Indeed, you do need to focus on verbal--it's the most important part--particularly when you are aiming for the 700+ range. The
reading comprehension section is particularly important.
Perfect GMAT Verbal Score
If you score 99th percentile in Verbal (49V), and your Quant score is…
39M = 57th percentile = Total (730, 96th percentile)
41M = 63th percentile = Total (730, 96th percentile)
43M = 70th percentile = Total (740, 97th percentile)
Notice it does not matter how many extra points this student can get on quant. In the end, her score is around the same score of 730 whether her math score is 39 or 43. Doing well in Verbal pays off!
Now is the opposite true? What if a student scores outrageously well in Quant but average in Verbal?
Perfect GMAT Math Quant Score
If you score 99th percentile in Math (51V), and your Verbal score is…
30V = 57th percentile = Total (670, 85th percentile)
32V = 65th percentile = Total (690, 88th percentile)
34V = 70th percentile = Total (710, 92nd percentile)
Notice doing extremely well in quant does not guarantee you a good score. In fact, an average score in the 57th percentile for verbal and a perfect quant score only give you a (670, 85th percentile). Doing well in Quant is good, but not as good as doing well in Verbal!
Let me say that again:
Doing well in Quant is good, but not as good as doing well in Verbal!
So yes, focusing on the verbal section for your given situation is the right thing to do.