---
title: "On-page and content audit checklist"
slug: "on-page-audit-checklist"
category: "seo"
tags: ["seo", "audit", "checklist", "on-page", "content-quality", "internal-linking"]
status: "stable"
last_updated: 2026-09-27
summary: "Pass-fail tables for the on-page, content quality, and internal linking parts of an SEO audit: headings, titles, meta descriptions, alt text, originality, AI-draft review, and link depth."
related: ["[[seo/audit-checklist]]", "[[seo/title-tags]]", "[[seo/internal-linking]]", "[[seo/helpful-content-update]]", "[[seo/e-e-a-t]]", "[[seo/site-architecture]]", "[[seo/ai-content-policies]]"]
---

## Overview

The technical half of an audit asks whether Google can crawl and render the site; this half asks whether each page deserves to rank once it is crawled. It holds the three content-side categories of the [[seo/audit-checklist|master SEO audit checklist]]: on-page elements, content quality, and internal linking. Run them in the same quick and quarterly passes described there.

Treat each row as pass-fail. The length ranges, the three-click depth, and the five-page section size are house targets, not published Google thresholds; Google rewrites titles and snippets as it sees fit and has no character limit rule.

## Check the on-page elements on every template

The per-page elements that decide whether a page can rank for its target query.

| Check | Pass if | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| One `<h1>` per page | Exactly one; matches page intent | View source |
| Heading order | H2 to H3 to H4 with no skips | axe DevTools |
| Title tag length | 50-60 characters; primary keyword included | View source |
| Meta description | 130-160 characters; unique per page | View source |
| Image `alt` attributes | Every content image has descriptive `alt` text | axe DevTools |
| Internal anchor text | Descriptive, not "click here" or "read more" | Screaming Frog |

See [[seo/title-tags]] and [[seo/internal-linking]].

## Check content quality against the helpfulness questions

The qualities Google's core ranking systems (which absorbed the helpful content system in March 2024) and its quality raters look for.

| Check | Pass if | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Original information per editorial page | At least one number, screenshot, or command output | Manual review |
| Intent match | H1 answers the target query verbatim | SERP comparison |
| Site-wide topical focus | Each section has 5 or more pages on one topic | Folder count |
| `last_updated` reflects real edits | Date matches the latest meaningful body change | Git log |
| AI-assisted drafts reviewed | Facts checked against sources; adds value beyond existing pages; AI use disclosed where readers would ask | Manual review |
| No scaled thin pages | No batch of templated or lightly rewritten pages without added value | Manual review |

See [[seo/helpful-content-update]] and [[seo/e-e-a-t]].

## Check the internal link graph

The link graph that distributes equity and tells Google what each page is about.

| Check | Pass if | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Every page reachable in 3 clicks from home | Crawler depth report shows max depth = 3 | Screaming Frog |
| No orphan pages | Inbound internal links > 0 for every URL | Screaming Frog |
| Anchor text descriptive and varied | No bulk identical anchors to one URL | Screaming Frog |
| MOC pages link to every child | Each folder index lists every page in the folder | Manual review |

See [[seo/internal-linking]] and [[seo/site-architecture]].

## Related

- [[seo/audit-checklist]]; the master audit with the technical categories and the quick and quarterly passes
- [[seo/title-tags]]; title length, keyword placement, and rewrites
- [[seo/internal-linking]]; anchor text, depth, and orphan audits
- [[seo/helpful-content-update]]; the helpfulness questions behind the content quality table
- [[seo/e-e-a-t]]; experience and expertise signals
- [[seo/site-architecture]]; depth-from-home and section structure
- [[seo/ai-content-policies]]; what the spam policies mean for AI-assisted drafts