In a recent LinkedIn post, Rob Hoffman discusses how businesses can use Google Search Console to improve pages that already rank near the top of search results. This article reports on Hoffman’s advice and examines his case for refining existing pages before creating more SEO content.
“The quickest way to get more leads from SEO and AI search is already sitting in your Google Search Console.”
Hoffman focuses on what he calls “striking distance” pages: those ranking between positions four and 20. His argument is that these pages may be closer to a top-three result than a new page, giving marketers a practical place to focus their optimization work.
Finding queries with commercial intent
According to Hoffman, marketers can start by exporting 28 days of Search Console performance data to a spreadsheet and sorting queries by position. He recommends using an AI assistant to identify bottom-of-funnel searches among the results, including competitor comparisons and reviews, searches for the best product for a particular need, and software queries tied to a job role.
That emphasis on purchase-oriented searches shapes the rest of his process. Rather than treating every ranking query equally, Hoffman advises choosing the terms a business most wants to improve and assessing which associated pages are most feasible to move up. He notes that tools such as Ahrefs or Semrush can help evaluate the strength of pages currently ranking above them.
Improve the pages already close to ranking
Hoffman then suggests asking an AI assistant to identify specific page changes in priority order, using an AI search checklist as a guide. He highlights “information gain” as a priority, urging marketers to add useful substance rather than make surface-level edits. His proposed workflow also includes human editing and daily Search Console checks to monitor ranking changes.
“Before making a bunch of new SEO-optimized pages, improve the ones that are already close to ranking.”
The recommendation is a sequencing argument: Hoffman’s post favors examining existing search performance before expanding a site with new pages. For marketers, that means connecting query data to the pages that could serve prospective buyers, then directing effort toward the most promising opportunities.
A workflow that still needs judgment
Hoffman presents AI as a tool for sorting queries and suggesting edits, while assigning humans a role in reviewing the resulting copy. The post’s approach depends on marketers selecting relevant keywords and judging whether recommended changes genuinely improve a page. As Hoffman frames it, the tools support the work; the goal is to make existing content more useful to searchers.
His post links to a free checklist for guiding the suggested AI-assisted review. The broader point is straightforward: a site’s existing rankings can provide a starting map for prioritizing SEO work, particularly when some pages already appear within reach of higher positions.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Rob Hoffman on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on November 5, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →