Key takeaways
- On-page work covers content quality, titles, headings, internal links and media.
- Off-page work focuses on earning links and mentions, not buying them.
- Technical work covers crawlability, indexing, speed, mobile and structured data.
- Fix technical blockers first because they limit everything else.
- Audit regularly and track changes with dates.
What is on-page, off-page and technical SEO?
How are the three areas different?
Think of a shop. On-page SEO is the quality of the shelves and signs inside. Off-page SEO is the shop's reputation in the neighbourhood. Technical SEO is the building: doors that open, lights that work and a clear map. A weak area limits the others, so a balanced review is best.
What does on-page SEO include?
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Content | Matches intent, accurate, complete, easy to read |
| Title tag | Unique, descriptive, includes the main topic naturally |
| Meta description | Helpful summary written for people |
| Headings | One main heading and logical subheadings |
| Internal links | Related pages linked with meaningful anchor text |
| Images | Compressed, descriptive alternative text, sensible size |
| Structured data | Valid markup that matches visible content |
| Readability | Short paragraphs, lists, clear language |
What does technical SEO include?
Check that important pages are crawlable and not blocked by mistake, that a sitemap lists canonical URLs, that status codes are correct (200, 301, 404), that redirects are not chained, that pages load fast on mobile, that the site uses secure connections and that duplicate versions use canonical tags. Review core web vitals reports in Search Console and the official guidance for fixes.
How do I run a simple technical audit?
- Crawl the site with a crawler tool and list errors.
- Check Search Console coverage and indexing reports.
- Test key templates for mobile and speed.
- Review the robots rules and sitemap.
- Find duplicate titles and thin pages.
- Prioritise by impact and effort. Write recommendations in plain language with page examples.
What does off-page SEO include?
Links from reputable sites, brand mentions, reviews, local listings and social sharing that brings attention. Good methods are publishing original research, useful tools or guides, working with partners, speaking at events and contributing expert comments. Avoid link buying, link exchanges at scale and automated schemes, which can violate search policies.
How does local SEO fit in?
For local businesses, claim and complete a business profile, keep name, address and phone consistent, collect genuine reviews, add location pages with real information and use local keywords naturally. Reply to reviews politely.
How do I prioritise fixes?
Start with problems that block crawling or indexing, then fix pages that already have impressions but low clicks, then improve content depth for important topics, then build links. Estimate effort and impact, and record each change with a date so you can connect cause and effect.
How do I check results?
Use Search Console for impressions, clicks and positions by page and query, and analytics for conversions. Allow time for search engines to recrawl. Compare against a similar period to account for seasonality.
What are common mistakes?
Blocking pages by accident, leaving test noindex tags in place, duplicate content from URL variations, slow image-heavy pages, ignoring mobile, writing titles for machines and chasing links before fixing content. Review after every site update.
How do I write a title and heading that work?
Put the main topic near the start, keep the title short enough to be read in full, and make it specific, for example "Beginner Guide to Email Subject Lines" instead of "Email". Use one main heading that matches the page purpose and subheadings that follow the questions users ask. Avoid repeating the same phrase in every heading. Read the result aloud: if it sounds natural to a person, it is probably good for search too.
How do I explain an audit result to a non-technical owner?
Group findings into three buckets: must fix now, should fix soon and nice to have. For each, say what is wrong in one sentence, why it matters and the effort needed. Use screenshots of real pages. Offer a short plan for the next month with owners and dates. Owners act more readily when the report is clear, short and tied to business outcomes such as enquiries or sales.
What is a short priority list for a small site?
First, confirm that every important page is indexed and loads securely. Second, fix duplicate or missing titles. Third, improve the three pages closest to conversions. Fourth, add internal links between related pages. Fifth, plan one piece of link-worthy content. Record each step with a date.
How often should I re-audit?
Run a light check monthly and a full audit every quarter or after a redesign, migration or major content change.
What records should I keep?
Keep a change log with date, page, change and reason so you can connect later results to specific actions.
Download On-Page, Off-Page and Technical SEO PDF
On-Page, Off-Page and Technical SEO PDF
The PDF carries the same content as this page in a clean, print-ready layout, so you can read it offline and keep it for revision.
4 pages · 88 KB · PDF · Updated 5 Nov 2026