When it comes to On-site SEO, everyone has a different formula. Here is my secret sauce:
You know, SEO means different things to different people
1. Select your proper keyword string. (ask your clients what they would put in, sometimes the business owner is too close to subject) Also do the keyword research to find out what people are actually searching.
2. Have your cohesive keyword phrase at the front of the page title. Make sure it is relevant to the page.
3. Make sure your URL is clear and cohesive to the most important keyword phrase.
4. Create a sitemap (/sitemap.xml) and submit to the search engines.
5. Use city names on the pages, if that is relevant for your keyword search.
6. Use keyword strings in the content and URL.
7. Use a focused keyword string in the first paragraph.
8. Add alt tags to all of your photos. And name the photos with keyword-rich names.
9. Use a single H1 (Main Headline) tag.
10. Use H2 or H3 tags, but don't overdo it.
11. Make sure you do not have duplicate copy on your website.
12. Make sure you have fresh copy on your website regularly. A news blog is a great place for it.
13. Use of hyperlinks throughout your site (from one page to another).
14. Include social media icons and link to those sites.
15. Writing a unique meta description for each page with focused keyword phrases (pertinent to that page).
16. Make sure your website is not using a template that has a lot of code. Or that has too many widgets loading.
17. Watch your load speed. If your site loads too slowly, it will not rank well and users will leave.
18. Make sure your site is mobile. Mobile websites are not only important for user experience, but also important for ranking.