How to cultivate SEO growth through continuous improvement

Clients often misunderstood SEO as a one-time task rather than an ongoing strategy.

How often have you heard, “Can you just do a one-time implementation?” 

Each time, it feels like a missed opportunity to explain why this mindset doesn’t align with how SEO truly works.

A common analogy helps paint the picture: SEO is like tending a garden. 

You can’t just plant seeds, walk away and expect a thriving landscape to flourish on its own. 

Gardens require consistent care – pruning, weeding, watering and adapting to the seasons. 

Similarly, a successful SEO strategy involves ongoing optimization and refinement. 

Just as a garden must adapt to changing weather or the growth of new plants, SEO requires you to respond to evolving algorithms, user behavior shifts and emerging trends. 

Regular updates, content tweaks and technical maintenance ensure that your website remains healthy, competitive and capable of flourishing in the ever-changing search landscape.

SEO isn’t a “set it and forget it” tactic; it’s a long-term commitment. 

With consistent effort, you’ll not only maintain your presence but also see it thrive over time – just like the most beautiful and well-cared-for gardens.

Plant the seeds: Identify key pages for optimization

While it might be tempting to optimize every page, not all pages require immediate attention. 

Focusing on high-impact opportunities is the best way to see meaningful results quickly. 

Start with high-impact pages

A practical starting point is to focus on pages that already drive traffic, conversions or rankings.

These pages have demonstrated value to users and search engines, so even small improvements can have a noticeable impact.

Using Google Analytics and Google Search Console, identify top-performing pages based on metrics like:

• High-traffic pages: Pages that receive the most organic visits are often considered valuable content, making them prime candidates for further optimization. Consider recent data, insights or search trends to keep these pages fresh and engaging.
• Conversion-driving pages: Identify pages that lead to conversions, whether they’re product pages, service pages or lead capture forms. Improving user experience, refining calls to action, and ensuring fast load times can help optimize conversion rates on these pages.
• High-ranking pages: For pages that already rank well but could improve, fine-tuning content, meta data and user engagement elements can elevate performance.

Focus on underperforming pages

Another effective approach is to focus on pages that have room for improvement. 

Pay attention to pages that once performed well but have lost traction or pages with strong impressions but low click-through rates. 

In Google Search Console, look for:

• Decreases in rankings: Check pages that previously held strong rankings but have declined. Updating these pages with fresh, optimized metadata and/or content can help recapture lost traffic.
• Low click-through rates: Pages with high impressions but low click-through rates (CTR) might benefit from metadata updates to make them more attention-grabbing.

Make data-driven decisions

Once you’ve chosen the pages to prioritize, the next step is to determine which elements need refreshing.

Data should guide your decision-making. Here are some essential metrics to consider:

• Keyword rankings: Evaluate rankings for target keywords on your selected pages. Look for opportunities to add secondary or related keywords that align with current trends to capture a broader range of search queries.
• CTR: If a page has high impressions but a low CTR, this signals a need to improve metadata. Experiment with more compelling titles and descriptions, perhaps by using numbers, emotional triggers or a unique value proposition that differentiates your content from competitors.
• Engagement metrics: Metrics like bounce rate, time on page and pages per session indicate how users interact with your content. High bounce rates or low time on page may signal readability issues or missing information. To improve engagement, consider reorganizing content, adding visuals or including interactive elements.
• Search intent alignment: Search intent can evolve as users become more specific or trends shift. Regularly check that your content aligns with the intent of your target keywords. For instance, if a keyword has transitioned from informational to transactional, consider adding product links or calls to action to address users’ purchasing intent.

Tend the garden: On-page tactics to elevate your strategy

These advanced tactics provide a framework for evolving your SEO strategy beyond foundational efforts, focusing on incremental improvements that build upon each other for lasting impact. 

Striking distance keywords

Striking distance keywords present strong ranking opportunities but need a little extra push. These can be identified in a few different ways:

• Keywords that rank just below the first page of search results, typically between positions 11-20.
• Keywords that rank well, often on the first page, even though your website hasn’t been explicitly optimized for them.
• Keywords that perform well in paid search ads and are not explicitly targeted on the website.

By targeting these keywords, you’re investing in terms with some traction, maximizing your chances of achieving quick wins.

Since these keywords already rank relatively well, small optimizations can boost their rankings without needing a major overhaul.

Identify keywords

• Use tools like Google Search Console, Semrush or Ahrefs to find keywords ranking between positions 11-20.
• Alternatively, you can use the same tools to identify keywords with an average position on page one, even though they’re not explicitly included in target keyword themes.
• Filter these by metrics such as CTR and conversion rate to prioritize terms with good potential.

Optimize content

• Update pages associated with these keywords by:
  • Refining title tags to reinforce these specific keywords and phrases.
  • Adding or updating headers (H1s, H2s, etc.) with these keywords to improve relevancy.
  • Enhancing the content with additional information reinforcing these keyword themes.

Internal linking

• Improve internal links to these pages from other high-value pages on your site to signal their importance.

Content gap analysis

One of the best ways to increase organic visibility is to identify content gaps within the site.

Content gaps represent any lack of content on your site where your competitors are ranking but you aren’t. 

Filling these gaps allows you to attract a broader audience by addressing topics your potential customers are searching for that aren’t yet covered on your site.

By strategically expanding your content, you become a comprehensive resource and capture search traffic you may have otherwise missed.

Analyze competitors

• Use Semrush’s Topic Research feature or Ahrefs’ Content Gap feature to compare your site against top competitors. 
• Identify topics they rank for that you currently don’t cover.

Create targeted content

• Choose topics that align with your audience and build high-quality content around these topics.
• Ensure each new piece of content is more detailed or provides a unique perspective to stand out from competitors.
• For an added bonus, consider those topics that trigger an AI Overview, featured snippet or direct answer. You can mimic the language and phrasing used in the existing featured snippet to increase the likelihood of earning that spot.

Promote new content

• Share these pieces on social media or via email marketing to maximize their reach and draw attention to your expanding expertise.

Dig deeper: Why a content gap analysis should be part of your SEO strategy

Topic clustering for content authority

Topic clusters involve organizing content around main themes (pillar pages) with supporting subtopics (cluster pages) that link back to the pillar.

This structure helps search engines understand the relationship between content pieces, signaling that your site is an authority on the subject.

Topic clusters help improve rankings for individual pages within a theme and boost overall site authority, as search engines recognize the depth and breadth of your expertise on a topic.

Choose a core topic

• Identify key topics relevant to your audience, such as “digital marketing strategy.”

Develop a pillar page

• Create an in-depth guide covering the core topic, such as “The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing Strategy.”

Create cluster pages

• Develop related content, like “Social Media Marketing Tips” or “How to Create a Content Calendar,” and link each of these pages back to the pillar page.

Update internal linking

• This is the most important component of building an effective topic cluster strategy. 
• Use internal links to connect each cluster page to the pillar page and vice versa, creating a robust content network.

Dig deeper: SEO topic clusters: How to create, measure and analyze

User intent analysis for content relevance

Analyzing user intent analysis examines what users want to accomplish with their searches – whether they’re looking for information, navigating to a specific site, intending to make a purchase or comparing options.

Optimizing for user intent ensures that your content aligns with what users expect to find, reducing bounce rates and improving engagement metrics. 

When users find what they’re looking for, they’re more likely to stay on your page and convert.

Review search intent

• For each keyword, assess what type of content ranks in the top positions. 
• Are they informational articles, product pages or comparison lists? This helps determine the intent behind each keyword.

Align content

• Adjust your content to better meet the intent. 
• For example, if users are looking for comparisons, add product comparisons or detailed pros and cons lists.

Optimize Layout and CTA

• Tailor your call to action (CTA) and page layout to match the intent. 
• For example, informational pages may benefit from downloadable resources, while transactional pages should prioritize clear, compelling CTAs.

Update internal linking

• To help users move through their journey, use internal links to support finding additional relevant content and direct them to product or service-centric pages when appropriate. 

Dig deeper: How to optimize for search intent: 19 practical tips

From seeds to success: Measuring impact

The final piece of an iterative SEO approach is measuring the impact of your changes. 

By tracking key metrics, you’ll know which strategies work, which need tweaking and where to focus next.

• Organic traffic and rankings: Track changes in organic search traffic and rankings to see how your updates affect visibility.
• Conversion rates: See if changes to content and UX improve conversions on key pages.
• Engagement metrics: Track on-page metrics, like bounce rate and time on page, to determine whether users find the updated content valuable.
• Revenue impact: For ecommerce or lead generation pages, measure how SEO updates contribute to revenue or lead acquisition.

Measuring the impact of your SEO efforts is crucial to refining your strategy.

Success may take time, but making strategic updates quickly can help you capitalize on emerging opportunities before competitors do.

Prune, water, repeat

SEO is dynamic. It isn’t a one-time effort. Google alone makes hundreds of updates each year and with each change, ranking criteria evolve. 

What may have worked for your website last year – or even last month – may not be as effective today.

It’s an evolving practice that requires monitoring, analysis and regular refinement. Continuous optimization is essential to stay competitive in search.

By embracing an iterative SEO approach, you can ensure your site remains relevant to users, responsive to algorithm changes and aligned with your business’s growth goals.