On-Page SEO Elements
| Element | Best Practice |
|---|
| Title Tag | Primary keyword near front, 50-60 chars, unique per page |
| Meta Description | 120-155 chars, include keyword, compelling why-to-click |
| H1 | One per page, matches or closely relates to title tag |
| URL | Short, keyword-rich: /cheatsheets/seo-writing-guide not /?p=123 |
Content SEO Checklist
| Element | Rule |
|---|
| Keyword Density | Natural usage — primary keyword in first 100 words, ~1-2% overall |
| Header Hierarchy | H2 for sections, H3 for subsections — logical nesting, no skipping |
| Internal Links | 3-5 per post to related content — use descriptive anchor text |
| External Links | 2-3 to authoritative sources — signals credibility to Google |
| Image Alt Text | Descriptive, include keyword where relevant |
Keyword Research
| Type | Strategy |
|---|
| Head Terms | 1-2 words, high volume, high competition — "SEO writing" |
| Long-Tail | 3-5 words, lower volume, lower competition — "how to write SEO blog posts" |
| Question-Based | Answer "People Also Ask" — "what is SEO writing?" |
Pro Tip: Write for humans first, search engines second. Google's algorithms get smarter every year — keyword stuffing worked in 2005. Today, comprehensive, well-structured content wins.