On page SEO basics are the parts of search you control on your own website: titles, descriptions, headings, links, images and speed. Get them right and Google has a clear picture of what each page is for. Get them wrong and a good business can still be hard to find.
This page collects our SEO in 60 seconds series in one place. Each episode is a short video with one fix, and its own page with the steps for WordPress. Most of them are small jobs you can do yourself.
The episodes
| # | Episode | What you’ll fix |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your title tag is an ad | The blue link people see in Google |
| 2 | One page, one main search | Two pages competing for the same search |
| 3 | Title tag vs H1 | The difference, and keeping them in step |
| 4 | Meta descriptions | The text that earns the click |
| 5 | Image alt text | Describing photos for people and Google |
| 6 | Internal links | Pointing your best pages at the pages that bring in work |
| 7 | Readable URLs | Page addresses that make sense |
| 8 | The Search Console check | Finding the page Google shows but nobody clicks |
New episodes go out on our Instagram. Follow along so you don’t miss the next one.
What are on page SEO basics?
On page SEO covers what sits on the page itself. Reviews and links from other sites matter too, but they build on these foundations. For most small business sites, 7 things do most of the work:
- A title tag that wins the click.
- A meta description that sums up the page.
- One clear main heading, then subheadings.
- Internal links between related pages.
- Image file names and alt text that describe the photo.
- Pages that load fast on a phone.
- A Google Business Profile that matches your site.
What makes a good title tag?
The title tag is the blue headline people see in Google and the text in the browser tab. Treat it like an ad. A simple pattern for a service page: what you do, where, then your business name.
Example (made up): Emergency Plumber in Drumcondra, Dublin 9 | Murphy Plumbing
Watch episode 1: your title tag is an ad
Should every page target its own search?
Yes. When two of your pages chase the same search, Google has to pick one, and often neither does well. Give each page one main search to win, and merge pages that do the same job.
Watch episode 2: one page, one main search
How should headings be set up on a page?
Use one clear H1, the main headline on the page. It should deliver what the title tag promised, because Google can use your H1 to write your title in search results. Below that, use subheadings for each section. A common slip on Elementor sites is a slogan set as the H1.
Watch episode 3: title tag vs H1
Do meta descriptions still matter?
They do not help you rank. They help you get clicked. Google uses your meta description when it gives a more accurate summary than the page text alone, so write the more accurate summary: what the page offers, plus one useful detail such as your area, hours or a price.
Weak: Plumber, plumbing, Dublin plumber.
Better: Boiler repairs across north Dublin, 7 days a week. Fixed callout price. Call or book online.
Watch episode 4: meta descriptions
What should image alt text say?
Alt text is the short description behind an image. Screen readers read it out, and Google uses it to understand the image. Describe the photo, not your keywords.
Weak: dublin wedding photographer best wedding photos
Better: Bride and groom laughing under umbrellas outside Dublin Castle
Watch episode 5: image alt text
Why do internal links matter?
Internal links are links from one page on your site to another. Google uses them to find and understand pages, and visitors use them to reach the page that brings in work. Use words that describe the page: “see our kitchen fitting prices”, not “click here”.
Watch episode 6: internal links
What makes a good page address?
Use readable words joined by hyphens. /kitchen-fitters-galway/ tells people and Google what the page is about. /?p=123 doesn’t. If you change a live address, add a 301 redirect from the old one.
Watch episode 7: readable URLs
How fast does a page need to load?
Google’s Core Web Vitals targets for a good experience 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. In plain English, 3 out of 4 visits should hit the target, not just the ones on fast wifi.
3 fixes you can make in WordPress: shrink your images, turn on page caching (one caching plugin, never two), and remove plugins you do not use. Then test your home page in PageSpeed Insights, mobile first.
Where does Google Business Profile fit in?
For a local business, your profile often shows before your website does. Use your real business name, as few and as specific categories as possible, correct hours, and real photos. Then check your name, address and phone number match exactly on your website, your profile and your social pages. Our guide to local SEO in Ireland and GEO goes further.
A 10 point on page SEO checklist
Run every new page through this before you press publish.
- A unique title tag with the important words first.
- A meta description that sums up the page in a sentence.
- One clear H1 that matches the title.
- A short, readable URL.
- The answer to the search in the first few lines.
- Subheadings that follow the questions people ask.
- Links to and from related pages, with descriptive link text.
- Renamed image files with honest alt text.
- A PageSpeed Insights check on mobile.
- A look on a real phone, then a check with the URL Inspection tool in Search Console.
How do you know it’s working?
In Search Console, a page with plenty of impressions but few clicks usually needs a better title and description. Give a change a few weeks, then compare it with the same period before. Our post on SEO myths covers the old tricks you can skip.
Watch episode 8: the Search Console check
How do you keep it right after launch?
On page SEO is not a job you do once. Plugins add code, someone uploads a full size photo, a heading changes in a quick edit. That is why our website maintenance plan includes speed optimisation, broken link fixes and Lighthouse tracking. And every search optimised website we build has its titles, headings and internal links planned before design starts.
Where to start
Pick your home page and your most important service page. Watch episode 1, then run both pages through the checklist above this week. If you would rather we took a look, book a free 20 minute call and we will tell you what we would fix first.
FAQ
How long does on page SEO take to work?
It varies. Google says some changes show in a few hours and others take several months. Give a change a few weeks, then compare it in Search Console with the same period before.
Do I need an SEO plugin on WordPress?
It helps. WordPress on its own does not give you a field for a separate SEO title or a meta description. Plugins such as Yoast or Rank Math add those fields, plus sitemaps and basic schema.
Is on page SEO enough on its own?
It is the foundation, not the whole job. Reviews and local links matter too. If you need enquiries while SEO builds, our post on Google Ads vs SEO explains which to do first.
Sources and further reading
- Influencing title links in Google Search, Google Search Central
- How to write meta descriptions, Google Search Central
- SEO Starter Guide, Google Search Central
- What is canonicalization, Google Search Central
- SEO link best practices for Google, Google Search Central
- Image SEO best practices, Google Search Central
- URL structure best practices for Google Search, Google Search Central
- Performance report (Search results), Search Console Help
- Web Vitals, web.dev
- PageSpeed Insights, Google
- Tips to improve your local ranking on Google, Google Business Profile Help
- Guidelines for representing your business on Google, Google Business Profile Help
- Decorative images, W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
- Headings, W3C Web Accessibility Initiative