization

Anchor text must describe what the user will see.

Bad example:
“Click here”

Good example:
“Download our SEO strategy checklist”

Clear anchor text improves rankings.

v. Avoiding Thin Content

Thin content = low-quality content with little information.

Example:

A 200-word blog on “SEO tips” — this will never rank.

Google prefers:

  • Deep
  • Helpful
  • Detailed explanations

Aim for 1,500 – 2,000 words and above.

w. Avoiding Duplicate Content

Don’t copy content from:

  • Other websites
  • Your own pages

Google gets confused when there is duplicate content because it doesn’t know which version to rank.

Tip: 
You can try tools like:

  • Copyscape
  • Grammarly

x. User Engagement Signals

Google tracks:

  • Time spent on page
  • Bounce rate
  • Scroll depth

If users stay longer, Google understands your content is valuable.

Example:
Adding visuals, lists, examples, and FAQ increases engagement.

y. Clean HTML Structure

Google reads your code.
Messy or broken HTML makes crawling difficult.

Examples of problems:

  • Nested H1 tags
  • Missing closing tags
  • Unnecessary scripts
  • Too many inline CSS codes

A clean structure improves crawling and ranking.

Final Thoughts

SEO for on-page pages isn’t something that you can do once and done. It’s a continuous procedure. If you make your website optimized to Google it is creating a better experience for the users. If users enjoy your site’s content, Google rewards you with better rankings.

No matter if you’re a newbie or business owner knowing these 25 factors can give you an enormous competitive advantage in 2026.

FAQ’s

1. What exactly is SEO on-page and what is its significance?

On-page SEO refers everything you have optimized for your web page-titles and content such as keywords, images and layout to assist Google comprehend your site more effectively. If your SEO on page is extremely strong, your site will have a higher rank, receive higher traffic, and visitors have a more enjoyable experience.

2. What number of keywords do I need to include on a website to increase SEO?

There’s no set number. The best rule of thumb is 1-1.5 % keywords density but keeping your writing natural. Instead of repeating a keyword over and over, you should use variants, LSI terms, and similar phrases to match the intent of the user.

3. Does on-page SEO get better when graphics and videos are added?

Yes! Positive ranking indications from visual content include increased user engagement, decreased bounce rates, and longer site stays. However, to help your SEO, always include descriptive alt text and compress images.

4. What impact does EEAT have on Google Rankings?

EEAT stands for experience, expertise, authority and trustworthiness. When ranking pages by credible authors with real experience and accurate information, citations and transparency. Case studies, author biographies or external references all help boost EEAT scores. 

5. When should I update my on-page SEO for a website?  

The ideal is to revisit your key web pages at least regularly, at least every 3 to 6 months. Google is a fan of new content, up-to-date statistics, fresh illustrations, enhanced formatting as well as a better user experience. Small updates, like new FAQs or photos may improve ranking.

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