On-Page SEO For Small Businesses: The Complete Guide (With Checklist)

How To Start On-Page SEO?

You don’t need to be a tech genius or SEO guru to start. With a few simple steps, you’ll already be ahead of most websites out there.

1. Start With the Right Keyword (But Keep It Natural)

Find the right keyword starts with solid keyword research. So before you start writing, ask yourself: “what would someone search to find this page?” The answer to that question should be your target keyword. This keyword should guide your content, but make sure it’s natural.

A little tip: if you find a target keyword, check the competition and search volume on Google Keyword Planner. The winning keywords have a low competition and a high search volume.

Place your main keyword naturally in:

• The page title (that’s the headline in search results)
• Your URL (keep it short and sweet)
• The first paragraph
• One or two subheadings
• A few spots throughout your content

Google loves high-quality content that answers questions clearly. Focus on solving a real problem for your reader, not just impressing search bots.

Make sure you cover the topic you write about completely. Structure your blog/article with headings and subheadings; this way, your audience can skim the article and still learn something. It also helps them find the part of the article they are truly interested in.

Here are a few tips:

• Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and headings to break things up.
• Answer common questions (hint: check “Related For Your Search” on Google).

• Give real life examples and use words that even total beginners can understand (so skip the jargon).

Your page should be that one page that finally helps people on that one subject.

3. Optimize Your Page Elements (These Are Easy Wins)

Meta title & description

A meta title is the title people see in search results. Keep it between 30-60 characters and include your keyword near the front. Make sure you have a unique title tag for each page on your website.

(This example is great, but too long. Try to really keep it between 30-60 characters.)

A meta description is the text below your meta title. You can think of it as your page’s mini-ad in search results. Make it clickworthy and interesting, include your keyword or semantic variants, and keep it between 70-155 characters.

It’s important to know how you write meta titles and descriptions for your pages as they improve your rankings and increase click-through rates (CTR). They give search engines context about your page and make your page attractive for searchers to click on it and actually visit your page.

Headings (H1, H2, H3…) & Content Structure

Use headings to organize your content. Use just one H1 (your main title) and break up the rest with H2s and H3s. This makes Google understand your content better and what’s it about. Additional, your audience will be able to skim the text which adds a lot of value to the text.

Use a small introduction of 100-150 words. Add a table of contents; this helps the user jump to the part of the article that is the most interesting for them. This keeps them longer on your website which is a positive signal in Google’s eyes.

Optimize images

Knowing how to optimize your images is important for your SEO performance. Search engines don’t see images the way we do. Optimizing them ensures that search engines understand what they’re about. Apart from that, they improve search visibility and enhance user experience.

To start, make sure your image is the exact size you need. This way, you won’t carry unnecessary weight. After resizing it, compress it with a compression tool of your choosing.

Then, add descriptive alt text to your images so search engines and visually impaired users know what’s in them. When writing your alt text, just describe what you see in the image. Also add a descriptive file name and image title. Make sure to use your keyword where it sounds natural, if it doesn’t sound natural, leave it out.

Example:

To optimize loading speed of your pages, make sure lazy loading is active. This way, images only load when the user scrolls down to that part of the page.

URL Structure

Creating SEO-friendly URLs are one of the most underrated on-page strategies. Make sure to keep it under 115 characters, preferably as short and clear as possible. Add your keyword as well for optimal results. 

Example:

4. Strengthen Your Google E-E-A-T Signals

Google E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. It’s how Google evaluates whether your content is high-quality and reliable. Focusing on E-E-A-T helps your pages earn more trust, rank higher, and provide real value to readers.

Experience

Show that you’ve personally used, tested, or applied the topic. Real-world examples and case studies make your content authentic.

Expertise

Prove you know your subject deeply. Well-researched advice, clear explanations, and actionable tips demonstrate knowledge that readers and Google can trust.

Authoritativeness

Build recognition from reputable sources. Backlinks, mentions, and collaborations signal that others respect your work.

Trustworthiness

Be transparent and accurate. Clear sourcing, secure websites, and honest policies reassure both users and search engines.

Optimizing for Google E-E-A-T is like giving your website a credibility boost that lasts.

5. Focus on User Experience

On-page SEO isn’t just for Google. As Google’s main focus is user-experience, on-page SEO is also for your audience. Sites that give their users a great experience will be rewarded with higher rankings.

Make sure your site:

• Loads fast (under 3 seconds is ideal)
• Meets search intent from your audience 
• Looks great on mobile devices
• Has easy-to-read text with good contrast
• Doesn’t hit people with 9 pop-ups before they see your content

Search engines notice when people leave your page quickly. The longer your visitors stay, the better your website will rank.

6. Build A Solid Internal Linking Structure

Internal linking is one of the most underrated on-page SEO strategies. Linking to other relevant blog posts or pages on your site helps users explore your website and tells Google how your pages connect. 

It also helps Google understand your website better. When done right, you can create topical authority. Google will see you as an expert regarding that topic, which will help you rank higher without needing lots of quality backlinks. (Even though backlinks still play a major part in ranking in Google).

Linking these relevant pages helps with:

• Keeping visitors longer on your site
• Guiding people to other useful resources
• Showing search engines how your content is connected

Here is how to do it:

• Use natural anchor text (don’t over-optimize with exact keywords)
• Link relevant content which might add value for your audience
• Update old posts to link to new ones when relevant