On-page SEO in WordPress breaks down into five core areas: content structure, technical settings, media optimization, internal linking, and page speed. WordPress makes most of this manageable without touching code, but you need to configure it correctly from the start. Start with permalink structure under Settings > Permalinks. Use "Post name" format so URLs read yoursite.com/keyword-phrase, not yoursite.com/?p=123. This matters for both crawlers and users. Then install Yoast SEO or Rank Math to control title tags and meta descriptions per page. These plugins also generate XML sitemaps and handle breadcrumbs, saving you manual work. In the editor, enforce heading hierarchy. Your H1 is the post title—don't add another H1 in the body. Use H2 for main sections, H3 for subsections. Write naturally but include your target keyword in the H1 and at least one H2. Avoid keyword stuffing; Google's language models understand synonyms and context now. Aim for 800–1500 words on competitive topics, shorter on less competitive long-tail queries. Optimize every image before uploading. Use tools like TinyPNG or ShortPixel to compress files under 200 KB each. Name files descriptively (blue-widget-canada.jpg, not IMG_1234.jpg) and fill in alt text with contextual descriptions. WordPress auto-generates responsive image sizes, but lazy loading should be enabled (native in WP 5.5+) to defer offscreen images. Internal linking is where most WordPress sites underperform. Link from high-authority pages to newer content using descriptive anchor text. Tools like Link Whisper automate suggestions, but manual linking based on topic clusters works better. We run 500+ domains at Ottawa SEO, and consistent internal linking moves the needle more than meta tweaks. Finally, choose a fast theme (GeneratePress, Kadence) and enable caching with WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache. Core Web Vitals now factor into rankings, and bloated page builders tank LCP scores. Strip unused plugins, enable Gzip compression, and host on Canadian servers if your audience is mostly Canadian. Measure everything in Google Search Console and PageSpeed Insights monthly.