On-Page SEO Checklist: Optimize Every Page on Your Site

 Here's what you should have in mind while writing every article. Remember it's better to keep it simple and not stress over every detail.

1). Content should be the #1 priority

This is the most important aspect. Without quality content you can have the best links and the best on--‐page optimization --‐ you're not going to succeed.

2). Keyword Density

You should include the keyword in the title of the article, and mention it in the content naturally without pushing it. Clickbump SEO! says it's OK to have a density of up to 3% but I feel that's way too much. I'd say 0%--‐1,5% is what you should be aiming for, including a lot of variations and LSI keywords.

3). The Title

The title (and the title tags) should be unique and appealing. While it's been said that you should include your keyword at the beginning of the title, I'd say you should go with your personal feelings and not ruin a beautiful title just for the sake of maximizing SEO --‐ because, in the end, you may actually be hurting it.

4). Meta Description Tag

Meta tags are no longer effective for rankings, but they can get you penalized if you use them incorrectly.

Every page should have a unique meta description and include a different keyword variation than your main one.

Moreover, don't write all the descriptions. Let some of them be grabbed by search engines themselves, as it will appear more natural.

5). URL Structure

You should definitely go with using the entire title inside the URL using the permalink option in WordPress as %postname%.

6). Header Tags

?     The H1 should be always used for the title of the article only

?     The H2 tag is great for subheadings, so is the H3 tag

?     You shouldn't bother with H4--‐H6 but you can share your opinion on those in the private forum.

?     Bolding or italicizing your main keyword has been a taught SEO tactic for years and nowadays may actually hurt your rankings by being considered over--‐optimization. Don't overuse it.

7). Image Alt Tags

You should always have some alt image tags for each graphic you upload to your website, and they should include variations of your main keyword.

8). Social Buttons

There are so many plugins that do the job for you, and I recommend you use Slick Social Share Buttons because that's what I have been using. Add whatever social sharing buttons you'd like, but I usually just stick with Facebook, Twitter and Google+

9). Internal Linking

You should always link to your own, existing content when writing new articles, the way Wikipedia has been doing it for a long time. It's super effective. Make sure you have at least one internal link in every post. It doesn't have to be a keyword as the anchor --‐ keeps things natural!

10). Add an XML sitemap plugin so that you always have an up--‐to--‐date sitemap.

11). Link to authority websites within your niche, but don't link to shady websites.

12). Post Regularly

If you want to outsource 50 articles each 500 words long and upload them all at once, you are going to have a bad time.

I suggest you try and update your site on a regular schedule --‐ doesn't matter if it's once a day or once a month

13). Content length

You should definitely ignore your word count. Just write as much as you feel you should. This way you'll create natural diversity with your content, exactly the way it should be. Don't have all articles with the same word count --‐ it will raise a red flag!