{"id":173784,"date":"2024-03-28T13:31:27","date_gmt":"2024-03-28T18:31:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=173784"},"modified":"2026-03-05T12:04:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T17:04:06","slug":"on-page-seo-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/on-page-seo-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"A Comprehensive On-Page SEO Checklist for&nbsp;2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">If you\u2019ve invested time and effort writing an epic piece of content, don\u2019t forget about on-page SEO. It helps google to understand what your page is about and show it to as many people as possible in the search results.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Even better, many on-page improvements are super quick and easy to&nbsp;do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow this checklist for perfect on-page SEO every&nbsp;time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"3630\" class=\"wp-image-174048\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/on-page-seo-checklist.png\" alt=\"On-page SEO checklist\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/on-page-seo-checklist.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/on-page-seo-checklist-187x425.png 187w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/on-page-seo-checklist-768x1742.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/on-page-seo-checklist-677x1536.png 677w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/on-page-seo-checklist-903x2048.png 903w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for a reusable interactive checklist to use time and time again, here are a few other formats<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1cORJy8o4suMoyjH0U_0MUnA7Ui2dZ8YREgW6RkYv1Yg\/edit?usp=sharing\">Google Sheets<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1cORJy8o4suMoyjH0U_0MUnA7Ui2dZ8YREgW6RkYv1Yg\/export?format=xlsx\">Microsoft Excel<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/15Fv60DmfeE8ZDNrJk1EVXD9ekQ5tv_1aU2C92dwOMBs\/edit?usp=sharing\">Google Docs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/15Fv60DmfeE8ZDNrJk1EVXD9ekQ5tv_1aU2C92dwOMBs\/export?format=docx\">Microsoft Word<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/15Fv60DmfeE8ZDNrJk1EVXD9ekQ5tv_1aU2C92dwOMBs\/export?format=pdf\">PDF<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s run through everything real&nbsp;quick.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Short descriptive URL\" data-section=\"short-descriptive-url\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_tlsqrmhl7mnx\"><\/a>\u2611 Short descriptive URL<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Google <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/on-page-seo#references\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/on-page-seo\/#references\">says<\/a> it\u2019s best to use words that are relevant to your content in page URLs, so you don\u2019t want random gobbledygook urls like <code>domain.com\/734\/834753956756<\/code> if you can avoid it. It\u2019s better to use something short and descriptive like <code>domain.com\/mens\/shirts<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1028\" class=\"wp-image-173786\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/short-descriptive-urls-are-best-for-seo.png\" alt=\"Short, descriptive URLs are best for SEO\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/short-descriptive-urls-are-best-for-seo.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/short-descriptive-urls-are-best-for-seo-661x425.png 661w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/short-descriptive-urls-are-best-for-seo-260x166.png 260w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/short-descriptive-urls-are-best-for-seo-768x493.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/short-descriptive-urls-are-best-for-seo-1536x987.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It only takes a few seconds to change this in most content management systems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"436\" class=\"wp-image-173787\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/you-can-change-url-structures-in-most-cmss-in-sec.gif\" alt=\"You can change URL structures in most CMS's in seconds\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re not sure what words or phrases to use, the main keyword you\u2019re targeting is usually a good bet. That\u2019s what we do on the Ahrefs blog 90% of the&nbsp;time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, our target keyword for this post is \u201con page SEO checklist,\u201d so that\u2019s what the post\u2019s URL&nbsp;is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1678\" height=\"928\" class=\"wp-image-173788\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/using-the-target-keyword-is-never-a-bad-idea-for-a.png\" alt=\"Using the target keyword is never a bad idea for a URL slug\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/using-the-target-keyword-is-never-a-bad-idea-for-a.png 1678w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/using-the-target-keyword-is-never-a-bad-idea-for-a-680x376.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/using-the-target-keyword-is-never-a-bad-idea-for-a-768x425.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/using-the-target-keyword-is-never-a-bad-idea-for-a-1536x849.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1678px) 100vw, 1678px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Few best practices to keep in&nbsp;mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Avoid repeating words.<\/strong> If your page is about mens shirts and it\u2019s nested in the \/mens\/ subfolder, you don\u2019t need to repeat the word \u201cmens.\u201d <code>domain.com\/mens\/shirts\/<\/code> is better than <code>domain.com\/mens\/mens-shirts\/<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Avoid dates.<\/strong> If a searcher comes across <code>domain.com\/blog\/2020\/fashion-tips\/<\/code> in 2026, they\u2019re going to assume it\u2019s out-of-date even if you updated the content yesterday. So <code>domain.com\/blog\/fashion-tips\/<\/code> would be better.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Avoid being too specific.<\/strong> If your URL is <code>domain.com\/blog\/20-best-fashion-tips\/<\/code>, it\u2019s going to look weird if you add more tips to your post later on. Using the less specific <code>domain.com\/blog\/best-fashion-tips\/<\/code> gives you more future freedom.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-friendly-urls\/\">How to Create SEO-Friendly URLs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Compelling title tag and meta description\" data-section=\"compelling-title-tag-and-meta-description\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_fmg2o7nq58d8\"><\/a>\u2611 Compelling title tag and meta description<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Google <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/advanced\/appearance\/title-link\">says<\/a> that title tags are often the main piece of information searchers use to decide which result to click on. If yours is boring and dull, you\u2019re probably not going to get as many clicks as you could\u2014even if you&nbsp;rank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s the same story for meta descriptions, which Google often uses for the descriptive snippet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1392\" class=\"wp-image-173789\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/pages-with-compelling-title-tags-and-meta-descript.png\" alt=\"Pages with compelling title tags and meta descriptions get more clicks\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/pages-with-compelling-title-tags-and-meta-descript.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/pages-with-compelling-title-tags-and-meta-descript-489x425.png 489w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/pages-with-compelling-title-tags-and-meta-descript-768x668.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/pages-with-compelling-title-tags-and-meta-descript-1536x1336.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no one-size-fits-all approach for title tags, but the ABC formula is a decent starting point for blog&nbsp;posts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"346\" class=\"wp-image-173790\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-the-abc-formula-to-craft-more-compelling-title.png\" alt=\"Use the ABC formula to craft more compelling title tags\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-the-abc-formula-to-craft-more-compelling-title.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-the-abc-formula-to-craft-more-compelling-title-680x131.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-the-abc-formula-to-craft-more-compelling-title-768x148.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-the-abc-formula-to-craft-more-compelling-title-1536x295.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For your meta description, my best advice is to try to expand on your title tag to give searchers more detail and context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re struggling or just want a fast solution, give <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/writing-tools\/seo-title-generator\">our free AI title tag generator<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/writing-tools\/meta-description-generator\">meta description generator<\/a> a shot. Tell the tools what your page is about and your desired writing tone and they\u2019ll generate a few options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"710\" height=\"342\" class=\"wp-image-173791\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-ahrefs-free-ai-and-meta-description-generator.gif\" alt=\"Use Ahrefs' free AI and meta description generators to craft compelling copy in seconds\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember to keep them both short and sweet, too. If they\u2019re too long, they\u2019ll get cut off in search. This looks odd and makes them less compelling. You can use a free tool like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highervisibility.com\/seo\/tools\/serp-snippet-optimizer\/\">this one <\/a>to check for truncation before publishing, or Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-audit\">Site Audit<\/a> to find all the issues on your&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/title-tag-seo\/\">How To Write Title Tags for&nbsp;SEO<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/meta-description\/\">How to Write the Perfect Meta Description<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Title wrapped in H1\" data-section=\"title-wrapped-in h1\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_8wl95xmzvekf\"><\/a>\u2611 Title wrapped in&nbsp;H1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Google <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/style\/headings\">recommends<\/a> using one <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/h1-tag\/\">H1 tag<\/a> per page. It makes sense to use this for your page title as H1 is the highest level heading there&nbsp;is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most content management systems do this automatically, but you can double-check your title is indeed a H1 for free using <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo-toolbar\">Ahrefs SEO toolbar<\/a>. Just click the Content tab:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1766\" height=\"1242\" class=\"wp-image-173792\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-the-ahrefs-seo-toolbar-to-check-the-structure.png\" alt=\"Use the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar to check the structure of your content\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-the-ahrefs-seo-toolbar-to-check-the-structure.png 1766w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-the-ahrefs-seo-toolbar-to-check-the-structure-604x425.png 604w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-the-ahrefs-seo-toolbar-to-check-the-structure-768x540.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-the-ahrefs-seo-toolbar-to-check-the-structure-1536x1080.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1766px) 100vw, 1766px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If the copy you\u2019d expect to be wrapped in a H1 tag isn\u2019t, hit up your developer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/h1-tag\/\">H1 Tag SEO Best Practices<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Gets to the point fast\" data-section=\"gets-to-the-point fast\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_s6u7nwg6po9p\"><\/a>\u2611 Gets to the point&nbsp;fast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>People want what you promised them in your title and meta description, so don\u2019t kick things off with a load of fluff. Get straight to the point and give the reader what they came for in the first sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no one-size-fits-all way to do this. It all depends on what searchers are looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, when people search for \u201ctoxic backlinks,\u201d they\u2019re overwhelmingly looking for a definition above all else. That\u2019s why I made the very first paragraph of my article the definition:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1328\" height=\"746\" class=\"wp-image-173793\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/people-have-short-attention-spans-get-to-the-poin.png\" alt=\"People have short attention spans; get to the point fast\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/people-have-short-attention-spans-get-to-the-poin.png 1328w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/people-have-short-attention-spans-get-to-the-poin-680x382.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/people-have-short-attention-spans-get-to-the-poin-768x431.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1328px) 100vw, 1328px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But when people search for \u201cbest snow blower,\u201d they just want a recommendation\u2014so that\u2019s what Wirecutter gives them in the first paragraph:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1394\" height=\"522\" class=\"wp-image-173794\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/wirecutter-is-great-at-getting-to-the-point-in-the.png\" alt=\"Wirecutter is great at getting to the point in their intros\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/wirecutter-is-great-at-getting-to-the-point-in-the.png 1394w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/wirecutter-is-great-at-getting-to-the-point-in-the-680x255.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/wirecutter-is-great-at-getting-to-the-point-in-the-768x288.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1394px) 100vw, 1394px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div> I think Wirecutter\u2019s opening paragraph could be even better because there\u2019s no point in that first sentence. If you\u2019re searching for \u201cbest snow blower,\u201d you already know the benefits of the product. You just want to know which one is&nbsp;best!<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Descriptive subheadings\" data-section=\"descriptive-subheadings\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_sckdguui32br\"><\/a>\u2611 Descriptive subheadings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Google\u2019s John Mueller <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QG2BoWRhb0k&amp;t=2168s\">said<\/a> that the search giant uses headings to help better understand the content on a page. This is why you need to make sure they\u2019re clear and descriptive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s easy to miss the mark here. We\u2019ve even been guilty of it ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, look at these two subheadings from <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/blogging-tips\/\">our list of blogging tips<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1314\" height=\"340\" class=\"wp-image-173795\" style=\"width: 456px; height: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/some-of-our-rather-cryptic-subheadings-from-our-li.png\" alt=\"Some of our rather cryptic subheadings from our list of blogging tips\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/some-of-our-rather-cryptic-subheadings-from-our-li.png 1314w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/some-of-our-rather-cryptic-subheadings-from-our-li-680x176.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/some-of-our-rather-cryptic-subheadings-from-our-li-768x199.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1314px) 100vw, 1314px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you have any idea what those mean at first glance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Me neither. And many of the other subheadings in our post were also unclear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you suspect the same might be true for your subheadings, try this: ask ChatGPT to rewrite them for clarity. If you\u2019re using ChatGPT or Claude with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/mcp\" data-href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/mcp\">Ahrefs MCP<\/a>, you can even pull live keyword data while refining your subheadings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"226\" class=\"wp-image-173796\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/asking-chatgpt-to-rewrite-subheadings-for-clarity.png\" alt=\"Asking ChatGPT to rewrite subheadings for clarity\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/asking-chatgpt-to-rewrite-subheadings-for-clarity.png 1016w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/asking-chatgpt-to-rewrite-subheadings-for-clarity-680x151.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/asking-chatgpt-to-rewrite-subheadings-for-clarity-768x171.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is exactly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zlNIHl92b3k\">what Sam did<\/a> for our post, and it made them much clearer in seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, \u201cCreate a \u2018Do 100\u2019 project\u201d became \u201cStart a \u2018write 100 blog posts\u2019 project\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"632\" height=\"136\" class=\"wp-image-173797\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-a-subheading-rewritten-by-chatgpt.png\" alt=\"Example of a subheading rewritten by ChatGPT\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure your subheadings have proper hierarchy, too. It helps Google to understand the structure and makes it easier to skim for readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1478\" class=\"wp-image-173798\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/headings-improve-user-experience-by-creating-hiera.png\" alt=\"Headings improve user experience by creating hierarchy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/headings-improve-user-experience-by-creating-hiera.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/headings-improve-user-experience-by-creating-hiera-460x425.png 460w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/headings-improve-user-experience-by-creating-hiera-768x709.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/headings-improve-user-experience-by-creating-hiera-1536x1419.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Aligns with search intent\" data-section=\"aligns-with-search-intent\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_vqipgkjlio6t\"><\/a>\u2611 Aligns with search intent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Search intent is the reason behind the search. Unless your page aligns with intent and gives searchers what they\u2019re looking for, your chances of ranking high are slim to&nbsp;none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To show just how important this is, look at this&nbsp;graph:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1444\" height=\"682\" class=\"wp-image-173799\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/our-rankings-for-backlink-checker-shot-up-after.png\" alt=\"Our rankings for &quot;backlink checker&quot; shot up after we matched search intent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/our-rankings-for-backlink-checker-shot-up-after.png 1444w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/our-rankings-for-backlink-checker-shot-up-after-680x321.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/our-rankings-for-backlink-checker-shot-up-after-768x363.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1444px) 100vw, 1444px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This shows our ranking position for the keyword \u201cbacklink checker\u201d over time. You can see that in late 2018, we suddenly went from struggling to rank higher than position #5 to consistently ranking #1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How? By optimizing our page for search intent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what the page looked like before:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1745\" class=\"wp-image-173800\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/our-original-backlink-checker-landing-page.jpg\" alt=\"Our original &quot;backlink checker&quot; landing page\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/our-original-backlink-checker-landing-page.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/our-original-backlink-checker-landing-page-499x425.jpg 499w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/our-original-backlink-checker-landing-page-768x654.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/our-original-backlink-checker-landing-page-1536x1309.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what it looks like&nbsp;now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"909\" class=\"wp-image-173801\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/our-current-backlink-checker-landing-page.png\" alt=\"Our current &quot;backlink checker&quot; landing page\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/our-current-backlink-checker-landing-page.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/our-current-backlink-checker-landing-page-680x302.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/our-current-backlink-checker-landing-page-768x341.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/our-current-backlink-checker-landing-page-1536x682.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Minor design tweaks aside, there\u2019s one important difference: there\u2019s now a free backlink checker embedded. Before it just asked visitors to start a trial of our SEO software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By catering to what searchers actually wanted, we improved the page\u2019s rankings and its estimated search traffic from ~18K to ~215K monthly visits. That\u2019s a 12X improvement!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1414\" height=\"704\" class=\"wp-image-173802\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/traffic-increased-by-12x-when-we-improved-search-i.png\" alt=\"Traffic increased by 12X when we improved search intent. That's huge!\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/traffic-increased-by-12x-when-we-improved-search-i.png 1414w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/traffic-increased-by-12x-when-we-improved-search-i-680x339.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/traffic-increased-by-12x-when-we-improved-search-i-768x382.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/traffic-increased-by-12x-when-we-improved-search-i-400x200.png 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1414px) 100vw, 1414px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But how did we know what searchers wanted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back then, we had to do a manual analysis of the top search results. While you can still do that, it\u2019s much easier just to click the \u201cIdentify intents\u201d button in Keywords Explorer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"878\" height=\"404\" class=\"wp-image-173803\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-the-identify-intents-button-in-keywords-expl.png\" alt=\"Use the &quot;Identify intents&quot; button in Keywords Explorer to quickly understand what searchers are looking for\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-the-identify-intents-button-in-keywords-expl.png 878w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-the-identify-intents-button-in-keywords-expl-680x313.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-the-identify-intents-button-in-keywords-expl-768x353.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 878px) 100vw, 878px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This uses the power of AI to analyze the top search results and tell you what searchers are looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-intent\/\">How to Optimize for Search Intent<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Covers the topic in full\" data-section=\"covers-the-topic-in full\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_k3xmbdd28u0a\"><\/a>\u2611 Covers the topic in&nbsp;full<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Broadly aligning your content with search intent isn\u2019t enough. It should also cover the topic in full to tell searchers everything they want to know. This can help it rank for more keywords and bring more traffic as a result, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To find what searchers are looking for, look for common subtopics among top-ranking pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a few ways you can do&nbsp;this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_4vwl9bddxjhb\"><\/a>Manually check the top-ranking pages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Search for your target keyword in Google, open a few top-ranking pages, and eyeball them for commonalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, many top results for \u201cbest running shoes for flat feet\u201d give a budget option:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"583\" class=\"wp-image-173804\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/many-first-page-results-for-best-running-shoes-fo.gif\" alt=\"Many first-page results for &quot;best running shoes for flat feet&quot; talk about the best budget option\n\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_jibkp3nuxij0\"><\/a>Check the keyword rankings of top-ranking pages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Pages often rank for keywords related to the subtopics they cover. If you see many top pages ranking for these keywords, it\u2019s probably an important subtopic to&nbsp;cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to find these keywords:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to the Competitive Analysis tool in Ahrefs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter your page\u2019s URL in the \u201cThis target doesn\u2019t rank for\u201d field. (If you haven\u2019t published your page yet, enter the URL you plan to&nbsp;use.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter the URLs of a few similar top-ranking pages in the \u201cBut these competitors do\u201d fields<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Look for keywords that represent subtopics<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the top three results for \u201cbest running shoes for flat feet\u201d also rank in the top 10 for many keywords related to men and women\u2019s shoes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"790\" height=\"684\" class=\"wp-image-173805\" style=\"width: 564px; height: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/keyword-rankings-for-top-ranking-pages-often-revea.png\" alt=\"Keyword rankings for top-ranking pages often reveal important subtopics\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/keyword-rankings-for-top-ranking-pages-often-revea.png 790w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/keyword-rankings-for-top-ranking-pages-often-revea-491x425.png 491w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/keyword-rankings-for-top-ranking-pages-often-revea-768x665.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 790px) 100vw, 790px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This tells you that the best picks for men and women is an important subtopic to include.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_hp6giws6i1z6\"><\/a>Find subtopics with the help of&nbsp;AI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"198\">The AI Content Grader in Ahrefs finds \u201cmissing\u201d subtopics by comparing your content against the top-ranking pages for your target keyword.<\/p>\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"200\">To use it, just enter your target keyword and your page\u2019s URL. (If you haven\u2019t published your page yet, enter the URL you plan to&nbsp;use).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, here\u2019s one of its suggestions for the keyword \u201cbest running shoes for flat&nbsp;feet\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"732\" height=\"576\" class=\"wp-image-173806\" style=\"width: 475px; height: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/ai-suggestions-for-subtopics-to-include-via-ahref.png\" alt=\"AI suggestions for subtopics to include, via Ahrefs' Content Grader\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/ai-suggestions-for-subtopics-to-include-via-ahref.png 732w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/ai-suggestions-for-subtopics-to-include-via-ahref-540x425.png 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Has 'information gain'\" data-section=\"information-gain\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_365l74fp8tas\"><\/a>\u2611 Has \u201cinformation gain\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Information gain is a measure of how unique your content is. Google describes a mechanism for scoring this in <a href=\"https:\/\/patents.google.com\/patent\/US11354342B2\/en\">a patent<\/a> granted in June&nbsp;2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two months later, in August 2022, Google launched the <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/blog\/2022\/08\/helpful-content-update\">helpful content update<\/a>, which they described as \u201cpart of a broader effort to ensure people see more original, helpful content written by people, for people, in search results.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are these two things related? Nobody knows. But what we do know is that <strong>Google cares about the originality of your content, and almost certainly has mechanisms in place for identifying it.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that covering what other top-ranking pages cover isn\u2019t enough for a well-optimized page. It also <em>needs<\/em> to bring something new and valuable to the&nbsp;table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, my colleague Chris collected data on how folks deal with low-quality backlinks for <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/remove-backlinks\/\">his post on removing backlinks<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1378\" height=\"976\" class=\"wp-image-173807\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/research-chris-did-for-his-post-on-removing-backli.png\" alt=\"Research Chris did for his post on removing backlinks\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/research-chris-did-for-his-post-on-removing-backli.png 1378w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/research-chris-did-for-his-post-on-removing-backli-600x425.png 600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/research-chris-did-for-his-post-on-removing-backli-768x544.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1378px) 100vw, 1378px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ryan interviewed three B2B marketers for unique insights for <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/b2b-content-marketing\/\">his post on B2B content marketing<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1344\" height=\"562\" class=\"wp-image-173808\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/research-ryan-did-for-his-post-on-b2b-content-mark.png\" alt=\"Research Ryan did for his post on B2B content marketing\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/research-ryan-did-for-his-post-on-b2b-content-mark.png 1344w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/research-ryan-did-for-his-post-on-b2b-content-mark-680x284.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/research-ryan-did-for-his-post-on-b2b-content-mark-768x321.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1344px) 100vw, 1344px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And I worked with Patrick Stox to create an interactive workflow and template for <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-audit\/\">my content audit guide<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"896\" height=\"543\" class=\"wp-image-173809\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/template-i-made-for-my-post-on-how-to-do-a-content.gif\" alt=\"Template I made for my post on how to do a content audit\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>None of these posts are completely unique. They contain plenty of information that you can probably find elsewhere\u2014and that\u2019s fine. What matters is that we\u2019re bringing at least <em>something<\/em> new to the&nbsp;table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Showcases your experience and expertise\" data-section=\"experience-and-expertise\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_ta9ffmqaqv11\"><\/a>\u2611 Showcases your experience and expertise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Google\u2019s algorithms are designed to surface content that demonstrates <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/eeat-seo\/\">E-E-A-T<\/a>: Experience, Expertise, Authority, and&nbsp;Trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re an expert in your field or crafted your content from personal experience, your page already has E-E-A-T. But searchers aren\u2019t going to know that without reading it, so you should try to showcase it as obviously as you can on the page. Let\u2019s look at two ways to do&nbsp;this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_bztqsdefu3ae\"><\/a>Flash your credentials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Healthline does this extremely well. The very first thing you see on their page about rheumatoid arthritis is that the content was reviewed by a rheumatologist:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"492\" class=\"wp-image-173810\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/healthline-flashes-authors-credentials-right-in-t.png\" alt=\"Healthline flashes author's credentials right in the intro\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/healthline-flashes-authors-credentials-right-in-t.png 1024w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/healthline-flashes-authors-credentials-right-in-t-680x327.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/healthline-flashes-authors-credentials-right-in-t-768x369.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_p1b1ryb5tq4\"><\/a>Put your uniqueness front and center<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve put time and effort into adding \u201cinformation gain\u201d to your content, don\u2019t bury it. Make sure searchers see it right away so they know they can trust&nbsp;you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, to curate our list of the best Facebook groups for SEOs, we asked the 12K+ members of our customer-only group to vote for their favorites. Instead of burying this fact deep in the post, we highlighted it in the very first paragraph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1012\" height=\"358\" class=\"wp-image-173811\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/always-put-your-uniqueness-front-and-center.png\" alt=\"Always put your uniqueness front and center\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/always-put-your-uniqueness-front-and-center.png 1012w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/always-put-your-uniqueness-front-and-center-680x241.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/always-put-your-uniqueness-front-and-center-768x272.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1012px) 100vw, 1012px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"\/blog\/eeat-seo\/\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/eat-seo\/\">Why EEAT Is Important for&nbsp;SEO<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Good readability\" data-section=\"readability\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_weydy5bnmm38\"><\/a>\u2611 Good readability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For a page to earn backlinks (which are a strong ranking factor) and shares, people have to actually consume the content. This isn\u2019t going to happen if the copy is hard to&nbsp;read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use free tools like <a href=\"https:\/\/hemingwayapp.com\/\">Hemingway<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grammarly.com\/\">Grammarly<\/a> to fix&nbsp;this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, Hemingway gives my recent guide to toxic backlinks a reading grade level of&nbsp;7:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1586\" height=\"760\" class=\"wp-image-173812\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-tools-like-hemingway-and-grammarly-to-improve.jpg\" alt=\"Use tools like Hemingway and Grammarly to improve readability\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-tools-like-hemingway-and-grammarly-to-improve.jpg 1586w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-tools-like-hemingway-and-grammarly-to-improve-680x326.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-tools-like-hemingway-and-grammarly-to-improve-768x368.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/use-tools-like-hemingway-and-grammarly-to-improve-1536x736.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1586px) 100vw, 1586px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Given that <a href=\"https:\/\/map.barbarabush.org\/\">54% of Americans lack literacy proficiency<\/a> (essentially reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level), this means we\u2019re alienating at least 46% of readers. If we could bring the reading grade level down, more people would be able to read&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div> This isn\u2019t absolutely necessary for every topic. It depends on who your audience is. If they\u2019re technical folks, don\u2019t worry about it. But if you\u2019re publishing content for the masses, accessibility matters.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few more tips to improve readability:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use short sentences and paragraphs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use bulleted lists<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use images<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Passes Core Web Vitals\" data-section=\"passes-core-web-vitals\">\n<h2 id=\"-passes-core-web-vitals\" class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"275\">\u2611 Passes Core Web Vitals<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"277\">Core Web Vitals are Google\u2019s metrics for measuring real user experience on your page. They directly influence how search engines evaluate page quality\u2014and in 2025, Google increased the weight of these signals.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"277\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/1-page-experience-signals.jpg\" alt=\"Google's Page Experience signals include https, no intrusive interstitials, mobile-friendliness, and core web vitals\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"279\">There are three metrics to care&nbsp;about:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"281\">\n<li class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"281\"><strong>LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): <\/strong>How fast your main content loads. Aim for under 2.5 seconds.<\/li>\n<li class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"282\"><strong>INP (Interaction to Next Paint):<\/strong>&nbsp;How quickly your page responds when users click or tap. Aim for under 200ms. (This replaced FID in March&nbsp;2024.)<\/li>\n<li class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"283\"><strong>CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): <\/strong>How stable your page is while loading. Aim for under 0.1.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"285\">You can check your Core Web Vitals for free in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pagespeed.web.dev\/\" data-href=\"https:\/\/pagespeed.web.dev\/\">PageSpeed Insights<\/a>&nbsp;or in Ahrefs\u2019&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-audit\" data-href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-audit\">Site Audit<\/a>, which flags pages with issues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"287\">Quick wins to improve performance:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"289\">\n<li class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"289\">Compress and lazy-load images<\/li>\n<li class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"290\">Use a&nbsp;CDN<\/li>\n<li class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"291\">Minimize JavaScript that blocks rendering<\/li>\n<li class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"292\">Set explicit dimensions on images and embeds to prevent layout shifts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"294\">When two pages have similar content relevance, the one with better Core Web Vitals ranks higher. Don\u2019t skip&nbsp;this.<\/p>\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"296\"><\/p><div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n<ul class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"297\">\n<li class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"297\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/core-web-vitals\/\" data-href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/core-web-vitals\/\">Core Web Vitals: A Complete Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Optimized for AI search\" data-section=\"optimized-for-ai-search\">\n<h2 id=\"-optimized-for-ai-search\" class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"299\">\u2611 Optimized for AI search<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"301\">In 2026, your content doesn\u2019t just need to rank in traditional search\u2014it also needs to be citable by AI systems like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"303\">This is sometimes called GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), and while it\u2019s still evolving, a few principles are&nbsp;clear:<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"structure-content-clearly\" class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"305\">Structure content clearly<\/h3>\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"307\">AI systems parse your content to generate answers. Use clear headings, short paragraphs, and bulleted lists so your information is easy to extract.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"307\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/word-image-191075-9.png\" alt=\"Side-by-side comparison of two webpage layouts showing content structure differences. The left layout (marked with red X) shows mixed content blocks with blue headers, light blue text sections, green highlighted areas, and orange sections scattered throughout in a less organized manner. The right layout (marked with green checkmark) displays a more structured approach with blue headers at the top, followed by organized green content blocks, then blue sections, and orange content at the bottom, demonstrating better visual hierarchy and organization.\"><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"be-factually-accurate-and-cite-sources\" class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"309\">Be factually accurate and cite up-to-date sources<\/h3>\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"311\">LLMs prioritize content they can verify. Include data points, statistics, and links to authoritative sources (and <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/do-ai-assistants-prefer-to-cite-fresh-content\/\">update content when it needs it<\/a>). This is also good E-E-A-T practice.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"answer-questions-directly\" class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"313\">Answer questions directly<\/h3>\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"315\">If your content addresses a common question, answer it concisely at the start\u2014then elaborate. This \u201cinverted pyramid\u201d style makes your content more likely to be cited in AI-generated responses.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"use-structured-data\" class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"317\">Use structured data<\/h3>\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"319\">Schema markup (covered below) <em>might<\/em> help AI systems understand what your content is about. Schema like Recipe, FAQ, and HowTo are certainly useful in traditional search, so there\u2019s no downside.<\/p>\n<p class=\"code-line\" dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"321\">The good news: most of what makes content good for AI search is already good for traditional SEO. Focus on clear, accurate, well-structured content, and you\u2019ll be&nbsp;fine.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"321\"><\/p><div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"auto\" data-line=\"321\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/llm-search\/\">What We Actually Know About Optimizing for LLM Search<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Optimized for featured snippets\" data-section=\"featured-snippets\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_3hzt2ke2d862\"><\/a>\u2611 Optimized for featured snippets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Featured snippets give searchers a short answer right in the search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1378\" class=\"wp-image-173813\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/featured-snippets-in-search-results.jpg\" alt=\"Featured snippets in search results\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/featured-snippets-in-search-results.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/featured-snippets-in-search-results-493x425.jpg 493w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/featured-snippets-in-search-results-768x661.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/featured-snippets-in-search-results-1536x1323.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But here\u2019s the cool thing: Google pulls the snippet from one of the top-ranking pages. This means that if your page already ranks in the top 10 for keywords where Google shows a featured snippet, there might be an opportunity to steal it without much effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is exactly what I managed to do a couple of months ago, which led to a ~38.9% jump in estimated search traffic to our&nbsp;page:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1146\" height=\"272\" class=\"wp-image-173814\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/traffic-improvement-of-38-9-by-optimizing-for-fea.png\" alt=\"Traffic improvement of 38.9% by optimizing for featured snippets\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/traffic-improvement-of-38-9-by-optimizing-for-fea.png 1146w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/traffic-improvement-of-38-9-by-optimizing-for-fea-680x161.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/traffic-improvement-of-38-9-by-optimizing-for-fea-768x182.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1146px) 100vw, 1146px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what happened:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>, I used the <strong>Organic Keywords<\/strong> report to find the page\u2019s top 10 keyword rankings with featured snippets we didn\u2019t own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1732\" height=\"1084\" class=\"wp-image-173815\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-find-featured-snippet-opportunities.jpg\" alt=\"How to find featured snippet opportunities\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-find-featured-snippet-opportunities.jpg 1732w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-find-featured-snippet-opportunities-680x425.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-find-featured-snippet-opportunities-768x481.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-find-featured-snippet-opportunities-1536x961.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1732px) 100vw, 1732px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Right away, I noticed a trend: many of the keywords were people searching for the most searched thing in Google (singular) rather than a list of top searches (plural):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"896\" height=\"968\" class=\"wp-image-173816\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-an-obvious-opportunity-to-optimize-for.png\" alt=\"Example of an obvious opportunity to optimize for featured snippets\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-an-obvious-opportunity-to-optimize-for.png 896w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-an-obvious-opportunity-to-optimize-for-393x425.png 393w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-an-obvious-opportunity-to-optimize-for-768x830.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 896px) 100vw, 896px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>After searching for a few of these keywords in Google, I saw that the snippet was pretty much always pulled from this very short paragraph in a competing post:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1273\" height=\"220\" class=\"wp-image-173817\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-copy-google-was-using-for-a-featured-sn.png\" alt=\"Example of copy Google was using for a featured snippet\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-copy-google-was-using-for-a-featured-sn.png 1273w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-copy-google-was-using-for-a-featured-sn-680x118.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-copy-google-was-using-for-a-featured-sn-768x133.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1273px) 100vw, 1273px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>So\u2026 I added a similar paragraph to our post (using <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/big-data\">our data<\/a> instead):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"232\" class=\"wp-image-173818\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/the-copy-i-added-to-our-page-to-optimize-for-featu.png\" alt=\"The copy I added to our page to optimize for featured snippets\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/the-copy-i-added-to-our-page-to-optimize-for-featu.png 1320w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/the-copy-i-added-to-our-page-to-optimize-for-featu-680x120.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/the-copy-i-added-to-our-page-to-optimize-for-featu-768x135.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1320px) 100vw, 1320px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This quick big of on-page SEO won our page 163 more featured snippets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1082\" height=\"468\" class=\"wp-image-173819\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/results-of-optimizing-163-more-featured-snippets.png\" alt=\"Results of optimizing - 163 more featured snippets\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/results-of-optimizing-163-more-featured-snippets.png 1082w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/results-of-optimizing-163-more-featured-snippets-680x294.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/results-of-optimizing-163-more-featured-snippets-768x332.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1082px) 100vw, 1082px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/featured-snippets\/\">Featured Snippets: A Shortcut to the Top of Google<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Optimized images\" data-section=\"optimized-images\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_cz0b2nkxa852\"><\/a>\u2611 Optimized images<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Images on your page can rank in Google Images and send you more traffic. There are three things you need to do to optimize them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_mcu5dmq9gj21\"><\/a>Filenames are descriptive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/advanced\/guidelines\/google-images\">says<\/a> that these give clues about the subject matter, so avoid random file names like IMG_5497.jpg in favor of something short and descriptive like brown-dog.jpg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1174\" class=\"wp-image-173820\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-name-image-files-for-seo.png\" alt=\"How to name image files for SEO\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-name-image-files-for-seo.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-name-image-files-for-seo-579x425.png 579w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-name-image-files-for-seo-768x564.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-name-image-files-for-seo-1536x1127.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_nyj3wlv7i33h\"><\/a>Alt text is present and descriptive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google also <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/advanced\/guidelines\/google-images\">says<\/a> that image alt text helps them understand subject matter, so the same rules apply as filenames: keep them short and descriptive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1306\" class=\"wp-image-173821\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-write-alt-text-for-seo.png\" alt=\"How to write alt text for SEO\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-write-alt-text-for-seo.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-write-alt-text-for-seo-521x425.png 521w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-write-alt-text-for-seo-768x627.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-write-alt-text-for-seo-1536x1254.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Most content management systems have a place to add alt text in the UI, so there\u2019s no need to mess around with&nbsp;HTML:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1562\" height=\"550\" class=\"wp-image-173822\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/most-cmss-make-it-easy-to-add-alt-text.png\" alt=\"Most CMS's make it easy to add alt text\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/most-cmss-make-it-easy-to-add-alt-text.png 1562w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/most-cmss-make-it-easy-to-add-alt-text-680x239.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/most-cmss-make-it-easy-to-add-alt-text-768x270.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/most-cmss-make-it-easy-to-add-alt-text-1536x541.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1562px) 100vw, 1562px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_8tz2oq8kkum9\"><\/a>Images are compressed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Compressed images are smaller and faster to load. Some platforms like Shopify <a href=\"https:\/\/help.shopify.com\/en\/manual\/online-store\/images\/theme-images\">claim<\/a> to do this automatically, but the results aren\u2019t always great. It\u2019s generally better to employ the help of a plugin like TinyIMG or Shortpixel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/image-seo\/\">Image SEO&nbsp;Guide<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/alt-text\/\">How to Optimize Alt Text for&nbsp;SEO<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Internal links to other pages\" data-section=\"internally-links\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_1soteqv7bghf\"><\/a>\u2611 Internal links <em>to<\/em> other&nbsp;pages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/internal-links-for-seo\/\">Internal links<\/a> are links from one page on your site to another. They help Google understand what a page is about and boost its authority, which can lead to higher rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For this reason, when you publish a new page, it pays to internally link from there to other relevant pages. This won\u2019t help the new page\u2019s rankings, but it might help the rankings of the pages you internally link&nbsp;to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To find relevant opportunities, use Ahrefs\u2019 Site&nbsp;Audit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to the <strong>Internal Link Opportunities<\/strong> tool<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter the URL of your newly-published page in the search box<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose \u201cSource page\u201d from the dropdown<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1384\" height=\"726\" class=\"wp-image-173823\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-find-internal-linking-opportunities.png\" alt=\"How to find internal linking opportunities\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-find-internal-linking-opportunities.png 1384w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-find-internal-linking-opportunities-680x357.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-find-internal-linking-opportunities-768x403.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1384px) 100vw, 1384px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div> Site Audit needs to have crawled your site since you published the new page, otherwise this won\u2019t&nbsp;work.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Pay attention to these columns:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Source page<\/strong> \u2192 your newly-published page, where you will add the&nbsp;link<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keyword context<\/strong> \u2192 where on the page to add the&nbsp;link<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Target page<\/strong> \u2192 where to link&nbsp;to<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, here the report is suggesting that I link from my post on toxic backlinks to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/bad-links\/\">our bad links guide<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1950\" height=\"178\" class=\"wp-image-173824\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-an-internal-linking-opportunity.png\" alt=\"Example of an internal linking opportunity\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-an-internal-linking-opportunity.png 1950w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-an-internal-linking-opportunity-680x62.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-an-internal-linking-opportunity-768x70.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-an-internal-linking-opportunity-1536x140.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1950px) 100vw, 1950px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/internal-links-for-seo\/\">Internal Links for&nbsp;SEO<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Useful links to external resources\" data-section=\"external-links\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_45qhdb7w3tbt\"><\/a>\u2611 Useful links to external resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Citing valuable resources is helpful for readers. Even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=58zaiOx7TM4&amp;t=25s\">Google says so<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Does that mean it\u2019s a \u201cranking factor?\u201d No. But it does improve your content\u2019s credibility with readers, and that can impact things that do matter like links and shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is something we regularly do on the Ahrefs blog:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1132\" height=\"698\" class=\"wp-image-173825\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-us-linking-to-sources-on-the-ahrefs-blo.png\" alt=\"Example of us linking to sources on the Ahrefs blog\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-us-linking-to-sources-on-the-ahrefs-blo.png 1132w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-us-linking-to-sources-on-the-ahrefs-blo-680x419.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-of-us-linking-to-sources-on-the-ahrefs-blo-768x474.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1132px) 100vw, 1132px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Internal links from other pages\" data-section=\"has-internal-links\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_3was4vgndmw6\"><\/a>\u2611 Internal links <em>from<\/em> other&nbsp;pages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re trying to boost the rankings of the page you\u2019re optimizing, you\u2019ll want to add internal links to it from other pages on your&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To find relevant opportunities, use Ahrefs\u2019 Site&nbsp;Audit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to the <strong>Page Explorer<\/strong> tool<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter your target keyword (or part of it) in the search box<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose \u201cPage text\u201d from the dropdown<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1144\" height=\"580\" class=\"wp-image-173826\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-find-internal-linking-opportunities-on-othe.png\" alt=\"How to find internal linking opportunities on other pages\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-find-internal-linking-opportunities-on-othe.png 1144w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-find-internal-linking-opportunities-on-othe-680x345.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/how-to-find-internal-linking-opportunities-on-othe-768x389.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1144px) 100vw, 1144px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This will find pages on your site that mention your target keyword, which may be good places to add internal links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, it tells us that <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/remove-backlinks\/\">our guide to removing backlinks<\/a> mentions the word \u201ctoxic\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"986\" height=\"214\" class=\"wp-image-173827\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-internal-linking-opportunity.png\" alt=\"Example internal linking opportunity\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-internal-linking-opportunity.png 986w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-internal-linking-opportunity-680x148.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/example-internal-linking-opportunity-768x167.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 986px) 100vw, 986px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If we search that page, this is the mention:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1334\" height=\"370\" class=\"wp-image-173828\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/perfect-place-to-add-an-internal-link.png\" alt=\"Perfect place to add an internal link\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/perfect-place-to-add-an-internal-link.png 1334w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/perfect-place-to-add-an-internal-link-680x189.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/perfect-place-to-add-an-internal-link-768x213.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1334px) 100vw, 1334px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That looks like the perfect place to internally link to our guide to toxic backlinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Relevant schema markup\" data-section=\"schema-markup\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_5dz9h8a2vrae\"><\/a>\u2611 Relevant schema markup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/schema-markup\/\">Schema markup<\/a> is code that helps search engines understand the information on a page. It also powers many <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/rich-snippets\/\">rich snippets<\/a> you see in Google, which can lead to more clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"890\" class=\"wp-image-173829\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/what-rich-results-look-like.png\" alt=\"What rich results look like\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/what-rich-results-look-like.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/what-rich-results-look-like-680x296.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/what-rich-results-look-like-768x334.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/what-rich-results-look-like-1536x668.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re not sure whether schema markup is worth prioritizing for your page, search for your main target keyword in Google and look at the top results. If all or many are rich results, it\u2019s probably worth adding it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1412\" height=\"828\" class=\"wp-image-173830\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/most-of-the-results-for-this-term-show-rich-snippe.jpg\" alt=\"Most of the results for this term show rich snippets, so it's probably worth optimizing for them\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/most-of-the-results-for-this-term-show-rich-snippe.jpg 1412w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/most-of-the-results-for-this-term-show-rich-snippe-680x399.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/most-of-the-results-for-this-term-show-rich-snippe-768x450.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1412px) 100vw, 1412px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you use WordPress, you can easily add schema with a plugin like Yoast or RankMath. Alternatively, use a tool like <a href=\"https:\/\/technicalseo.com\/tools\/schema-markup-generator\/\">Merkle\u2019s Schema Markup Generator<\/a> to generate the JSON-LD code yourself and add it manually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/schema-markup\/\">Schema Markup: What It Is &amp; How to Implement It<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-173784-_shywbwrmrgz5\"><\/a>Keep learning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out even more of our on-page SEO resources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/on-page-seo\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/on-page-seo\/\">Beginner\u2019s Guide to On-Page SEO<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/seo-content\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-content\/\">Beginner\u2019s Guide to SEO Content<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-intent\/\">How to Optimize for Search Intent<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even better, many on-page improvements are super quick and easy to&nbsp;do. Follow this checklist for perfect on-page SEO every&nbsp;time: If you\u2019re looking for a reusable interactive checklist to use time and time again, here are a few other formats Let\u2019s<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[413],"tags":[],"coauthors":[336],"class_list":["post-173784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-on-page-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Comprehensive On-Page SEO Checklist for 2026<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Help Google understand what your page is about and show it to as many people as possible.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/on-page-seo-checklist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Comprehensive On-Page SEO Checklist for 2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Tick, tick. 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