Auditing an Existing Page for On-Page SEO: Time for a Tune-Up!

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Even with the best intentions, on-page SEO can slip over time. Trends change, search engines update how they "read" your website, or maybe some content was created before you fully grasped these concepts. That's why regular audits are essential to keep your website in top SEO shape.

Your On-Page SEO Checklist

Use this checklist as your guide. Let's focus on the core elements of on-page optimization:

Content Checkup

  • Relevance & Value: Does the page still perfectly match the intent behind your target keywords? Is the information up-to-date and the best answer to the searcher's query?
  • Keyword Usage: Are your keywords used naturally? Avoid overstuffing, but ensure your target keyword is well-represented in prominent places (headings, early in the text).
  • Depth & Structure: Is the content easy to scan and digest? Use headers (H1, H2, etc.) like a clear outline. Offer enough information to be useful without overwhelming readers.

The Technical Stuff

  • Title Tags & Meta Description: Are they compelling, accurate, and still include your target keyword? Could they be tweaked to improve click-through rates?
  • Image Alt Text: Do all images have descriptive alt text? This is a chance to sneak in some keyword variations while boosting accessibility.
  • Internal Links:
    • Are you guiding visitors (and search engines) to related content within your site?
    • Are these links helpful or just stuffed in randomly?
  • Mobile-Friendliness: Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool: https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly to confirm it displays perfectly on smaller screens.
  • Page Speed: Check your speed with Google's PageSpeed Insights: https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/ and address any red flag areas that might be slowing things down.

Tools Are Your Friend

While you can audit entirely manually, these tools speed things up:

  • SEO Plugins: Yoast SEO, RankMath, etc., let you analyze each page individually, providing prompts and scores.
  • Site Crawlers: Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, and others give a comprehensive view of many on-page elements across your whole site. These are especially helpful for large websites.