SEO text: what to check before, during and after

The most important check for an SEO text happens before you write a word: search for your own keyword and see what type of page fills the top 10 results. An SEO text is a text written to answer one specific search, so that both readers and search engines can find it and understand it.

Key takeaways

• Google the keyword in an incognito window and match the page type in the top 10. If it is full of guides, a sales page probably won't rank, no matter how well it is written.
• As a rule of thumb, put the keyword in five fixed places (title tag, H1, first 100 words, at least one H2 and the URL), then use synonyms and natural language the rest of the way.
• Go into Search Console after publishing. Many impressions and a low click-through rate mean you should rewrite the title and meta description, not the text itself.

What should you settle about keywords and search intent before you write your SEO text?

Before you write, settle three things: which page type Google rewards for the keyword, which single main keyword the page covers, and what the reader should do afterwards. The first check takes about five minutes and decides whether the rest of the work has a chance at all.

• Search for the keyword in an incognito window. Your earlier searches and your location otherwise colour the results, and you get a distorted picture.
• Count the page types in the top 10. Google shows which intent it rewards. That is the answer, not your gut feeling.
• Read the headings on the three best pages. Those are the questions readers expect you to answer.
• Note "People also ask" and related searches. They give you subheadings and FAQ questions that already match real queries.
• Choose one main keyword and, as a rule of thumb, 1–3 variations. Two pages on the same keyword compete against each other.
• Write down what the reader should do afterwards. Call, order, keep reading or download something. Without a goal, the text becomes a collection of facts.

What you see in the top 10	What you should write
Almost only guides and how-tos	A guide. A sales page is unlikely to rank.
Product and category pages	A page that shows range, price and next step
Comparisons and top lists	A comparison with clear criteria
Local businesses and maps	A local service page with address and opening hours

An example: A dental clinic wants to rank for "teeth whitening" and would prefer to sell the treatment. If the top 10 mostly consists of articles about methods, price and risks, the clinic should first write a factual explanation and let the sales pitch come as the next step at the bottom.

Google itself says that content should be made for people first and be helpful and reliable. It is the same check from the other side: Does the text answer what the reader came for?

What should go in the title tag and meta description?

The title tag and meta description are the first things the reader sees in the search result. Put the main keyword early in the title, promise something concrete, and write a unique title for every page. The meta description doesn't rank the page directly, but it decides whether anyone clicks.

• The keyword is in the first words of the title. That is what the reader scans for.
• The title delivers what it promises. If it promises a checklist, the page must be a checklist.
• Each page has its own title. Duplicates make Google guess which page is the right one.
• The title is short enough not to be cut off. Check how it looks in a search result once the page is live.
• The meta description ends on a concrete benefit. A number, a result or a condition. Not a filler word.
• The meta description contains the keyword. Google often highlights the words that match the search.

The clinic could use "Teeth whitening: price, methods and what you need to know" as its title. It is concrete and has the keyword up front. A title that only says "Our services" does neither.

Be prepared for Google to rewrite both. Google's own documentation on title links and snippets explains that the search engine may choose a different title or take text directly from the page. That is why the page itself must also contain a clear, short answer.

How do you structure the H1, subheadings and first paragraph?

A page has one H1 with the main keyword, H2 subheadings that sound like the reader's questions, and a first paragraph that answers the search in under 100 words.

• One H1 per page. It can resemble the title but doesn't have to be identical.
• Each H2 owns one topic. If two headings could swap content, one of them is redundant.
• Phrase H2s as questions or clear statements. "What does it cost?" matches a real search. "About us and our values" doesn't.
• Open each section with a self-contained answer of 1–2 sentences. That makes the answer easier to lift out of context, for example as a snippet in the search result.
• Keep paragraphs to about 2–4 sentences. Use bullet lists when you enumerate and a table when you compare.
• Add a short FAQ with questions the body text doesn't already answer.

How do you use the keyword naturally in your SEO text?

The keyword should appear in five fixed places: the title tag, H1, the first 100 words, at least one H2 and the URL. After that you write freely with synonyms and related words. There is no magic number for how many times the word may appear.

• Read the text aloud. If you stumble on a sentence you would never say to a customer, rewrite it.
• Use variations and related terms. "Teeth whitening", "whiter teeth" and "bleaching agent" show that you cover the topic, not just the word.
• Don't put the keyword in every H2. It sounds mechanical and doesn't help.
• Remove paragraphs that only take up space. A page that repeats itself is harder to read and has nothing to offer beyond the short version.
• Write for one specific reader. If you can point to the person, the language becomes concrete on its own.

If you write for several markets, each language version should be written natively, based on local searches. A translated text often misses the words people actually search for.

Which internal links, images and alt texts should you include?

As a rule of thumb, every page should have 2–3 internal links to related pages, and every image should have a descriptive alt text and a file name that says something. Internal links show Google how pages relate to each other, and alt texts make images understandable to screen readers and search engines.

• Use anchor text that says what the reader will find: "the price of teeth whitening", not "click here".
• Link back from older pages to the new one. Otherwise it has no incoming links, and Google may find it harder to discover.
• Build clusters around one topic. A blog strategy for Google and ChatGPT works exactly like that: several pages that each answer one question and point to each other.
• Write alt text that describes the image. What do you see, and why is it relevant? Be careful not to stuff the keyword into every image.
• Give the file a meaningful name before uploading. "before-after-whitening" says more than "IMG_4471".
• Compress the images. Heavy images make the page slow, and both the reader and Google notice.

What do you check in Google Search Console after publishing?

After publishing, you check three things in Google Search Console: that the page is indexed, which searches it appears for, and whether the click-through rate matches the position. The Performance report shows impressions, clicks, click-through rate and average position per query and page, as Google's help page on the Performance report describes.

• Inspect the URL and request indexing. Then you know Google has seen the page.
• Wait a few weeks before you judge. A new page needs time to settle.
• Filter by the page and read the queries. You often see searches you didn't write for, and you can build on them.
• Many impressions and a low click-through rate: rewrite the title and meta description. The text is probably fine, but the shop window is letting it down.
• As a rule of thumb, position 8–20: strengthen the page. Add the missing section, more internal links and a sharper answer at the top.
• Note the change and the date. Then you can see what worked the next time you look.

What if you write SEO texts for several clients?

UPGeoSEO's agency feature is new and aimed at small SEO and marketing agencies: you see whether your clients' websites appear in Google's AI Mode and AI Overviews, run GEO and SEO checks per client, connect Bing Webmaster Tools and publish articles to up to 10 client sites. That is relevant because the checklist above has to be run per page and per client.

An example: A small agency has three clients, a dentist, a lawyer and a webshop.

1. Add each client's website and connect Bing Webmaster Tools.
2. Run a GEO and SEO check per client, so you see which pages are missing basics like titles, headings and structure.
3. See whether the client's website appears in Google's AI Mode and AI Overviews, so you can prioritise the topics where the client isn't visible yet.
4. Write and publish the new texts for each client's website.

Frequently asked questions

How long should an SEO text be?

There is no fixed length that produces rankings. The length follows what the reader needs and what the top 10 covers for the keyword. Use the three best pages as a guide to topics, not to word count: if they cover five subtopics you are missing, your page should cover them too.

Should I update an old text or write a new one?

Update it if the page already has impressions in Search Console for the keyword and the intent still fits. Write a new page if the search intent is different, for example a guide where your old page is a sales page.

Can I use AI to write my SEO text?

Yes, but you are still responsible for the content being correct and helpful. Check all facts, figures and names, and read the text with your own voice in your head.

What will you do with your next SEO text today?

UPGeoSEO learns your tone, writes and publishes native-language content in several languages, and tracks both your rankings and the times AI cites you.