On-page SEO is the part of search you fully control: what the page says, how it is structured and whether search engines can read it. The same work now decides whether AI answers can use your page, because Google’s AI features draw from pages that are indexed and eligible to show a snippet.
Use this checklist before you publish a new page, and again when you refresh an old one. It is written for any kind of site, from a florist’s service page to a software company’s blog post.
In short
Before publishing, make sure the page is indexable, matches the intent of its main query, has a unique descriptive title, answers the question early, and links to and from related pages. Word counts, exact keyword placement and heading order matter far less than most checklists claim.
What to check before a page goes live
- Can it be found? The page must be indexable. Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode only use pages that are indexed and eligible for a snippet.
- Does it fit the query? Match the format searchers expect (guide, comparison, product or service page) and answer the main question in the first two or three sentences.
- Title and snippet: a unique, descriptive title with the main topic near the start, and a meta description that summarizes the page. Google sets no character limit; it truncates to fit the screen.
- Structure: descriptive headings, short paragraphs, lists or tables where they help, and a short readable URL.
- Media and links: descriptive alt text, compressed images, two or three internal links with clear anchor text, and links to the sources you used.
Score your page before you publish
Tick what is true for the page you are about to publish. Items marked Must block publishing on their own.
What still matters on the page?
Google’s documentation on AI features is clear that there are “no additional requirements” to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode beyond being indexed and eligible for a snippet. So the classic on-page basics now serve both regular results and AI answers.
- Titles. Google asks for descriptive and concise title elements, unique to each page, without keyword stuffing. It may rewrite a title using your H1 or other prominent text if the title does not describe the page well.
- Meta descriptions. Google primarily builds snippets from page content, but uses a meta description when it describes the page better. Write a unique summary for each important page.
- Content that fits the query. A plumber’s emergency service page and a guide to fixing a dripping tap target different searchers. Match the format to what is already ranking.
- Clear authorship. Google’s helpful content guidance asks whether it is obvious who wrote a page, and recommends bylines where readers would expect them.
- Descriptive links and alt text. Google’s SEO Starter Guide recommends anchor text that tells readers what they will find, and alt text that describes the image.
What matters less than you have heard
Several common checklist items are habits rather than ranking factors. Google’s SEO Starter Guide says:
- There is “no magical word count target, minimum or maximum”. Cover the topic properly and stop.
- Keywords in the domain name or URL path “alone have hardly any effect” beyond appearing in breadcrumbs.
- Google Search does not use the meta keywords tag.
- Heading order does not matter for Search. It does matter for people using screen readers, which is why the W3C accessibility guidance still recommends not skipping levels. Do it for your readers.
Title and meta description lengths work the same way. Google sets no limit and truncates text to fit the device, so the 50 to 60 character guide for titles is about avoiding a cut-off, not a rule.
Technical basics worth checking once per template
- Indexing. Run the URL through the URL Inspection tool in Search Console after publishing.
- Speed and stability. The Core Web Vitals targets are a Largest Contentful Paint within 2.5 seconds, Interaction to Next Paint of 200 milliseconds or less, and Cumulative Layout Shift of 0.1 or less, measured at the 75th percentile of visits.
- Mobile. Open the page on a phone. Check tap targets, font size and that nothing spills off the screen.
If your pages share a template, as most WordPress sites do, fixing a technical problem once fixes it on every page.
Tools that make this faster
- Google Search Console: indexing status, impressions, clicks and queries for every page.
- Google PageSpeed Insights: Core Web Vitals from real visits plus fixes to try.
- Yoast SEO or Rank Math (WordPress): titles, meta descriptions, canonical tags and sitemaps from inside the editor.
- MiinDigital Word and Character Counter: quick length checks for titles and meta descriptions.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a title tag be?
Google has no length limit and truncates titles to fit the device. Around 50 to 60 characters usually shows in full, so put the main topic near the start in case the end is cut.
Do I still need the keyword in the first 100 words?
Google does not publish a rule like that. What matters is that the opening tells readers and search engines what the page is about, which usually means the main topic appears early anyway.
How many internal links should a page have?
There is no set number. Two or three links to closely related pages is a sensible minimum for a new post, plus at least one link to the new page from an existing one.
Does on-page SEO help with AI answers?
Yes. Google’s AI features only use pages that are indexed and eligible for a snippet, and clear, well-structured pages are easier to quote. See how to write content that AI cites.
Sources
- Google Search Central, “AI features and your website“, last updated 10 December 2025.
- Google Search Central, “Influencing your title links in search results“, accessed September 2026.
- Google Search Central, “Control your snippets in search results“, accessed September 2026.
- Google Search Central, “SEO Starter Guide“, last updated 10 December 2025.
- Google Search Central, “Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content“, accessed September 2026.
- web.dev, “Web Vitals“, accessed September 2026.
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, “Headings (Page Structure Tutorial)“, accessed September 2026.
Related Guides in This Series
- SEO + GEO Complete Guide for Digital Marketers
- What is GEO? Generative Engine Optimization, Explained Simply
- How to Write Content That AI Cites
- Keyword Research in the AI Era: What’s Changed
- Measuring SEO vs. GEO: Tracking Visibility in 2026
- SEO + GEO Action Plan for Small Business Owners
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First published: April 2026 | Last updated: September 2026 | Author: Minh Pham | Drafted with AI, fact-checked and edited by Minh Pham
This is one of MiinDigital’s core guides. It is reviewed and updated every year.
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