← SEO FoundationsThe levers that move rankings · Lesson 3 of 5
On-page: telling Google what a page is for
Titles, headings, and internal links, done right.
Every page should have one job
A page that tries to rank for everything ranks for nothing. The single most common on-page mistake is pages competing with each other for the same term.
The fix is one clear intent per page, then signal it consistently:
- Title tag, 50 to 60 characters, with the phrase people actually search, near the front.
- One H1 that matches the intent, then logical H2s beneath it.
- A meta description written to earn the click, not just describe the page.
- Internal links from related pages, using descriptive anchor text, so authority flows to what you want ranked.
Striking-distance first
You do not have to guess. Google Search Console shows the queries where you already rank on page one or two. Those "striking-distance" terms are the fastest wins: a page ranking #12 for a real query often just needs a tighter title and a couple of internal links to crack the top 5.