SEO Tasks to Boost Your Site’s Performance and Usability

Search engine optimization (SEO) can feel overwhelming, especially when just starting. Many people are unsure where to begin. Having a list of SEO tasks makes things easier. These tasks help your website:

• Work the right way
• Show up better in search results
• It will be easier and more enjoyable for visitors to use
• Turn visitors into customers

Here is a list of helpful SEO tasks that can guide you. They are divided by how often they need to be done so it’s simple to plan.

One-Time SEO Tasks

Some SEO tasks only need to be done once. But some may need checking again later to keep up with changes and match business goals.

Set Up Analytics Tools

Analytics tools help you check how your site is doing. You can track things like how many people visit, what keywords bring them in, and how they behave. The first tools to set up are Google Analytics (GA) and Google Search Console (GSC).

GA shows where your traffic is coming from and helps you see how people move through your site. You can also see how many of them take action, like buying something or signing up.

In GSC, under “Security & Manual Actions,” you can check for any problems. Manual actions are warnings from Google when a site tries to cheat the search system, like buying backlinks. This section also tells you if there are any safety threats, like malware.

You can also use Semrush’s SEO Toolkit to see keyword rankings, traffic, and more. It works even better when linked with GA and GSC.

To start, type your website’s name into Semrush and create a project. The dashboard gives an overview of your website’s health, backlinks, and other important data. You can also set up tools like Position Tracking and Site Audit.

Check and Improve Page Speed

Page speed means how fast your website loads. A fast-loading site helps improve your rank and keeps users happy. It’s also one of Google’s ranking factors. You can check your page speed using Google PageSpeed Insights. Just paste your site link, click “Analyze,” and it will show results for both Desktop and Mobile.

Desktop devices often load faster because they have better internet and power. But mobile speed is just as important since many people use phones to browse.

The report gives tips to improve speed. One common tip is to remove unused JavaScript code that isn’t needed but still loads. This slows down your site. To fix these, it’s best to ask a web developer for help. Trying to do it alone might cause issues or break your site.

After fixing the speed, it’s good to check it again from time to time, especially if you make changes to your site content.

Organize Your Website Structure

Having a clear website layout helps both visitors and search engines. It lets Google understand your pages and makes it easier for people to find what they need. A good layout has a flat structure. That means users can reach any page in four clicks or fewer.

To create this, group related content together. For example, if a beauty salon offers haircuts, manicures, and pedicures, these can all go under one “Services” menu. Visitors can then pick what they want from there easily.

Improve Your Landing Pages

To help a page show up in search results, you need to use the right keywords. This means adding the main keyword in the title, description, headings, and the main text.

For example, Canva has a page that ranks for the keyword “online video editor” because it uses the phrase in both the title and the description that appears in search results.

Before making changes to your page, you first need to find the right keywords. The Keyword Magic Tool in Semrush can help with this. Type in a keyword and click “Search.” You can then use filters to see the best options.

The Volume filter shows how often people search for a keyword. The KD filter (keyword difficulty) shows how hard it is to rank for it. A good starting point is to filter by Volume 1,001–10,000 and Difficult KD. This makes the list smaller and easier to work with.

Make Your Website Ready for Voice Search

Voice search means people speak their questions into a phone or smart speaker. We need to update our website so it shows up in these voice results.

Voice search is one of the most common things people do with their phones. So, it’s important to include it in our SEO work.

When people talk instead of typing, they use longer and more natural questions. That’s why we should use long-tail keywords. These are detailed phrases like “should you machine wash a viscose shirt.” These may not be searched for a lot, but they help us show up in voice results.

Voice search also helps with local SEO. People often ask things like “sushi restaurant near me” while driving. We should be ready for that.

Make a Keyword That’s All Yours:

When we create something new, like a product, brand, or system, we can also create a special keyword for it.

If this keyword becomes popular, we might be the top result on search engines. Other websites may also link to us.

For example, chef Dominique Ansel made the “cronut,” a mix of a croissant and donut. When you search for “cronut,” his name shows up right away.
Here’s how we can make our own keyword:

• Think of a method we use to do something well. This could be how we clean up emails or arrange furniture.
• Name something we’ve noticed in our work that no one has named before.

Once we name it, we should use it in our blog posts, social media, and share it with others. This helps the idea grow.

Track Your Search Rankings:

Position tracking means watching how our website ranks for certain keywords.

This helps us see:

• How search engine updates are affecting us
• If our SEO is working or needs changes

We can use tools like Semrush’s Position Tracking to do this.

To start, we type our website into the search bar and click “Set up tracking.” Then choose the search engine, the device (phone or computer), and the location we want to track.

Next, we type in or upload our target keywords. Click “Add keywords to campaign.”

After that, we click “Start Tracking.”

The tool will show how visible our website is in search results. We can also see which keywords work best.

Clicking on any keyword shows how its visibility changes over time.

We can check this anytime, or get email updates if we want.

Build a Topic Cluster:

Topic clusters are groups of web pages about one big topic.

Each cluster has:

• One main page (called the pillar page)
• Several smaller pages (called cluster pages) that explain subtopics

For example, a pillar page could be “Photography.” Then we make cluster pages like “Landscape Photography” or “Best Cameras for Beginners.”

These pages should link to each other. This helps Google understand they are connected.

Topic clusters also help show that we know a lot about a subject. This builds trust with both readers and search engines.

To find good ideas, we can use Semrush’s Topic Research tool.

We type our main topic and click “Get content ideas.” The tool will show many ideas we can write about. We can save the best ones to our list by clicking “Add to your favorites.”

Once we choose the best topics, we can write our content and link everything together. This helps us become an expert on that topic.

Monthly SEO Tasks (Made Simple)

Doing SEO once in a while is not enough. It works best when we stay consistent. A monthly list of tasks can help us stay on track, even if our daily tasks change.

1. Do Keyword Research:

Keywords are words or phrases people type into search engines when they’re looking for something. Keyword research means finding the right words that people are searching for, so we can use them to bring traffic to our website.

To find good keywords, we can use a keyword tool like Semrush. It helps save time and gives useful info like:

• How many people search for the word each month
• How hard it is to rank for the word
• What people want when they search (like buying, learning, or visiting a site)
• How the search numbers change over time
• How much ads cost for the word

We can start with a simple word related to our business (like “cat toys”) and use the tool to find more ideas. Then, we add the best ones to a list.

We should do this every month to keep up with new trends and stay ahead of others.

2. Create Quality Content:

Good content means people find what they’re looking for when they visit our site. It should be:

• Relevant – It answers the searcher’s question
• Helpful – It gives full, correct info
• Original – It’s not copied
• Trusted – It uses good sources or expert opinions

Google likes helpful content. It should be written for people, not just to rank in search. But following SEO rules (like using headings) helps search engines understand our content better.

We can use tools like the SEO Content Template in Semrush. It gives tips on what to include in our page title, headings, and text to improve quality and ranking.

3. Update Old Content:

Refreshing content means we update old pages with new info or remove what’s outdated. This is just as important as creating new content.

If a page is losing traffic or keywords, that may mean it needs an update. Sometimes, what people want to see on the search page changes, and we need to match it.

We should:

• Fix or remove old stats and broken links
• Add new useful sections
• Make sure it matches what searchers now want to see

4. Check Organic Traffic:

We need to track how many people come to our site from search engines. This shows us if our SEO work is helping or not.

First, we should set up Google Analytics (GA) and Google Search Console (GSC). Then, we can use Semrush’s Organic Traffic Insights to see:

• Which pages get the most visits
• What keywords bring people in
• How we rank compared to others

This helps us see what’s working and what needs to improve.

5. Check for Indexing Problems:

For a page to show up in search results, search engines need to “index” it. This means they understand the page and add it to their system.

If a page isn’t indexed, it won’t show up in search.

We can check this in GSC under “Indexing.” It shows us how many pages are indexed and why some are not.

For example, “Discovered – currently not indexed” means Google found the page but hasn’t read it yet.

We can wait or ask Google to index the page manually. Just click the magnifying glass next to the URL and follow the steps.

6. Keep an Eye on Backlinks:

Backlinks are links from other websites to our site. When good sites link to us, it helps our SEO.

It’s smart to check backlinks often. We might lose some, and we can try to get them back. GSC shows our backlink data, and we can also use Semrush’s Backlink Audit to track changes.

Not all backlinks are good. Some are “toxic” and can hurt our rankings. These links usually try to trick search engines and break the rules.

If we have toxic backlinks:

• First, ask the site owner to remove them
• If that doesn’t work, we can “disavow” them using a file in GSC

Only do this if there are many toxic links or if Google warns us about them.

Periodic Tasks:

Periodic SEO tasks are things to do when needed, like after publishing a new page, updating content, or giving your SEO efforts a helpful boost.

Link from High-Authority Pages:

Some pages on your website may have many strong backlinks. These links often come from trusted websites. We can use these pages to help others who need more visibility. Just add internal links from these strong pages to the pages you want to rank better.

Even though internal links are not as strong as backlinks from other sites, they still help. To find your most powerful pages and tools. Just enter your website address and click “Analyze.”

Try the Skyscraper Method:

This method means finding content that already does well and making something even better. It was made popular by Brian Dean, who increased his website traffic a lot using this idea. The first step is to look at what your competitors are doing. Many use guides or list-style content.

Use a tool like Backlink Analytics and paste the website URL. Go to the “Indexed Pages” tab and sort by “Domains.”This shows how many websites link to each page, helping you find ideas for better content.

To create better content:

• Add missing details that your competitors didn’t include
• Ask experts for their thoughts
• Share original research or surveys
• Make it easy to understand with videos or a clear design

After making your content, promote it. Go back to the tool, find backlinks to the top pages in your topic, and download the list. Look through the list to find places where your content could be linked. When reaching out, be friendly and make your message feel personal to improve your chances.

Make and Improve Videos:

Videos help you reach more people, especially when the topic is easier to explain visually. Google often shows videos in search results when they are helpful, like for “how to” or “review” topics.

An easy way to start is to turn a popular blog post into a video. Or, find a trending topic and talk about it in video form.

When you make a video:

• Use your main keyword in the title and description
• Add a transcript so it’s easy to follow
• Make sure the description clearly explains the video

Even though videos may not directly improve rankings, many experts say they help.

Over 1,700 marketers around the world say visuals, like images and videos, help blog posts rank better.

Improve URL Slugs:

A slug is the part of the web address that comes after your domain and describes the page, like:

https://www.website.com/seo-tips/

Every time a new page is created, check the slug. Use your CMS (content system) to add your main keyword into the slug. Google says slugs have a small effect on rankings, but they help users understand the page better.

For example:

• A slug like /12345/ doesn’t help anyone
• But /how-to-use-seo/ is much clearer

Use hyphens between words, and try to keep slugs short; five words or fewer is ideal.

Add ALT Text to Images:

Alt text tells search engines what an image shows. It also helps users who can’t see the image because of poor connection or vision problems.

Adding keywords to alt text can help your images show up in Google Image search. Most website builders let you add alt text easily when you upload a picture.

Alt text should be clear and short. For example:

“woman stands in a field with her arms outstretched.” You can also include details like clothing or setting to make it more helpful.

Match Your Content to Search Intent:

Search intent is the reason someone types a keyword into Google. Some people want to learn something, while others may want to buy something.

Before creating a page, check what people expect to find with that keyword.

For example, if someone types “how to clean macbook screen,” they want simple steps. We can confirm this by checking the top pages—most are guides.

If we write about different cleaning products instead of giving steps, we may not rank well.

Matching the content to the intent is key to ranking higher.

Keep Improving

Doing these SEO tasks regularly will help your site grow. We can track how our pages are doing, what keywords are working, and where we can improve.