1. Fix indexation before anything else
If a page is not indexed it cannot rank. Pull the Pages report in Search Console, filter for the URLs you care about, and resolve every 'Discovered - not indexed' or 'Crawled - not indexed' row.
2. Rewrite titles for the lowest-CTR queries
Sort Search Console by impressions and low CTR. A better title on a page that already ranks #4 usually beats a new page targeting the same keyword.
3. Improve LCP on your top 10 pages
Slow largest-contentful-paint is a direct ranking factor and a conversion tax. Compress hero images, preload the hero font, and remove render-blocking scripts.
4. Add internal links from your strongest pages
Find your top 5 pages by backlinks or traffic and add 3-5 contextual internal links from each to pages you want to push. This alone can lift positions within days.
5. Consolidate cannibalizing pages
If two URLs target the same intent, merge them and 301 the weaker into the stronger. Fragmented signals almost always outrank neither.
6. Expand thin pages to satisfy intent
Look at the top 3 SERPs for your target query. If they cover 8 subtopics and you cover 3, add the missing ones - do not pad.
7. Add schema markup
Article, FAQ, Product, and Review schema unlock rich results in Google and increase the odds of being cited by AI answer engines.
8. Earn 3-5 quality backlinks per quarter
You do not need 100 links. Five relevant, in-topic links per quarter compound faster than any purchased batch.