How can you find and optimize keywords that are close to the first page of search results?

To find keywords that are close to the first page, start with query data in Google Search Console (GSC). Filter for terms with impressions and an average position of 11–30. Then prioritize terms in positions 11–20, along with those that align with your business goals. To improve the corresponding pages, add content that meets searchers’ needs, refine titles, and add relevant internal links. This approach uses existing rankings to prioritize optimization; it does not guarantee that changes will move a page into the top ten.

Build a shortlist using rankings and impressions

In a 2023 article, Semrush recommended starting with keywords in positions 11–30 and using three months of data to assess recent performance. Follow these steps:

1. View queries in GSC’s Search results report and enable average position data.
2. Sort by impressions from highest to lowest and identify terms with an average position of 11–30. If there are many, export them to a spreadsheet for filtering.
3. Take a closer look at queries in positions 11–20 and their corresponding pages, and list the pages worth improving.

These ranking ranges are filtering criteria, not official search engine thresholds. A 2025 Screaming Frog article also recommended reviewing pages in positions 11–20 for opportunities to improve rankings through internal linking. It gave important keywords in positions 5–15 as another example of what to prioritize. The ranking range you use can therefore vary with the task.

Look beyond impressions to assess the value of improvements

When there are many candidate keywords, rankings alone should not determine priorities. Semrush recommends factoring in goals, budget, and timelines, while Screaming Frog advocates combining GSC, GA4, and internal linking data to identify pages worth investing in.

• E-commerce: Consider prioritizing terms with stronger commercial intent that are close to the first page, as these queries may generate sales.
• Content publishing sites: Look for pages with high impressions but few clicks, and assess whether titles and snippets need improvement.
• Pages already generating conversions: If too few internal links point to these pages, they are worth a closer look. Do not focus only on articles with the most impressions.

Check search intent before deciding whether to improve content or add links

For shortlisted keywords, Semrush recommends reviewing the content formats and topics covered by the top three results: do searchers need step-by-step instructions, a list, or comparisons? Compare these results with your own page, add relevant missing subtopics, and use target terms naturally in the title tag, selected subheadings, and body text.

Updates should make substantive improvements to the content. A 2023 Neil Patel article used “email marketing trends” as a hypothetical example: if an article is already close to the first page, adding the latest trends or new examples could make it more comprehensive and relevant. This illustrates a potentially helpful approach, not a case in which ranking gains were verified.

At Procrustes, we turn questions that matter to our clients into articles, with ongoing content planning, writing, and updates.

If a page lacks internal links, link to it from relevant pages on the same site using descriptive anchor text. If the issue is high impressions but few clicks, check whether the title and meta description are accurate and give users a reason to click. However, Google may not use the text you provide, so rewriting it should not be treated as a guarantee of a higher click-through rate.