A site that stagnates on the third page of Google receives almost no organic clicks. Before multiplying actions, it’s more efficient to identify the technical and editorial blockages that hinder natural SEO. Here are ten actionable tips, tested on sites of various sizes, to gain visibility on search engines.
1. Fix crawl errors before any other action
On many sites, pages return 404 codes or chain redirects without anyone noticing. Google Search Console reports these errors in the “Pages” report. As long as they persist, the crawl budget is wasted on unnecessary URLs.
So we start by cleaning up: removing broken links, merging multiple redirects into a single 301 redirect, and ensuring that the robots.txt file does not block any strategic directories. Resolving crawl errors frees up crawl budget for the pages that really matter.
2. Structure each URL around a single search intent
A page that tries to answer three different questions ends up ranking for none. When looking to improve online visibility, the first step is to associate each URL with a specific query.
In practice, we check in Search Console if multiple pages are competing for the same keywords. If so, we merge or redirect. A clear, short, and descriptive URL also helps search engines understand the topic being addressed.
3. Write unique title tags and meta descriptions for each page
Duplicated or empty title tags remain a common issue, even on recent sites. The title is the first signal read by Google to assess a page’s relevance to a query.
Each page must have a distinct title containing the main keyword. The meta description does not directly influence ranking, but an engaging text increases the click-through rate in the results. Two lines are enough: the topic, followed by what the user will find.
4. Produce original content that is not interchangeable
With the rise of AI-generated answers in Google results, generic content is losing value. Google favors pages that provide a unique angle, data, or experience not found elsewhere.
In practice, we avoid rephrasing what ten competitors have already published. We add field feedback, a numerical comparison based on our own data, or a specific use case relevant to our sector. Non-interchangeable content withstands AI Overviews better than a copied-and-pasted list of best practices.
5. Work on internal linking with descriptive anchors
Internal linking distributes “SEO juice” among pages and guides indexing bots. It is often observed that deep pages receive no internal links, making them almost invisible.
The rule: each strategic page must be accessible within three clicks from the homepage. Internal link anchors should describe the target content (no “click here”). A quick audit with a crawling tool can identify orphan pages to link.
6. Optimize loading speed on mobile
Google uses mobile-first indexing. If a site takes several seconds to load on a smartphone, ranking suffers. The most common causes include:
- Uncompressed images or served in heavy formats (BMP, TIFF) instead of WebP or AVIF
- JavaScript scripts blocking rendering, loaded synchronously in the head
- Absence of browser caching for static resources
We measure performance via PageSpeed Insights and prioritize critical issues. Feedback varies on this point depending on the hosting provider, but staying below Core Web Vitals thresholds remains a concrete goal.
7. Obtain backlinks from thematically related sites
An incoming link from a site that covers the same topic carries much more weight than a generic link from an unrelated directory. Quality far outweighs quantity.
To obtain these links, we can offer complementary content to a sector media outlet, publish a study or a free tool that encourages sharing, or establish editorial partnerships with sites that have a similar audience. A relevant thematic backlink is worth dozens of off-topic links.
8. Secure the site with HTTPS and check the SSL certificate
The HTTPS protocol secures exchanges between the server and the visitor. Google favors secure sites in its results, and a browser that displays “Not secure” drives users away before they even read the content.
We check that the SSL certificate is active, not expired, and that all pages properly redirect from HTTP to HTTPS. Mixed content (images or scripts still called in HTTP on an HTTPS page) must be corrected.
9. Leverage structured data to enhance display in results
Structured data (Schema.org) allows Google to display rich results: reviews, FAQs, breadcrumbs, prices. These snippets increase the visible area of a result and improve the click-through rate.
For AI Overviews, Google specifies that no specific markup is required: the page just needs to be indexed and eligible for displaying a standard snippet. Therefore, we focus on the types of structured data useful to our business:
- FAQ for informative content pages
- LocalBusiness for businesses with a physical address
- Product and Review for e-commerce product sheets
10. Monitor performance in Search Console without confusing metrics
Google currently counts interactions related to AI Overviews in the “Web” search type in Search Console, without a distinct filter. A traffic variation may therefore come from a change in display format rather than a loss of ranking.
We monitor the evolution of impressions and CTR by query, not just the overall click volume. Cross-referencing average position and click-through rate by page reveals the real blockages: a well-ranked page but with few clicks has a title or meta description issue, not a content issue.
Natural SEO is not just about ticking off a technical checklist. Each site has its own blockages, and priorities change depending on the maturity stage. Starting with exploration and structure, then moving to content and links, remains the most reliable sequence for sustainable progress in search results.
