On-Page and Technical SEO

Introduction

Great content still needs to be found, understood and loaded quickly. The technical basics are not difficult, and most are free to check. Search engines change often, so treat the official documentation as the authority.

Titles, headings and descriptions

• Title: a clear, accurate title for each page, front-loading what the page is about. Keep it concise, so it is not cut off. Search engines may rewrite titles, but a good one helps.
• Headings: one main heading (h1) that states the topic, then subheadings in order. They help readers scan, and describe structure.
• Meta description: a short summary that may be shown in results. It does not guarantee a ranking, but a clear one can attract clicks.
• Plain, descriptive web addresses, such as /sourdough-starter-guide/.
• Write for people first, using natural words, not stuffed keywords.

Internal links

Internal links connect your own pages. They help visitors move on and help search engines discover pages and understand relationships.

• Use descriptive link text, such as "our sourdough starter guide", not "click here".
• Link from strong, relevant pages to newer or related ones.
• Make sure every important page is reachable through links, not only a sitemap.
• Fix broken links regularly.

Sitemaps and Search Console

A sitemap lists the pages you want found. Many website tools create one automatically. In Google Search Console (free) you can:

• Submit your sitemap
• See which pages are indexed and which are not, with reasons
• Inspect a single address and request indexing of a new or updated page
• Review the performance report: queries, clicks, impressions and average position

Bing offers a similar free tool in Bing Webmaster Tools. Indexing is not instant and not guaranteed.

Speed, mobile and page experience

Most visitors use phones, and slow pages lose people.

• Make sure the site works well on a small screen.
• Compress images and use sensible sizes. Modern formats help.
• Avoid unnecessary scripts, big pop-ups and layout that jumps as it loads.
• Use HTTPS.
• Check free tools such as Lighthouse in the browser and the Core Web Vitals, which measure loading, responsiveness and visual stability.

Structured data

Structured data is extra markup that tells search engines precisely what a page is, such as an article, a product, an event or a business. Used correctly it can make pages eligible for richer displays. Follow Google's guidelines, mark up only what is truly visible on the page, and test with the free rich results test. Incorrect or misleading markup can harm you.

Avoid spam tactics

Hidden text, keyword stuffing, copied content, buying links and mass-produced thin pages break search engines' spam policies and can lead to demotion. Slow, honest effort is safer.

A simple on-page checklist

1. Unique, clear title and a useful description
2. One clear main heading and logical subheadings
3. The answer early, with helpful detail
4. Internal links to related pages
5. Optimised images with descriptive alt text
6. Works on mobile and loads quickly
7. Added to the sitemap, and checked in Search Console

Try it yourself

Audit three of your pages against the checklist. Fix the weakest one, then check it in Search Console after a few weeks.

Summary

• Clear titles, headings, descriptions and internal links make pages easier to understand and find.
• Sitemaps and Search Console show what is indexed, and mobile speed matters.
• Use structured data honestly, and avoid spam tactics.