Audit and optimise a page's on-page SEO

Purpose

On-page SEO is the part of ranking you fully control. This procedure works through one page in a fixed order (can Google index it, does it clearly target the right search, and does it help the visitor) so effort goes to the fixes that matter most. It is finished when the page passes every quality check and the changes are live and re-submitted to Google.

Scope

In scope

• Indexability, canonical and status checks
• Title tag, meta description, URL and heading structure
• Content quality, intent match and internal links
• Image alt text and structured data validity

Out of scope

• Keyword research (see WW-005)
• Page speed engineering (see WW-009)
• Backlink building and off-site SEO

Roles and responsibilities

Role	Responsibility
SEO specialist	Runs the audit, records findings and agrees fixes.
Content editor	Makes copy, heading and metadata changes in the CMS.
Reviewer	Checks the live page against the quality checks.

Prerequisites

• An agreed primary keyword and supporting terms for the page (WW-005).
• CMS edit access, or an editor available to make changes.
• Search Console access for the property (WW-004).
• An audit sheet with columns Check, Finding, Fix, Priority, Done.

Procedure

Confirm Google can index the page

There is no point optimising a page Google cannot index.

1. In Search Console, paste the page URL into URL inspection and record whether it is on Google and which canonical Google selected.

2. View the page source and confirm there is no noindex in a robots meta tag, and that the rel="canonical" points to the page itself.

3. Confirm the URL returns a 200 status and does not redirect.

   [!WARNING] If the page is noindex, canonicalised elsewhere or redirecting, stop and resolve that first. Everything else in this procedure depends on it.

Check the title, description and URL

Make the search result itself earn the click.

1. Check the title tag leads with the primary keyword, describes the page accurately, includes the brand at the end, and is roughly 50–60 characters so it isn't cut off.
2. Check the meta description summarises the offer and a reason to click in roughly 140–160 characters. Google may rewrite it, but a good one is used more often.
3. Check the URL is short, lowercase, hyphenated and readable. Do not change the URL of an established page unless you also follow WW-008.

Review headings and content

Check the page answers the search better than the pages that already rank.

1. Confirm there is exactly one H1, that it contains the primary keyword naturally, and that H2s and H3s form a logical outline of the page.
2. Compare the page with the top three results for the primary keyword. List anything they cover that the page doesn't: pricing guidance, process, locations, FAQs, proof.
3. Check supporting keywords and agreed questions are covered in natural language, with a clear call to action above the fold and at the end.
4. Check for evidence of experience and trust: real examples, named authors or team, reviews, accreditations and up-to-date contact details.

Check links, images and structured data

Help both visitors and Google understand how the page fits the site.

1. Confirm the page links to two to five relevant pages on the site with descriptive anchor text, and that at least two other relevant pages link to it.
2. Confirm every meaningful image has descriptive alt text, a sensible file name and is not oversized (under roughly 200 KB for photos).
3. Run the URL through the Rich Results Test and fix any errors in existing structured data.

Make, publish and resubmit the fixes

Ship the changes and tell Google.

1. Prioritise findings as High (indexability, title, H1, intent gaps), Medium (content depth, internal links) or Low (alt text, minor wording), then make the changes in the CMS.
2. Publish, clear the cache, and check the live page source shows the new title, description and headings.
3. In Search Console URL inspection, click Request indexing, and note the date in the audit sheet so results can be compared in four to six weeks.

Quality checks

• The page is indexable, self-canonical and returns a 200 status.
• The title and H1 contain the primary keyword naturally; the title is roughly 50–60 characters.
• The page covers the agreed supporting terms and questions.
• The page has relevant internal links in and out.
• The Rich Results Test shows no errors.
• Indexing was requested and the change date recorded.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Google shows a different title	Title doesn't match the page content or is too long	Make the title more accurate and concise, aligned with the H1.
Google selected a different canonical	Duplicate or near-duplicate page exists	Consolidate the duplicates, or make the content clearly distinct.
Changes not visible to Google	Cached page served, or indexing not yet refreshed	Purge the cache, re-inspect and request indexing.

Records

• Save the audit sheet in the client's SEO folder named WW-006 · <page> · <date>.
• Record the before and after title, H1 and description, and the date indexing was requested.

References

• SEO Starter Guide (Google Search Central)
• Influencing your title links (Google Search Central)
• Control your snippets in search results (Google Search Central)
• URL Inspection tool (Search Console Help)