March 24, 2026
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What do all of the websites on page one of Google have in common… besides ranking?
Great content, solid links pointing to their site, and they're technically sound.
Every website that ranks well for targeted keywords has three distinct pillars working together. Take any one away and your SEO strategy crumbles. Content can't rank without links. Links can't rank a broken website. Content and links can't be properly read by Google without technical SEO strategy.
You know what's great about each of these three pillars?
They're not mysterious or magical. Content marketing, link building, and technical SEO are proven. Measurable. And most importantly, completely repeatable with the right strategy.
Businesses that want to rank know this. Which is why they work with a knowledgeable nh seo company that understands how on-page SEO optimization, link building, and technical performance has to work together as one holistic strategy. Instead of being treated as three separate jobs thrown together.
The Google algorithm itself changes pretty frequently these days.
But here's the thing. The basics of what Google values has not changed as drastically as a lot of SEO pundits want you to believe.
Google answers 78% of all online searches which means SEO these days is entirely non-negotiable if your business wants to be found online. But regardless of updates or algorithm tweaks what Google wants has remained largely the same: trustworthy content that answers a searcher's question buried on a website that loads quickly and can be crawled effectively.
The three pillars of SEO break down like this:
Give Google these things and rankings come. Take any one away… and you'll slowly bleed search traffic. Oftentimes in ways that aren't easily identified if you don't know what to look for.
Content is the single most important Google ranking factor.
Not thin content. Thin blog posts written just to get links are absolutely useless now. Pages that cover topics at a surface level will get drowned out by competitors filling their pages with genuine value.
Google's machine learning systems can tell when a page goes deep on a subject, and they reward that depth.
Here's what you really need to know:
Typically, pages ranking on page one cover more related subtopics than pages just below them. That doesn't happen by accident. When a page shows exhaustive, helpful information on a topic Google knows it, and ranks it accordingly.
Google rewards pages that live up to search queries. What does content that's actually worth ranking look like?
Writing for humans not bots is a simple thing to say, but incredibly difficult to execute. Posting keyword-stuffed content on a website used to work… but guess what? Those days are long gone. Creating content that turns offers into customers consistently outranks content written with SEO keyword density in mind.
Content freshness matters too. Refreshing older pages with new information sends a clear signal to Google that you care about what you're publishing on your website. You'll routinely see organic traffic increases from updating existing pages with better structure/content, not from publishing new content and hoping it ranks.
This is something that will get argued about in the SEO community forever…
…but the evidence keeps stacking up.
Backlinks are still one of the strongest signals in Google's ranking algorithm. Nine out of ten pages on page one have an active backlink profile with at least one referring domain.
Links = votes of confidence from other websites. The more authoritative the site linking to your content, the stronger the signal being sent to Google.
Quality matters over quantity when it comes to link building. Backlinks make up roughly 13% of Google's algorithm as a whole, and that ranking weight is passed earned through high-quality, contextual links. One hundred links from low-quality directories won't do you any good.
Here's a quick rundown of effective link building strategies for 2022.
Link building isn't a get rich quick scheme. But the strategies above help you build a link profile that can weather any Google algorithm update.
Links and content have always been SEO's flashy new toys.
Technical SEO rarely gets the attention it requires.
It bears repeating.
Technical SEO maters. Pages can't rank if Google can't read them properly. Crawl them. Or index them. Ignoring technical factors of SEO is a ranking killer.
Elements that factor into technical SEO include:
Technical SEO issues can be subtle. But they impact your rankings more than you know. Every website should have a clean technical profile. Fast page load times, clean code, and mobile responsiveness tell Google your website is operated by a legitimate business that someone should visit.
SEO doesn't have to be complicated.
When you break down on-page SEO into just three different components it's easy to see how they work together to drive rankings.
Great content attracts links. Links help your website build the authority needed to rank for competitive keywords. And technical SEO makes sure Google can read all of your great content in the first place.
You can't have just one without the others. Observe that and you'll be putting together a cohesive SEO strategy.
Done correctly, SEO is predictable. Understand what SEO actually relies on and use it to your advantage.
Remember: Ranking on page one is built across three separate, but equally important pillars.
Fill all three of these areas consistently and Google will reward you for it.
A successful SEO strategy is built on three essential pillars: high-quality content that answers user questions, authoritative backlinks from other websites to signal trust, and a solid technical foundation that allows search engines to easily crawl and index your site.
Simply producing a large volume of content isn't enough anymore. Google's systems can now tell the difference between thin, surface-level articles and in-depth content that provides genuine value. Your pages must thoroughly cover a topic to compete for top rankings.
Yes, absolutely. Backlinks act as votes of confidence from other sites. They are still one of the strongest signals in Google's algorithm, indicating that your content is trustworthy and authoritative. The quality of the linking site is more important than the sheer number of links.
Ignoring technical SEO can be a silent ranking killer. Issues like slow page speed, a poor mobile experience, or errors that prevent Google from crawling your pages can stop your content from ranking, no matter how good it is. A technically sound website is non-negotiable.
A balanced strategy gives attention to all three pillars. You should be consistently creating valuable content, actively building quality links, and regularly auditing your site for technical issues. If you're unsure how to balance these elements, working with an expert from a team like Robin Waite Limited can help create a cohesive plan.
