Check Your Organic Traffic
Start with Google Analytics. Go to “Reports” > “Acquisition” > “Traffic acquisition” and look for “Organic Search.” Adjust the timeframe to analyze long-term trends. Then, open Google Search Console and head to the “Performance” report under “Search results,” then the “Pages” tab to find your top-performing and low-performing URLs. This gives you a benchmark to improve from.
Run a Full Site Crawl
Use tools like Screaming Frog or Semrush’s Site Audit to perform a comprehensive crawl. You’ll uncover broken links, missing metadata, crawl issues, internal linking gaps, and more. Screaming Frog is free for up to 500 URLs. Semrush covers over 140 technical issues and offers a free 14-day Pro trial. After crawling, fix all critical errors shown in the Overview tab.
Improve Your On-Page SEO
Prioritize your top 5 most important pages—those targeting valuable keywords or previously performed well. Focus on these basics: keyword in title tag and intro, five or more internal and external links, and SEO-friendly images. These small changes can give a quick visibility boost.
Maximize Your Internal Links
Link frequently to high-priority pages, but also make sure every page has at least one internal link. This prevents orphaned pages and helps Google crawl more efficiently. Keep crawl depth within 3 clicks from the homepage. Use Semrush to identify deep or unlinked pages.
Optimize for UX Signals
Google uses UX signals like clicks to train its algorithms. Review underperforming content and ask whether it satisfies search intent. Outdated case studies or irrelevant content should be replaced with updated, actionable insights. Use screenshots, examples, and step-by-step formats to better engage users.
Optimize for Featured Snippets
Snagging a featured snippet can dramatically increase clicks. To boost your chances, format content with H2 and H3 headers, write concise answers (under 40 words), and ensure mobile readability. Also, keep AI overviews in mind by aligning your content with overall SEO best practices.
Check Page Rendering
Ensure Google can properly render your content, especially JavaScript-heavy pages. Use the “URL Inspection Tool” in Google Search Console to see how Google views your page. Look for discrepancies between the rendered and live version. Semrush can also flag JS issues during site audits.
Ensure Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly
With over half of traffic now from mobile, your site must perform well on phones and tablets. Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test or Semrush’s mobile UX reports to identify touch element errors, text size issues, and layout bugs that can hurt rankings.