20 SEO quick wins [2025]

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SEO improvements don’t have to be time-consuming! Here are 20 SEO quick wins that take under an hour and will boost your blog traffic and rankings.

SEO improvements don’t have to be overwhelming or time-consuming!

There are plenty of small, actionable tasks you can complete in under an hour that will make a noticeable difference to your blog’s rankings, traffic, and overall performance.

In this post, I’m sharing 20 SEO quick wins that you can tackle in an hour or less.

Let’s dive in!

Section 1: SEO quick wins for existing content

1. Add internal links to 5 blog posts

Internal linking is a simple but highly effective SEO strategy that’s often overlooked. Start by identifying 5 of your highest-traffic blog posts. Once you’ve selected your posts, comb through them and look for opportunities to link to other relevant content on your blog.

Adding 2–3 internal links per post can boost your pageviews, keep readers on your blog for longer, and help search engines better understand the structure of your site.

2. Rewrite the meta descriptions for 3 posts

Meta descriptions are your blog’s first impression in search results. If a post has high impressions but a low click-through rate (CTR), a new meta description could make all the difference!

Head to Google Search Console, navigate to PERFORMANCE >> SEARCH RESULTS, toggle on AVERAGE CTR and sort by IMPRESSIONS. Select 3 posts that have high impressions but have a low CTR. Rewrite their meta descriptions to better highlight the benefit of clicking through to the blog post. A better meta description can significantly improve CTR and bring a lot more traffic to your site.

3. Fix broken links on your blog

Broken links are frustrating for your readers and they also send negative signals to search engines that your website is poorly maintained.

Use a free tool like Broken Link Check to scan your site for dead links. Once you’ve identified all your broken links, take an hour to fix them.

Replace each broken link with a new, working one or remove links entirely, if there’s no suitable replacement.

This boring but important task will improve your website’s UX and help maintain your blog’s trustworthiness in the eyes of both readers and search engines.

4. Update an old post

Old posts often hold untapped potential, especially if they once ranked well but have lost momentum.

Choose a post that hasn’t been updated in a while and give it a refresh. This could mean adding new information, updating out-of-date information, replacing poor quality images, improving the structure, adding additional keywords or just generally making it more helpful.

An hour spend updating an old post can breathe new life into it and give it a real boost in the rankings.

5. Add H2 and H3 subheadings to an old post

Search engines and readers love well-structured content. If one of your older posts lacks subheadings, spend some time breaking it up with H2 and H3 tags.

Use these subheadings to highlight key points and naturally include secondary keywords where appropriate.

Adding subheadings will make your post more helpful to your readers and will help search engines better understand your content, leading to better rankings and increased traffic.

6. Add a Call To Action (CTA) to 5 posts

A great blog post should always guide readers toward the next step. What do you want your readers to do next?

Take 5 of your existing posts and add clear CTAs to each one.

For example, link to a related post, suggest downloading a lead magnet, or you could even promote one of your digital products.

Good CTAs keep readers on your site longer, increase pageviews and send user signals back to Google that your content is worth sending their users to. All of which will boost your rankings and grow your traffic.

7. Replace the images in an old blog post

Images play a huge role in how readers perceive your content. If you have posts with outdated or poor-quality images, visitors to your blog will likely make an instant judgement that your content is also poor-quality, even if it’s not!

And if new visitors decide that your content is poor quality, they will likely ping straight back to Google – sending user signals back to Google that your search result was not a good one… resulting in lower rankings and traffic.

Choose one post and replace its visuals with fresh, high-quality images. Use tools like Canva for graphics or Pexels, Pixabay or Unsplash for free stock photos. (Though if you can shoot and edit original photos for the post un under an hour, that would be even better!)

Updating your images will massively improve first impressions, resulting in a lower bounce rate, readers spending more time on your blog post, readers clicking on other blog posts, email sign ups and even digital product purchases!

8. Add a bullet or numbered list to an existing post

Readers (and search engines) love lists. Find an older post with dense text and identify a section or two that you can transform into a list.

Lists make content easier to read, more visually appealing, and better suited to today’s readers who want to get the information they were looking for as fast as possible.

9. Add new secondary keywords to an existing post

Secondary keywords can help your content rank for even more search queries. Choose an existing post and use a tool like KeySearch to find related keywords.

Once you have a list of new keywords to add, naturally incorporate them into your subheadings, and body text.

A simple task, but done well it can massively boost your traffic.

10. Use Google Search Console to identify posts on page 2 of Google

Getting from page 2 to page 1 can make a huge difference in traffic. Use Google Search Console to identify posts with high impressions but which are currently ranking at the top of page 2 for their target keywords.

Focus on improving these posts by adding more in-depth information, optimizing images, adding better subheadings, improving readability and ensuring they target the search intent effectively.

A few strategic updates could push them onto page 1, resulting in a whole lot more traffic!

How to actually DO keyword research: a step by step guide (plus free keyword research spreadsheet!)

Section 2: SEO quick wins for new content

11. Conduct keyword research for your next 10 posts

Keyword research doesn’t have to be a daunting, all-day task. With the right tools and approach, you can find great keywords for your next 10 posts in under an hour.

Start by opening up a keyword research tool like KeySearch. Focus on finding low-competition, high-volume keywords or “gold nugget” keywords, as I like to call them.

Aim to find at least 20 low-competition, high-volume keywords, then sort your spreadsheet to bring the “gold nugget” keywords to the top!

READ MORE >>> How to do keyword research: step by step

12. Answers some FAQs

Answering some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in a blog post not only provides extra value to readers but also increases the chances of appearing in Google’s ‘People Also Ask’ section or AI Overviews.

Choose one of your popular or evergreen posts and spend half an hour researching common questions related to the topic. Use tools like AnswerThePublic, Google’s ‘People Also Ask’, or even Reddit and Quora for inspiration.

Once you have chosen the questions, answer them clearly and concisely within the post. Make the question itself an H2 or H3 subheading (as appropriate) to highlight it for your readers and ensure search engines recognize understand it better.

This small addition can help your content rank for additional queries and make it even more helpful to readers.

13. Write an outline for your next 3 blog posts

Outlining your posts before you start writing can save you hours later. Spend an hour planning the structure of your next 3 blog posts.

For each post, decide on the main topic and keyword focus. Create a title that incorporates the primary keyword, then sketch out the key sections and subheadings. Aim to include at least 5 H2 subheadings, plus H3’s where appropriate, and don’t forget to add a compelling introduction, a strong conclusion and a CTA.

Outlining in advance ensures that your posts are well organized, easy to read, and optimized for search engines – all before you even start writing!

14. Identify keywords you’re ranking for but haven’t targeted

Google Search Console is a treasure trove of information about your blog’s performance. Spend an hour analyzing which keywords you’re already ranking for but haven’t explicitly targeted in your content.

Go to GSC, navigate to PERFORMANCE >> SEARCH RESULTS, and look at QUERIES. Look for high volume keywords that you are ranking for but where you don’t have a dedicated blog post which targets that specific keyword as the main focus.

These keywords are total gold dust – you are already ranking for them with a subpar result, so you are extremely likely to rank with a dedicated blog post on that topic!

This nifty little tactic can deliver some incredible traffic when done well.

15. Add links to a new blog post from 5 older posts

Internal links keep your readers on your blog posts, increase your pageviews and help search engines understand your content better.

If you’ve recently published a new blog post, one of the best things you can do is link to it from a few of your older posts.

Start by identifying older posts related to your new content. Then, go into each older post and find natural places to add a link back to your new post.

Use keyword-rich anchor text to make the links more effective for SEO. For example, instead of ‘click here,’ use something like ‘check out my guide to homemade sourdough bread’.

This simple task helps search engines find your new post faster and can help your new posts rank faster too!

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Section 3: SEO quick wins for authority and backlinks

16. Update your ‘About Me’ page

Your About Me page is one of the most visited pages on your blog, yet it’s often neglected. Spend an hour giving it a refresh to ensure it accurately reflects what your blog is about, who it’s for, and what makes it different from all the other blogs in your niche, as well as highlighting your E-E-A-T and topical authority.

Include a strong call-to-action, like encouraging readers to subscribe to your email list or check out your most popular posts.

A well-optimized About Me page not only helps with rankings but also builds trust with your audience.

17. Add an ‘As Featured In’ section to your homepage

An ‘As Featured In’ section adds authority and credibility to your blog. If you’ve been mentioned in a well-known publication, collaborated with a big name blogger in your niche, or been featured by on a brand’s website, this is your chance to showcase it.

Spend an hour designing a simple section on your homepage to display the logos of the publications or websites who have featured you. Tools like Canva can help you create a simple but professional design.

Not only does this improve your blog’s E-E-A-T, but it also makes your blog more appealing to potential collaborators and sponsors.

18. Create a LinkedIn profile or update an existing one

LinkedIn isn’t just for corporate professionals – it’s a great platform for bloggers to build authority.

If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, spend an hour creating one. Highlight your blogging expertise, niche, and accomplishments.

If you already have a profile, update it with recent achievements and to make sure it accurately reflects your blog, as well as recent achievements, colaborations and/or features.

A polished LinkedIn profile is another way to boost your E-E-A-T and consequently rankings and traffic.

19. Reach out for a guest post opportunity

Guest posting (the right kind!) remains one of the most effective ways to build authority and grow your audience. Dedicate an hour to researching 3–5 relevant blogs in your niche and pitching them guest post ideas.

When crafting your pitch, focus on providing value. Briefly introduce yourself and your blog, then suggest 2–3 topics that align with the other blog’s content. Keep the email concise and professional, and personalize it to show that you’ve done your research.

Even if you only secure 1 guest post opportunity, the backlink and exposure can significantly benefit your SEO efforts.

20. Link out to high-authority sites

Outbound links to trusted, high-authority websites show both your readers and search engines that your content is credible and well-researched.

Choose 1 of your blog posts and spend some time adding a few links to authoritative sources, such reputable statistics, government websites, or established authorities in your niche.

This is especially true if you are making a claim related to health or finances. For example, if you make a claim about the health properties of a particular ingredient, be sure to link to a reputable source in the health space, such as Healthline or WebMD.

This small step improves your content’s E-E-A-T, which can lead to improved rankings and more traffic.

Conclusion: Small SEO tweaks can deliver big wins!

SEO doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. These 20 quick wins prove that even small, manageable actions can deliver significant results.

By dedicating an hour to one or more of these tasks, you can enhance your blog’s rankings, boost traffic, and make your content more helpful for your readers too.

And of course the more of them you do, the better the results!

For even faster SEO fixes, check out my ebook: 10 Minute SEO Hacks

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Over to you!

Do you have any other SEO quick wins? We’d love to hear about them… Let us know in the comment section below!

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