SEO is often a languorous endeavor, with the arduous journey of building authority and climbing the rankings, a protracted pursuit that spans years. In the pantheon of marketing strategies, search engine optimization stands out as the unhurried maestro, orchestrating its moves at an almost glacial pace.
Yet, a singular, substantial shortcut lies within reach.
The crux of the matter lies in channeling efforts towards the right pages, the apt phrases. Concealed within your digital expanse, there may lie pages that tread the liminal realm of ranking but have not yet achieved the pinnacle of high visibility.
Harnessing the power of data to identify a page that holds a perch in the proximity of a ‘striking distance’ keyphrase is the key. A swift update to this page can rapidly enhance its ranking. Surprisingly, the same modifications that propel your rankings skyward can also serve to invigorate engagement.
| Step | Description | Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unearth ‘Striking Distance’ Keyphrases | Google Search Console |
| 2 | Validate Rankings | Check Google Search Results |
| 3 | Scrutinize Keyphrase Pertinence | Ensure Alignment with Search Intent |
| 4 | Discover Closely Related Phrases | Explore Related Queries |
| 5 | Enhance the Page (Leveraging ChatGPT) | Optimize Content for Chosen Keyphrase |
| 6 | Exercise Patience for a Week | Allow Time for Changes to Reflect |
| 7 | Scrutinize Rankings | Check Google Analytics (GA4) |
In succinct summation, here’s the roadmap, but delve we must into each juncture:
- Unearth the ‘striking distance’ keyphrases (Via Google Search Console)
- Validate the rankings
- Scrutinize the keyphrase pertinence of the page
- Discover closely related phrases
- Enhance the page (Leveraging ChatGPT)
- Exercise patience for a week, and then scrutinize the rankings
- Gauge the results (With the aid of GA4)
This discourse unfolds as a systematic guide to accelerate your Google rankings and augment search traffic with celerity. An SEO shortcut par excellence, a proven maneuver executed scores of times for diverse clientele – a venerable triumph I share with you, a salient strategy not to be kept under wraps.
For those uninitiated in this stratagem, a treasure trove of opportunities awaits discovery within your data. This expeditious route to bolster Google rankings demands less than an hour to traverse the entire 7-step trajectory.
The versatility of this process extends seamlessly to both service pages and blog posts. It stands indifferent to the content dichotomy – service pages, often vying for commercial intent phrases, and blog articles, the flag bearers of informational intent phrases. The kernel lies in the alignment of keywords with search intent, a cardinal precept for SEO. However, expedited business growth awaits those who refine the rankings and amplify traffic for a service page. Let’s illustrate this with a service page example:
Consider a commercial laboratory, showcasing its prowess in chemical testing services. The page under scrutiny resides on the second tier of Google’s hierarchy for a pragmatic phrase. An exemplary choice, for nearly every website harbors latent prospects ripe for the picking through this process.
- Discovery of the ‘striking distance’ keyphrases
Initiate the quest by pinpointing the phrases for which the page teeters on the edge of eminence. In the absence of an SEO tool tracking rankings, the bastion of Google Search Console comes to the fore, a free ally. A modest verification process tethering it to your website is requisite.
Login to Google Search Console and adhere to the following course:
- Click on the “Search results” report on the left side navigation
- Traverse to the PAGES tab
- Engage the filter icon (a conspicuous triangle shape) and endorse the “Top pages” box
- Introduce the web address into the filter
- Seal the deal with a click on DONE
The ensuing vista is a solitary row report, the URL reigning supreme. Aligned on the right flank are Clicks and Impressions. However, to gain insight into the search rankings, it becomes imperative to append the metric to this report.
Ascend to the zenith and trigger a click on the “Average position” box. Swiftly navigate to the QUERIES tab.
Behold, a compendium of phrases for which this URL stakes its claim, replete with clicks and impressions for each phrase. The average position, akin to an arbiter, delineates the mean ranking across this temporal spectrum.
The crux lies in ferreting out the ‘striking distance’ keyphrases, where the page commands a high ranking but remains shy of the zenith. Sort the report by average position and peruse positions that nestle below 5 but tower above 15.
Therein lies the low-hanging fruit, the apotheosis of SEO opportunities for this URL. The objective materializes – amplifying Google rankings for one of these enigmatic phrases. Opt for the choicest one, guided by its discernible value. Beware of the seductive allure of myriad closely related phrases; their targeting becomes an ancillary matter, for homing in on one is tantamount to ensnaring them all.
Exercise caution, lest the optimization for a ‘striking distance’ keyphrase inadvertently derails the prospects for an even superior one. Revisit the report; scrutinize the prevailing click champions. The reigning champion in the page title and H1 header should not be dethroned haphazardly.
Query: Can this keyword data surface in GA4? A nod in affirmation. The integration of Google Search Console (GSC) with Google Analytics (GA4) is plausible, executed through the GA4 admin section, nestled amongst the “Product Links” at the base of the Properties menu. However, the functional repertoire within GA4 is curtailed – no filters, no report customization. Secondary dimensions and comparisons languish in futility.
However, the allure of GA4 beckons later to set benchmarks and appraise results. But for the current analysis, it limps in ineptitude.
- Authentication of Rankings
Commence the process by perusing Google to verify the rankings for the chosen phrase. Discrepancies may surface, for the “average position” might not perfectly mirror the actual rankings. Discrepancies sprout from diverse sources:
- Today’s ranking might diverge from the average across the temporal tapestry in the report
- Multiple pages might commandeer the ranking for the same phrase
- A SERP feature, such as the local 3-pack, image search results, or others, could influence the standings
- Rankings might succumb to suppression courtesy of SERP features
- Personalization nuances might tint your search outcome, sculpted by your locale, browsing history, etc.
Shroud yourself in the garb of anonymity before embarking on the quest to stave off the impact of implicit search signals. Log out of Google, embrace the sanctity of a “private” or “incognito” window, wield an unfamiliar browser, or enlist the services of a proxy.
Bear in mind – the quest for absolute neutrality in search is a chimera. Implicit search signals lend an indelible imprint. Hence, do not fixate on the illusion of anonymity; the pursuit lies in the extraction of clues.
Identify a page that perches on a phrase but not too loftily. Congratulations, you are poised to proceed!
Pro Tip: Capture a screenshot of the search results page.
Some search result pages harbor dismal clickthrough rates, ensnared in the clutches of “SERP features” like featured snippets, Google maps, videos, images, and more. A snapshot of the current Google SERP, etched through tools like GoFullPage, serves as a reference point. It becomes a reservoir
