Top 17 On-Page SEO Checklist You Can't Ignore in 2020

In this blog post, I am going to share seventeen (17) SEO checklist that will help improve ranking for a specific webpage, targeting a specific keyword.

Before we go any further. I want to make sure you have read through the previous blog post “Google SEO Ranking Factors 2020“.

Let’s get started…

Why you need On-page SEO

On-page SEO is an essential SERPs ranking factor. I think it’s the most vital communication medium between Google bot and your website.
With On-page SEO, webmasters can tell Google bot what the website page is about. whether, it’s a blog page, white paper, or a checklist, etc.
On-page SEO requires a good understanding of Google’s guidelines for effective SEO and optimize content around the requirements.

Checklists for an effective On-page SEO:

Include your target keyword at the beginning of your title tag.
Use short URL and include the target keyword/focus keyword.
Include at least 1 multimedia (Image, video, infographic, or audio) in each blog post or pages.
Include at least 2 outbound links to related authority sites (popular blogs, news sites, and .edu and .gov resources) in every piece of content that you publish. Source Backlinko
Include the blog/page focus keyword in the first 100 words. Yoast SEO recommends adding in the starting sentence of the first paragraph.
Make sure the focus keyword/target keyword is highlighted with H1 tag.
Use the Google PageSpeed Insights tool to figure out your site’s loading speed. WordPress plugins WP Rocket and WP Smush It can help speed things up.
Add modifiers like “2020″, “best”, “guide”, and “review” to help you rank for long-tail versions of your target keyword.
Make sure your social sharing buttons are front and center on blog posts and articles.
Write at least 1500 words for content that you’re trying to rank for competitive keywords.
Include internal links at the top of your article.
Include 1-2 LSI keywords in every article.
Write long, engaging content that keeps people reading. Put a lot of effort into making your first paragraph interesting and compelling.
Add 2-3 internal links to older articles when you publish a new one.
Include your keyword once in an H2 or H3 subheading in the middle or towards the end of the page.
Tag your images with keyword-rich alt text. Do not forget the description and Alt text.
Make sure high-priority pages are no more than 3 clicks away from your homepage.
Create an XML SiteMap that tells search engines where to find important content on your website
Understanding Google Search Console Errors & Meanings