On-Page SEO Checklist for 2026

2. Headings

Headings or header tags help with page structure and content hierarchy. When you break up the content using headings, it makes it easier for users to navigate your pages, providing context for search engines:

• Only have one H1 header tag that is unique from the title tag
• Describe what your page is about
• Not too long
• Grab users attention
• Include primary keyword

3. Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are the summaries of your content, provided in one to two sentences.

• Accurately summarise the content of the web page
• Must be unique
• Must include primary keyword
• Are engaging
• No more than 160 characters

4. URL

URL's are the unique address of your web page and are one of the first things seen by users and search engines:

• Make user-friendly URLs providing information of your content
• Keep them concise
• Do not use underscores or spaces to separate words, use hyphens instead
• Follow the same structure for all your website URLs
• Do not repeat keywords

5. Alt Text

Alt text is a HTML element that describes your image on the internet. They improve accessibility, improving user experience, while helping search engines understand your images. 

• Be descriptive to ensure users and search engines can understand the image without looking at it
• They should be concise and clear
• Optimised for your keywords

6. Internal Links

Search engines rely on internal links to find new and updated web pages. These links link one of your pages to another relevant page on your website, spreading authority across your site.

• Identify pages without any links pointing to them
• Fix broken links and redirected links
• Ensure pages linked are relevant and appropriate

7. Schema Markup

Schema markup or structured data is important, as it helps search engines understand the context of your page. It is microdata that adds a rich layer of context to your content, helping search engines provide users with accurate results.

• Identify important pages
• Check to identify if there is existing schema markup on the pages
• Ensure you use the correct type of schema markup
• Double check all required properties for each schema type are included
• Ensure content of properties is accurate
• Place the markup inside the header tag

Conclusion

On-page SEO is essential in 2026, ensuring your website can be easily crawled and indexed by search engines, while offering a good user experience. At Genie Crawl, we recommend carrying out a thorough on-page SEO audit, identifying what areas of your website need improvement. Give our team a call today to find out more.