Have you ever published what you thought was a killer blog post, only to watch it fizzle into digital obscurity? Trust me, you’re not alone. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve hit “publish” with high hopes, only to come back a few weeks later to find minimal impressions, low clicks, and even fewer conversions. But here’s the good news: your underperforming blog content isn’t dead—it just needs a second chance. And Google Search Console (GSC) is the perfect tool to breathe new life into it.
In today’s article, I’m going to walk you through how I personally use Google Search Console to identify underperforming blog posts and systematically turn them into SEO winners. No theory—just real, actionable steps that have helped me boost visibility and engagement for both my site, SEO Actu, and for my clients.
Why Google Search Console is My Go-To Tool
Before we dive into the how, let’s talk about the why. Google Search Console is a goldmine of SEO data that, when used strategically, can help you uncover:
- Which blog posts are underperforming in search results
- What search queries are leading users to your posts
- Click-through rates (CTR) that indicate headline or meta description issues
- Average position in search results — are you showing up on page one or buried on page three?
- Technical issues that may be hindering performance
This is not about guessing what’s wrong—it’s about diagnosing with data.
Step 1: Identify Your Underperforming Posts
Start by logging into your GSC account and selecting your website. Then navigate to Performance > Search results. Set the date range to at least the last three months (or longer if you want more context). Now, click on the tab that lets you filter by Pages.
You’ll now see a list of all your indexed URLs, along with key metrics: total clicks, total impressions, average CTR, and average position. Here’s what I look for:
- High impressions but low CTR: This suggests your post is showing up in search results, but users aren’t clicking. Time to tweak your title tag and meta description.
- Decent rankings (position 5–20) but low clicks: A small update could push this content up the ranks.
- Consistent decline in clicks over time: This could mean the content is outdated or no longer aligns with search intent.
Step 2: Dig Into Specific Queries
Click on an underperforming page to view the exact queries it ranks for. This is where things get interesting. You’ll often find that the top-ranking keywords for your blog post don’t entirely match what you originally optimized for.
I like to ask myself:
- Are these the keywords I was actually targeting?
- Are they relevant to the post’s topic or angle?
- Is the user intent behind these queries informational, transactional, or navigational?
Let’s say your post is ranking for the term “AI tools for content writing” but your blog focuses on general content strategy. Maybe Google sees a better match for that angle in your content—but that also means you’re missing an opportunity to fully capitalize on that interest.
Step 3: Optimize Based on Query Intent
Once I understand the disconnect—or alignment—between my content and the queries, I start tweaking:
- Update headers (H1, H2s) to include those high-impression keywords. This signals greater topic relevance to both users and Google.
- Rework your introduction to make it more aligned with search intent. If users are landing on your page expecting tools, but you’re giving them strategy, they’ll likely bounce.
- Improve internal linking to and from the page using relevant anchor text.
- Enhance the calls to action (CTAs), especially if your CTR suggests people aren’t engaging. Make the value crystal clear.
Step 4: Fix Technical and UX Barriers
GSC often reveals technical issues under the “Page Experience,” “Core Web Vitals,” and “Mobile Usability” reports. Don’t ignore these red flags. I’ve had posts dramatically increase their performance just by:
- Speeding up their load times (especially important on mobile!)
- Fixing overlapping clickable elements
- Ensuring images were properly compressed and lazy-loaded
Remember: great content can still sink if the user experience is frustrating.
Step 5: Refresh and Republish
This strategy has brought old posts of mine back to life in under two weeks: after making your optimizations, update the publish date and resubmit the URL to Google via the URL Inspection tool in GSC.
Be sure to also share the updated post on your social channels and email lists to drive immediate traffic—it can trigger new engagement signals for Google.
Step 6: Monitor the Impact
Return to GSC after a week or two and track performance again. Create a simple comparison table for each post you’ve updated.
| Metric | Before Update | After Update | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impressions | 3,200 | 5,500 | +71% |
| Clicks | 110 | 250 | +127% |
| CTR | 3.4% | 4.5% | +1.1% |
| Avg Position | 15.6 | 11.2 | -4.4 (better) |
This table is based on a real case from one of my evergreen blog posts on content structuring. I didn’t reinvent the wheel—I simply aligned better with what users were actually searching for.
Consistency Is Key
This isn’t a one-and-done kind of process. At SEO Actu, I routinely go through our content archive to identify new optimization opportunities. Google Search Console doesn’t just help you fix what’s broken—it helps you spot what’s possible. That’s where the real magic happens.
Underperforming blog posts aren’t a failure. They’re a work in progress. And with GSC by your side, you have a clear roadmap to success.
