Want quick wins that move the needle? Here are three simple, high-impact habits most site owners overlook. Tighten these up and you’ll crawl cleaner, verify faster, and rank smarter.
1) Clean up unfinished content (or set it to Draft)
Half-written posts and placeholder pages can get indexed—and that creates thin/duplicate content that drags down your site’s quality.
Do this:
- Delete test pages you’ll never use.
- If you’re still working on it, switch the post/page to Draft (WordPress: Posts/Pages → Quick Edit → Status: Draft).
- If you must keep it live for stakeholders, set it to noindex (e.g., via Yoast: Edit Post → Advanced → Allow search engines to show this Post in search results? → No).
Goal: Only publish what’s ready for users and search engines.
2) Verify your domain in Google Search Console (via DNS) & submit your sitemap
If Google can’t fully verify your domain, you’re flying blind. DNS TXT verification is the most durable method—once added, it just works.
Do this:
- Go to Google Search Console → Add property → choose Domain.
- Copy the TXT record provided.
- Add the TXT record in your DNS (e.g., Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Route 53).
- Name/Host:
@(or your root) - Type:
TXT - Value: (the token from GSC)
- Name/Host:
- Wait for DNS to propagate, then click Verify.
- In GSC, submit your sitemap (usually
https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml).
Why this matters:
- Lets you submit sitemaps, request re-indexing, and see coverage errors.
- Surfaces issues that keep pages from appearing in organic search.
- Improves crawl guidance so new and updated content is discovered faster.
3) Put your keywords where they count (copy + images)
A common mistake: picking good keywords but never using them in the actual content.
Do this:
- Primary keyphrase: Use it (naturally) in the H1, early in the intro, 1–2 subheads (H2/H3), and a few times in the body.
- Synonyms/related terms: Sprinkle semantically related phrases to cover topic depth.
- Image alt text: Describe the image and, when relevant, include the keyphrase.
- Title tag & meta description: Write compelling, human-first snippets that include the keyphrase.
Quick examples:
- H1: “Local SEO Tips for Boulder Restaurants”
- Intro sentence: “These local SEO strategies help Boulder restaurants rank in Google Maps and organic results.”
- Alt text: “Exterior of Boulder farm-to-table restaurant—local SEO case study.”
Remember: Keyword stuffing hurts. Write for humans, optimize for search.