Striking distance

Striking distance keywords are searches where your page sits on page two, positions 11 to 20. Move a few spots and you reach page one. That is where clicks live.

They are cheap wins. You already have impressions, so Google knows your page. You do not need a new article. You need to improve intent match, title, and internal links.

Example: yourproduct.com/pricing ranks mid page two for “invoice software pricing”. A better title and two internal links can lift it to low page one. That move can double clicks, even with the same CTR.

1. 1

   Open Performance and set the range

   Go to Performance. Set date to the last 28 days, then compare with the previous 28. Search Console holds up to 16 months if you need a longer view.

2. 2

   Filter to web and by position

   Use Search type Web. Add a Query filter by Position, set greater than or equal to 11, and less than or equal to 20. This is your striking distance set.

3. 3

   Sort by impressions then by clicks

   Sort queries by Impressions. Impressions count when your link appears on a loaded results page, even if not scrolled to. High impressions show demand. Then sort by Clicks to see proven winners.

4. 4

   Check the page and current title

   Switch to the Pages tab for each query. Position is the highest link to your site on that page. Average position is the mean over impressions, so a page can average 8 while appearing at 3 and at 40.

5. 5

   Note CTR and intent

   CTR is clicks divided by impressions. Low CTR with relevant intent is a title or snippet issue. Low CTR with mismatched intent means you must change the page or target a different query.

• Align the page to search intent: if the query is “invoice templates”, lead with a gallery on /guides/invoice-templates, not company news.
• Tighten the title: keep it under about 60 characters. Put the core phrase first, then a clear hook. Example before: “Pricing | Brand”. After: “Invoice Software Pricing, Plans and FAQs”.
• Rewrite the meta description to earn the click. Keep it under 155 characters. Match the query and promise the next step.
• Add two to four internal links from relevant pages. Use natural anchor text that includes the phrase once. For example, link “invoice software pricing” to /pricing.
• Cover the obvious subtopics. Add a short FAQ or section to answer “free trial length”, “setup time”, or “export limits” if those show in People also ask.
• Trim bloat and improve load. Aim for LCP under 2.5 seconds, CLS under 0.1, INP under 200 ms. Replace heavy hero images and block third party scripts you do not need.

A fixed page looks like this: clearer title, a matching h1, a first paragraph that answers the query, links in and out, and faster render above the fold.

• Average position hides swings. If you average well but sometimes hit very high and very low spots, diagnose by device and country before you rewrite.
• Cannibalisation holds you back. If two pages rank for the same query, consolidate or change one. Start with /blog/invoice-pricing vs /pricing.
• Wrong canonical can bench the right URL. In Page indexing, “Alternate page with proper canonical tag” is fine only if you meant it. Fix the canonical if Google picked the wrong page.
• Thin or orphan pages seldom climb. If your target page has no internal links or little content, add structure and links first.
• SERP features steal clicks. If a featured snippet or a pack dominates, aim to win that feature or pivot to a more specific variant.

Ship the changes in one batch per page. Annotate the date. Wait a full 28 days to compare like with like in Search Console.

Look for moves from 11 to 10 or better, higher CTR, and stable or rising impressions. If impressions fall, you may have changed intent or title too far. Roll back or split the topic.

Stop when the next gains need new sections, new links, or net new content. Then move to the next page two query.