If you’re a small business owner juggling five tasks before your first cup of coffee, you probably know that your website should be doing more than just sitting there looking pretty. It should be working for you by pulling in traffic, getting found on Google, and helping turn visitors into paying customers. That’s where on-page SEO comes in.

Now, before you run for the hills at the mention of SEO, let’s break it down into manageable, non-scary sections. On-page SEO is simply the stuff you do on your website to make sure search engines understand your content and rank it properly. And yes, it’s very doable even if you’re not a tech expert or have a small budget and do it yourself.

So, let’s walk through the ultimate on-page SEO checklist built specifically for small business owners who want results without breaking the budget.

1. Start With Solid Keywords

You’ve probably heard of keywords, but let’s make sure you’re using them the right way. Keywords are the words or phrases people type into search engines when they’re looking for your products or services. For example, if you own a bakery in Dallas, people might be searching for “best cupcakes in Dallas” or “custom birthday cakes near me.”

What to do:

• Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to find relevant, local keywords.
• Pick one primary keyword per page and a few related keywords (these are often called LSI keywords).

Put these keywords in the following places:

• Page title
• Headings (H1s, H2s, etc.)
• URL
• Body text
• Image alt text
• Meta description

We highly recommend not going overboard with keywords. This is called keyword stuffing, and it's not only outdated, but a major turnoff for both search engines and human beings.

2. Craft Compelling Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

Your title tag and meta description are the first things people see when your page pops up in search results. Think of them as your website’s first impression. Let's make it count and drive traffic to your website.

What to do:

• Keep your title tag under 60 characters and include your main keyword.
• Write a meta description that summarizes the content in a friendly, enticing way. Keep it under 155 characters and also include your keyword.

These two pieces won’t just help with search rankings, they also improve click-through rates.

3. Structure Your Content for Humans and Robots

Both your visitors and Google love organized content. Use headings (like H1 for the main title, H2 for subheadings) to break your content into scannable sections. This helps people quickly find what they’re looking for, and also lets search engines understand the flow of information.

What to do:

• Use one H1 per page, usually for the main title.
• Use H2s and H3s to break up sections.
• Keep paragraphs short and use bullet points or numbered lists when appropriate.

4. Optimize Your Images

Images are more than eye candy. When optimized correctly, they can help your SEO and improve your site’s loading time.

What to do:

• Compress images before uploading (try TinyPNG or Squoosh).
• Use descriptive file names like “custom-cake-dallas.jpg” instead of “IMG1234.jpg.”
• Add alt text that describes the image using relevant keywords.

You should also utilize alt text to make your site more accessible, which is good for everyone.

5. Use Internal and External Links

Links help Google navigate your site and understand the relationship between your pages. They also guide your visitors to more helpful content. Internal links are links that go to other pages on your own website. For example, linking from a blog post about cupcake flavors to your online ordering page.

External links go to reputable sources outside your site. This shows Google that you’re providing valuable information backed by trustworthy references.

What to do:

• Include at least 2–3 internal links in each page or blog post.
• Add 1–2 links to authoritative external sites when relevant.

6. Make Sure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly

As of 2025, over 60 percent of all web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your website doesn’t look or work well on a phone, you’re turning away more than half your potential customers. Google also ranks mobile-friendly sites higher in search results. So it’s a double win.

What to do:

• Check your site on different devices and screen sizes.
• Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to see how your site scores.
• Make sure buttons are big enough to tap and text is easy to read.

7. Improve Page Speed

Nobody likes a slow website. If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, there’s a good chance your visitor is already hitting the back button. Even shaving off one second from your load time can boost conversions.

What to do:

• Compress images.
• Limit the use of heavy scripts and plugins.
• Use caching tools and a good hosting provider.

On-page SEO may sound intimidating at first, but it really comes down to a handful of best practices that you can apply one step at a time. Whether you're tweaking your titles or compressing images, every small move makes a big difference in how easily people can find and trust your site.

If all this still sounds overwhelming or if you're just ready to let someone else handle the details, that’s where a website design company can step in.

Ready to get help with your SEO and WordPress website setup? Contact our trusted Dallas, Texas based agency now to get started the smart way.