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Most sites are losing rankings AND revenue from fixable on-page issues.
Here's the full checklist covering everything that actually moves the needle:
1. Crawlability & Indexing
Before anything else, make sure search engines can actually find your page.
- Check Robots.txt – make sure you're not blocking Googlebot, Bingbot, or AI crawlers like GPTbot.
- Verify the page returns a 200 status code (not 404 or 301 redirects).
- Test if ChatGPT can retrieve your page directly by pasting the URL and asking it to summarize.
If AI can't access your content, you're invisible in the new search landscape.
2. HTML over JavaScript
- LLMs prefer HTML-rendered content.
- If your page is built in JavaScript, AI crawlers struggle to extract information.
View your page source. You should see actual text content in paragraph tags and headings – not just code.
This matters for both traditional search and AI visibility.
3. Headline Above The Fold
Basic UX that most sites ignore.
- When someone lands on your page, they should instantly know where they are and what you offer.
- If I have to scroll to see your main headline, you've already lost half your visitors.
Use a left-right layout:
- Headline + subheadline on the left.
- CTA and form on the right.
- Social proof visible immediately.
4. Content Freshness
LLMs favor recently updated pages.
- Check your page source for dates. If you’re finding references to 2016 or 2020, that's a red flag.
- For commercial pages, you won't always have a visible "last updated" date.
- But outdated elements in your code signal to search engines that your content is stale.
Update regularly to stay competitive.
5. Word Count Reality Check
Most commercial pages have way too much content.
When I audit these pages, I usually delete a large chunk of them.
More words don't equal better rankings. Google needs context, not fluff.
- Match the median word count of top-ranking competitors.
- Aim for the lower end of that range.
Practice brevity. Focus on conversions.
6. Reading Level
Most business sites write at a college graduate level.
Your visitors aren't technical experts in your field. They're looking for simple, clear answers.
- Aim for high school level or lower.
- First grade is even better for online content.
Complex language kills conversions. Period.
7. Heading Structure
Your heading hierarchy should be logical.
- H1 at the top, followed by H2s, then H3s nested under relevant H2s.
- Don't just spam H2s down the page.
Create actual structure that helps both users and search engines understand your content flow.
8. Topic Coverage
Even if you nail the basics, incomplete topic coverage will keep you stuck.
- Use a content tool to identify what competitors are covering that you're missing.
For commercial pages, this isn't about stuffing keywords.
It's about answering every question a potential customer might have before they're ready to call.
Author: «Matt Diggity»
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