On-page SEO refers to everything you can optimise directly on a page - the content, the HTML, and the structure - to help it rank higher in search results. Unlike off-page SEO (backlinks, domain authority), on-page SEO is entirely in your hands.
For charity websites, getting on-page SEO right is essential. It doesn't require a budget, a developer, or an agency. It just requires knowing what to look for.
Here's a 20-point checklist covering the four areas that matter most.
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Technical
1. Page serves over HTTPS
Your site must use HTTPS (not HTTP). Google flags non-HTTPS sites as "Not Secure" and ranks them lower. Check your URL bar - it should show a padlock.
2. Page returns a 200 status code
The page should respond with a 200 OK status. If it's returning a 3xx redirect or 4xx/5xx error, the page has a problem that needs fixing before any other SEO work will have full effect.
3. Canonical tag is set correctly
A canonical tag tells Google which version of a URL is the "official" one, preventing duplicate content issues. It should point to the page's own URL (or the preferred version if content exists at multiple URLs).
4. Page is not noindexed
Check that your page doesn't have a noindex robots tag. A noindex tag tells Google not to include the page in search results - if it's on a page you want to rank, that's a serious problem.
5. Mobile viewport is set
Your page should include <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> in the <head>. Without it, your page won't display correctly on mobile.
6. Page size is reasonable
Large pages load slowly. Aim for under 3MB total page weight. The main culprits are usually uncompressed images and excessive JavaScript.
7. Structured data is present
Schema markup (structured data) helps Google understand what your page is about and can unlock rich results in search. At minimum, charity websites should have Organization schema on the homepage.
On-Page
8. Title tag is present and the right length
Every page needs a unique title tag. It should be 50–60 characters and include your primary keyword near the beginning.
9. Meta description is present and the right length
Every page should have a unique meta description of 140–160 characters that accurately describes the page and encourages clicks.
10. Single H1 tag
There should be exactly one H1 on the page. It should include the primary keyword and clearly describe what the page is about. Multiple H1s confuse Google about the page's topic.
11. Heading hierarchy is logical
Headings should follow a logical structure: H1 → H2 → H3. Don't skip levels (e.g. jumping from H1 to H4) and don't use headings just to make text bigger - use them to organise your content.
12. Images have alt text
Every image should have a descriptive alt attribute. Alt text helps Google understand what the image shows, improves accessibility for screen readers, and contributes to image search rankings.
13. Content is at least 300 words
Pages with very thin content rarely rank well. For important pages - your homepage, donation page, key service pages - aim for at least 600 words of genuinely useful content.
Social
14. Open Graph title is set
Open Graph tags control how your page appears when shared on social media. The og:title tag sets the title that appears in Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social shares.
15. Open Graph description is set
The og:description tag sets the description text in social shares. Without it, social platforms will pull random text from your page.
16. Open Graph image is set
The og:image tag sets the image that appears in social shares. Use a high-quality image (at least 1200×630px) - posts with images get dramatically more engagement than those without.
17. Twitter card tags are set
Twitter (X) uses its own card tags (twitter:card, twitter:title, etc.) to control how your page appears when shared. Set at minimum twitter:card to summary_large_image.
Links
18. Internal links are present
Pages should link to other relevant pages on your site. A page with no internal links is effectively isolated - Google has less context for what it's about, and visitors have fewer paths to explore your site.
19. External links are present
Linking out to reputable external sources (government data, research organisations, partner charities) signals to Google that your content is well-researched and trustworthy.
20. No broken links on the page
Every link on the page should return a 200 or 301 status. Broken links (404s) damage user experience and waste crawl budget.
How to Check Your Pages Automatically
Running through this checklist manually for every page on your site is time-consuming. Our free on-page SEO checklist tool checks all 20 of these points on any URL automatically - in under 30 seconds.
Free On-Page SEO Checklist Tool
Check all 20 points across Technical, On-Page, Social and Links - with a score and fix suggestions.