If you feel like you’re being pulled in different directions with your SEO program, you aren’t alone. 

How do you know where to focus first for the most impact? And when that’s done, what do you do next?

It can be challenging to decide which SEO tasks to prioritize because they all impact the end user in some way – but some more than others. This is where discernment comes into play.

This article will help you build a path to get your SEO program organized from point A to point B and figure out how to prioritize tasks to get ROI quicker.

Frameworks for identifying high-impact SEO opportunities

When every SEO task feels urgent, knowing where to focus first can make or break your strategy. These three frameworks can help you prioritize what moves the needle.

1. Technical SEO audit

A technical SEO audit is your roadmap for identifying and fixing the issues that directly impact search visibility and user experience. 

The right audit reveals the most urgent technical barriers to ranking – and helps you prioritize based on impact.

But not all audits are created equal. Here’s a breakdown of the different types:

Basic SEO audit

• This is where automated software scans your site and flags common SEO issues. While the insights can be helpful, they come in a generic, one-size-fits-all report. 
• This type of audit is ideal if you’re working with a tight budget or just want to get a basic overview before bringing in an expert. 
• It’s never a bad idea, but it won’t provide an in-depth analysis.

Mid-level SEO audit

• Here, you can expect a professional SEO specialist or vendor to go beyond automated reports and offer additional insights that software alone might miss. 
• While these can pinpoint issues that require attention, they may not provide detailed solutions. 
• This approach is useful when you need to identify potential problem areas but aren’t ready for a full-scale SEO strategy.

Comprehensive SEO audit

• This is a full technical audit conducted by experienced technical SEOs. 
• This deep dive involves top-tier tools, data analysis, and an in-depth website and SEO review by skilled analysts specializing in technical SEO and business strategy. 
• Tools assist the process, but the real value comes from expert analysis, which makes it a time-intensive but highly valuable investment.

Knowing these key differences in audits can help you make an informed decision before you invest. 

Dig deeper: Technical SEO: Don’t rush the process

2. The Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is a powerful tool for prioritizing tasks by urgency and importance. 

Applying it to your SEO strategy helps you determine which tasks need immediate attention and which can wait.

To get started, divide tasks into four quadrants:

Quadrant 1: Urgent and important

• These are the critical issues that directly impact rankings and user experience. 
• For example, this could be a slow site or fixing a misconfigured robots.txt file that is blocking search engines from crawling and indexing key pages.
• Whatever tasks you put in this category will be non-negotiable. Addressing these items can sometimes have an immediate impact on your ability to compete.

Quadrant 2: Important but not urgent

• These will be the longer-term strategies that build sustainable growth.
• For instance, maybe developing a long-term content strategy focused on topic authority and evergreen content falls here.
• These efforts don’t require immediate attention but are essential for long-term SEO success.  

Quadrant 3: Urgent but not important

• This bucket is for handling tasks that are time-sensitive but don’t significantly influence rankings or user experience.
• This could be something like responding to a minor Google Search Console alert about a non-critical issue.
• While these tasks may not have a high impact, taking care of them prevents minor issues from accumulating into big projects.

Quadrant 4: Neither urgent nor important

• Anything that falls into this category is something you avoid. 
• One example might be spending hours tweaking meta descriptions that already meet best practices without significant SEO gains.
• These activities consume time and resources without delivering meaningful results.

Using the Eisenhower Matrix helps your SEO by enhancing:

• Clarity: Identify and fix what demands attention now versus what can wait.
• Efficiency: Prioritize the highest ROI tasks without getting bogged down.
• Focus: Stay aligned with business goals, eliminating distractions.

3. The Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)

The Pareto Principle suggests that 80% of outcomes come from 20% of efforts. 

In SEO, focusing on the most impactful tasks helps you drive faster, more meaningful results without spreading yourself too thin.

Keyword targeting

It’s common for a small subset of your keywords to drive most organic traffic. 

Instead of spreading your efforts thin across all keywords, focus on optimizing the ones that deliver the most value.

• Use SEO tools to identify the top-performing 20% of keywords that bring in most of your traffic and conversions.
• Prioritize pages that rank between Positions 5 and 20 for those high-value keywords. These are low-hanging fruit that can move up with improvements.
• Expand content for high-value keywords by answering related questions and creating supporting content. 

Content focus

Most of your website’s traffic and engagement likely comes from a handful of high-performing pages. 

Instead of endlessly creating new content, invest in improving the 20% of pages that already generate the most traffic and leads.

• Identify your top 20% of pages by traffic and conversions using analytics tools.
• Revamp those pages by updating outdated content to enhance optimization and engagement. 
• Create supporting content to build topical authority around your best pages.

Technical fixes

Technical SEO can feel overwhelming because there’s always more to fix. But, a small subset of technical issues typically has the most impact on site performance.

Focus on fixing the top 20% of technical issues that cause 80% of your performance problems.

Prioritize high-impact fixes like: 

• Resolving crawl errors so search engines can access your site.
• Improving page load speed for user experience and rankings.
• Fixing broken links to avoid losing link equity and frustrating users.
• Optimizing usability to retain visitors and improve your ability to compete in the search results.

Dig deeper: Prioritizing SEO strategies: Where to focus your efforts

Having a framework for approaching your SEO program helps you stay organized.

Within that framework, you must consider how you will execute both short-term wins and longer-term strategies.

Balancing long-term strategies with quick wins

To succeed in SEO, you must balance short-term wins with long-term growth.

Quick wins can show immediate improvements, but foundational efforts are what build lasting authority.

To achieve the best results, it’s important to defer resources to both.

Quick wins

Quick wins are tactical SEO tasks that can be implemented quickly to produce noticeable results. 

These tasks usually involve optimizing existing content or resolving certain technical issues. 

They may not require large investments of time or resources but can lead to meaningful improvements in rankings, traffic, or user experience.

What constitutes a quick win? 

• Tasks that are simple to implement. 
• Things that address known website performance issues. 
• Fixes that improve both search engine visibility and user experience. 

Examples of SEO quick wins include:

• Fixing technical errors, like resolving 404 pages, broken links, and crawl issues.
• Improving site speed.
• Optimizing existing content by adding internal links, updating outdated information, or including relevant keywords.

Quick wins are valuable because they deliver early signs of progress. This helps build momentum and gain stakeholder buy-in. 

However, relying solely on quick wins isn’t enough to achieve a sustainable SEO program. 

That’s where long-term strategies come in. 

Long-term strategies

Long-term strategies require more time and effort but are key to creating a strong foundation. 

These strategies help your website become more authoritative, trustworthy, and relevant in the eyes of both search engines and your audience.

Examples of long-term strategies include:

• Content creation that targets important keywords and answers user questions in-depth. Try SEO siloing to build authority around a topic.
• Earning backlinks through your high-quality content and partnerships. 
• Refreshing top-performing content to make sure it remains evergreen and relevant. I recommend spending 50% of your content resources on maintaining older but high-performing content. 
• Continuing education so you can stay ahead of the curve. Consider annual SEO training with additional learning opportunities throughout the year. Search evolves fast, and you want to be able to forecast what’s coming up so you can start working on it early. 

Foundational efforts don’t deliver instant results, but as your site’s authority grows, you’ll see compounding benefits with higher rankings, more traffic, and increased user trust.

Fast gains, lasting growth: Crafting a balanced SEO plan

A good SEO roadmap should include both short-term quick wins and long-term projects. But where to start? 

Here’s one scenario: You could focus 70% of your time on quick wins early on to show immediate results and 30% on long-term efforts. 

Over time, you might adjust the balance to a 50/50 split as your site becomes more stable and foundational work becomes a bigger priority.

Dig deeper: 3 quick SEO wins to kick-start growth next year

Focus on what matters most for lasting results

Prioritizing your SEO strategies is the key to driving meaningful results. 

SEO isn’t about doing everything at once. It’s about doing the right things at the right time. 

When you focus on high-impact tasks and continuously refine your approach, you’ll build a more competitive search engine presence that pays off for years to come.

Microsoft is testing a new version of Bing named Copilot Search, where it uses Copilot AI to provide a different style of search results. It looks different from the main Bing Search, it looks different from Copilot and it looks different from the Bing generative search experience.

More details. The folks over at Windows Latests reported, “Microsoft is testing a new feature on Bing called “AI Search,” which replaces blue links with AI-summarized answers. Sources tell me it’s part of Microsoft’s efforts to bridge the gap between “traditional search” and “Copilot answers” to take on ChatGPT. However, the company does not plan to make “AI search” the default search mode.”

You can access it at bing.com/copilotsearch?q=addyourqueryhere – just replace the text “addyourqueryhere” with your query.

What it looks like. Here is a screenshot I captured of this interface:

Why we care. Everyone is looking to build the future of search now – with Google Gemini, Google’s AI Overviews, Microsoft Bing, Copilot, ChatGPT Search, Perplexity and the dozens of other start up AI search engines – the future of search is something they are all trying to crack.

This seems to be one new test that Microsoft is trying out for a new approach to AI search.

X launched two new features to help advertisers automate ad creation and analyze real-time ad campaign performance. The new features – Prefill with Grok and Analyze Campaign with Grok – are (as the names imply) powered by Grok, X’s AI assistant.

Prefill with Grok. Enter your website URL and Grok will generate ad copy, imagery, and a call-to-action headline. You can tweak as needed. Here’s what it looks like:

Analyze Campaign with Grok. Grok will analyze campaign data and offer insights and recommendations to optimize targeting and creative strategy.

What’s next. The rollout began Feb. 21. It will continue in phases, expanding to more advertisers.

Why we care. This move aims to streamline the ad creation process and make data-driven optimizations faster, cutting down on manual effort and potentially boosting campaign performance.

The announcement. Grok for Advertisers: Introducing New AI Tools for Brands.

Google Ads is making a major change to its Search Partner Network by automatically opting all accounts out of serving ads on parked domains, websites that are registered but not actively developed, starting March 19.

Details:

• Google will automatically opt out all advertiser accounts from showing ads on parked domains.
• The change will roll out gradually over several months.
• Advertisers can still manually opt in through their account’s Content suitability settings.

Why we care. The change will affect all advertisers using Google’s Search Partner Network, potentially reducing ad reach but improving quality of ad placements.

Between the lines. While Google hasn’t explicitly stated why they’re making this change, it likely stems from concerns about ad quality and effectiveness, as parked domains typically generate lower-quality traffic.

Before this. Google announced in September that ads would no longer appear on parked domains for new accounts by default, starting in October.

First seen. We first noted this update when Founder of Zato Marketing Kirk Williams, shared the email he received from Google, on LinkedIn:

What’s next. Advertisers will need to actively choose to show ads on parked domains, marking a reversal from the previous default opt-in approach.

Go deeper. Parked domains are part of Google’s Search Partner Network, which extends advertisers’ reach beyond Google’s own search results pages.

Even in 2025, as platforms like LinkedIn (not known for creativity) double down on video, many new clients coming to us still haven’t made it part of their organic strategy.

So, why should you invest in video? 

Here are three key reasons:

• Increased SERP visibility: With a targeted strategy, YouTube videos have a higher chance of appearing prominently in the SERPs, enhancing brand visibility and driving organic traffic.

• Higher (and longer-lasting) engagement: Video content fosters deeper engagement, encouraging longer view times and generating sustained traffic over months or years.
• Multi-platform reach: Optimized videos could appear on both Google and YouTube (the world’s two largest search engines) and social media platforms, expanding brand visibility across channels.

None of this should be new information, right? 

But much like reach campaigns, sometimes repeated exposure leads to eventual action. 

If you’re inspired to ramp up your investment in video, let’s roll up our sleeves and get into optimization.

1. Analyze your current videos

Assuming you’ve posted some video content to YouTube, there’s plenty you can learn from and carry forward.

• Review all published videos to:
  • Assess performance metrics, such as views, watch time, likes, comments, and shares. 
  • Identify videos that have performed well and analyze what elements (e.g., titles, thumbnails, topics) contributed to their relative success. 
  • Observe the length, format, and pacing of high-performing videos.
  • Leverage platforms like TubeBuddy or vidIQ to find high watch times that can indicate especially valuable or entertaining content.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of current SEO strategies, including keyword usage in titles, descriptions, and tags. Even in top-performing videos, you may find gaps that, when filled in, will provide another bump in performance.
• Review comments and feedback from viewers to gain insights into audience preferences and suggestions for improvement. The more views your videos have, the more commentary they want to garner, so it’s fine to stick with analyzing your top performers here.

Dig deeper: The future of SEO content is video – here’s why

2. Analyze your competitors

Start with your top competitors. If they’re not active on YouTube, that’s good for you but not for research. 

In that case, find competitors in your niche or related ones.

Once you’ve got your list of competitors, analyze their highest-engagement videos. 

• Are their Shorts outperforming longer content? 
• Are their webinars crushing it? 
• Are there any production elements that seem common in their top videos? 

Dig into the elements of the videos: 

• Titles.
• Descriptions.
• Thumbnails.
• Video quality.
• Keyword usage.
• Thumbnail appeal.
• Overall video production

Your competitors’ audiences likely share many characteristics of your ICP (ideal customer profile), so mine their audience feedback for insights. 

Check views, likes, comments, and shares to gauge audience interaction, identify successful content, and find opportunities to improve your own video strategy.

3. Refresh your keyword research

Using your Google keywords for video may be efficient, but it’s not always effective.

From a user perspective, people simply search differently on YouTube than they do on Google.

YouTube’s audience often searches for niche, visual content that may not have a high search volume on Google. 

From a platform perspective, YouTube and Google carry different algorithms that reward different user behaviors. 

Where Google favors content that gets clicks, YouTube’s algorithm favors engagement metrics like watch time, comments, and shares. 

Choosing keywords that encourage viewers to watch longer and interact boosts content performance.

From a tools perspective, Google’s keyword planning and Semrush alone won’t get you the insights you need for video. 

Consider using:

• Google Trends: Use the YouTube filter.
• vidIQ: Enter video topic, get relevant keywords.
• KeywoodTool.io: Explore the YouTube tab.
• The YouTube search bar: Look for autofill suggestions that indicate popular searches.

Dig deeper: Visual content and SEO: How to use images and videos in 2025

4. Sketch out your new-content strategy

Here’s how we break down video content’s types and use cases at my agency:

These won’t all be relevant for your brand, but the breakdown might be a good starting point for ideating new content to engage your audience. 

Here are a few additional pointers as you roll up your sleeves and get filming:

• In general, authenticity (even in B2B) wins out over production, so emphasize your content’s value over bells and whistles.
• UGC is a great way to infuse E-E-A-T principles and social proof into your video content. Even if you don’t have the budget to bring on creators, employees can serve as effective advocates.
• Blog content can be a great source of inspiration for new videos:
  • Review existing blog content to find topics that can be expanded into video formats. (Look for posts with high traffic or engagement metrics that indicate strong interest.) 
  • Use blog posts as scripts or outlines for videos. This saves time and ensures consistency in messaging. 
  • Break down long-form blog content into shorter, digestible video segments.
  • Remember to embed videos in blog posts to increase engagement and provide additional context. Conversely, link to related blog posts in video descriptions to drive traffic back to your website.

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5. Tackle on-page optimizations

Starting with your existing videos and remembering to apply the principles to any new content, set aside time to refine these on-page SEO elements:

• Video titles and descriptions: Optimize with main keywords and compelling language for better engagement. 
• Video thumbnail creation: Custom thumbnails attract clicks; relevant tags boost discoverability.
• Use end-screens and cards: Guide viewers to related videos, keeping them on your channel longer.
• Curate playlists: Organize related content to increase overall watch time.
• Enhance your search visibility with schema: Use video schema to boost the chances of videos appearing in rich snippets and search results, increasing click-through rates. 

Dig deeper: The DESCRIBE framework for effective YouTube descriptions

6. Build your video presence away from Google

I work extensively with my clients to establish organic initiatives away from the Google ecosystem, and video should follow suit. 

Repurposing content across channels won’t always be as simple as that, so consider these recommendations for extending your video presence.

On LinkedIn, short-form videos (under 2 minutes) work well for business updates, thought leadership, and industry insights. You can also repurpose YouTube Shorts if the content aligns.

You’ll need to adapt your content for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and Facebook, keeping each platform’s audience and style in mind. 

For example, Reels and TikTok benefit from trending sounds and hashtags, while Facebook favors story-driven content.

Email marketing is a good fit for video. Add video links to newsletters (and calling video out in your subject lines) to boost click-through rates. 

As with any email campaign, use segmented lists to personalize video content for specific audiences.

Leverage your network of partners to find influencers, podcasts, and webinar, where your content can be featured to reach new audiences.

Dig deeper: A guide to creating social media videos (for search and beyond)

7. Lock in your KPIs

Measurement is what quantifies the impact of the initiatives above. 

Before breaking down video metrics, keep in mind that advanced analytics – through third-party tools or decision sciences – can track video’s impact on leads and purchases.

For now, let’s focus on upper-funnel measurement:

Along with the quantifiable impact of tracking these metrics, you’ll get directional data on the topics and trends that matter most to your ICP, which will inform future content.

Video content in 2025: Smarter SEO, more engagement, bigger reach

Video optimization is an ongoing process.

Like any organic strategy, it requires constant refinement and adaptation over time.

You’ll know video has the right place in your SEO strategy when it’s referenced as often as other content, with regular reporting and optimization updates.

Until then, you’re giving your competitors an opening to grab customer affinity and market share.

Don’t let more time pass before the next reminder to make 2025 the year of video finally sink in.

Dig deeper: A technical guide to video SEO