Search engine optimization rests on two pillars: authority (links pointing to your site) and relevance (the quality of the signal your page sends to search engines). On-page technical tags are the foundation of that second pillar.

The <title> Tag: The First Impression

The <title> tag is what appears as the clickable blue text in Google search results. It's the first thing a user sees before visiting your page.

  • Ideal length: between 50 and 60 characters (Google truncates beyond ~580px)
  • Primary keyword first: the opening words carry more weight
  • Unique per page: every page must have a distinct title
  • No keyword stuffing: artificial repetitions are penalized

The Meta Description: The Text That Gets Clicks

The meta description doesn't directly influence rankings, but it determines the click-through rate (CTR) on your results. A well-written meta description that clearly summarizes the page's value and includes a call to action can double your traffic at the same ranking position.

Recommended length: 150 to 160 characters. Beyond that, Google truncates with "…".

Open Graph Tags: Social SEO

When someone shares your URL on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook, the Open Graph tags (og:title, og:description, og:image) define how your link will be displayed. A page without Open Graph shows up as a bare link with no visual preview — a much lower click-through rate.

The H1-H6 Heading Structure

Search engines use heading hierarchy to understand the semantic structure of your page. Common mistakes:

  • Multiple H1 tags per page: there should only be one
  • Missing or empty H1: a weak signal to Google
  • Level skips (jumping from H2 to H4 without H3): inconsistent structure

The lang Attribute and Canonical Tag

The lang attribute on the <html> tag tells screen readers and search engines the language of the content — crucial for geographic targeting by Google. The <link rel="canonical"> tag prevents duplicate content issues by telling search engines which URL is the reference version.

SiteCheck checks all of these elements — title, meta description, Open Graph tags, heading structure, lang attribute, and canonical — in the SEO category of every full audit.