![How to Get on the First Page of Google [Backlinko Method]](https://i2.wp.com/hacktheentrepreneur.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/The-BEST-Business-Books-of-All-Time-2018-Twitter.png?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "How to Get on the First Page of Google [Backlinko Method]")
Are you dying to know how to get on the first page of Google? You’ve come to the right place.
I first learned how to rank articles fast from Brian Dean. I also interviewed him on the podcast to learn more about his exact process for getting on the first page of Google.
Following the methods Brian shared on Backlinko, I more than doubled my organic search traffic within two months.
The best part of his strategy? You don’t need a ton of content to do this.
At the time of the interview, Backlinko had only 40 blog posts. It was getting more than 230,000 visits per month, and in the years since the site has grown to almost 1,000,000.
(And I went on to build my own SEO agency – Digital Commerce Partners has grown to become one of the featured services on Backlinko’s list!)
Originally published on October 8th, 2018, this article was updated and republished on July 8th 2024.
So, here are Backlinko’s 10 steps to getting first-page Google results with your content.
Step 0: A Non-technical SEO Audit
Let’s begin at the beginning. None of this works if your website is slow and has SEO issues.
How do you know if your website has SEO issues? Perform an SEO audit to find out before you focus on Google rankings.
If you’re starting with an older website, improving its speed can dramatically increase its traffic. One of the fastest ways to fix this is with better hosting.
Another crucial factor to consider is Google’s “E-E-A-T”, or, Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor. It’s more of an underlying approach you should take when building your website’s content.
Essentially, Google’s human quality raters use E-E-A-T as a guideline to evaluate the quality of search results. Their feedback helps Google measure and enhance its SEO algorithms.
So, optimizing with E-E-A-T in mind will help you improve and maintain a high ranking over time.
Here’s what to consider:
- Experience: Quality content usually highlights the author’s direct experience with the topic. This boosts credibility and trustworthiness in both the content and the brand. Unique photos and authentic opinions are a great way to demonstrate experience.
- Expertise: Topical expertise is another crucial aspect of quality content. You need to show you have the credentials, knowledge, and background to deliver reliable content on your subject matter. A detailed biography, in-depth content, and the use of reputable sources and studies all help showcase expertise.
- Authoritativeness: Authoritativeness refers to your brand’s reputation in your respective industry. Your goal is to become well-known and trusted–so much so that other authorities in your community mention and link to your website. Writing consistent, engaging, and high-quality content is the best way to achieve this.
- Trustworthiness: Google’s evaluators determine trustworthiness based on the accuracy, accessibility, and validity of the content you publish. Be sure to check your content’s factual accuracy, avoid hiding content behind too many ads or popups, and maintain a valid SSL certificate.
Next up, it’s time for an SEO audit. This ensures search engines understand what your site is about and can crawl it fast and efficiently.
The improvements you make now will help your website be found more easily on Google when you publish new articles.
Performing an SEO Audit is not as complicated as it sounds.
I use Semrush for SEO audits and keyword research. You can get a 7-day FREE trial by clicking here.
Backlinko created a simple guide to performing an SEO audit – the same guide they used to get these results for Backlinko:
Once your website is optimized, you’re ready to rank on the first page with your next article.
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Step 1: Choose the Right Keyword
The most important factor to consider when choosing the right keyword has nothing to do with SEO. It’s knowing which topics you can cover better than your competition.
Regurgitated content will not get results.
Rewritten versions of existing articles don’t stand out enough to get you onto page one.
Write about your direct experiences and expertise — things you can teach. This also helps you follow Google’s E-E-A-T and YMYL guidelines.
For example, Backlinko posts initially weren’t about technical SEO, such as site architecture or HTML. Those topics got a lot of traffic but weren’t where Brian spent his time.
Brian wrote about what he did (creating content that ranks at the top of search engine results).
If you haven’t got this far yet, check out our guide on how to start a blog.
Deciding What to Write About
Deciding what to write is more art than science. What ultimately matters is how amazing your content is.
This process is about how to get on the first page of Google by creating better content than your competitors.
How do search engines know your article is better than others?
- High CTR: People click on it more than other search results.
- Be Useful: People find exactly what they are looking for in your article.
- Relevance: The article is highly relevant to the search query.
- Social Signals: People share it and link to it from other websites.
- Engagement: Your content keeps users on the page longer (low bounce rate).
- Clarity and Readability: Your content is well-structured and easy to read with proper grammar and spelling.
There are two approaches to deciding what to write:
- Start with a topic
- Start with a keyword
Keywords are the exact words that people type into Google when they want information on your topic, but with either approach, you will end up with a focus keyword for your article.
Start With a Topic Idea
The goal is to create an article that will blow the competition out of the water.
Start by thinking of areas within your main blog subject where you can shine.
For example, if you have a fitness blog, you might choose:
- High protein breakfast ideas
- Five-day-per-week workout plans
- A breakdown of a specific exercise like a pushup
The art of choosing a keyword is having an idea for a piece of content that will outshine the competition on a particular topic.
The science of choosing a keyword is research — finding out how many people search for your topic, and which words they use.
This is easy with a keyword research tool. In this example, I used Semrush.
You can click this link to try out Semrush for yourself.
I typed “high protein breakfast” into Semrush’s keyword research tool, and came up with these results:
What does this information mean? Let me break it down briefly.
Volume is the number of monthly searches for your term.
The list of related keywords provides more terms people use when they search this topic.
With this information, you can narrow your topic to one specific keyword or phrase that perfectly matches your idea. If one of your lead magnets outperforms all your others, consider writing more about this topic.
Keyword Research
There are many ways to find popular search terms, trending topics, and related keywords.
Check out Backlinko’s Definitive Guide to Keyword Research — you’ll never run out of blog topic ideas.
Using a keyword research tool, generate a list of keywords in your subject area.
Here are a few keyword research tools to get you started:
Here are some numbers to look at that can help you narrow down your search and choose one.
Search volume: how many people search for your keyword?
In this example, 49,500 monthly searches are the number of people typing this into Google monthly.
Competition: How hard will it be to move ahead of the existing articles ranking for your keyword?
Semrush uses “difficulty” as a measure of how hard it will be to move ahead of competitors for your keyword.
If you’re just starting, you will have more success targeting keyword variations with a lower difficulty.
This usually means lower volume keywords.
Backlinko advises choosing only one keyword (or phrase) to focus on when you start writing.
Most keyword variations are just that — variations of the same searcher intent. Google is smart enough to rank your content for all of them.
For example, I chose a focus keyword “motivational quotes” for an article on HTE.
This article ranks in search results for 677 keywords:
Don’t get too bogged down in the details of keyword research.
The numbers are helpful, but they don’t tell the whole story.
What matters most is matching a good keyword to a topic where you can really crush it.
Once you’ve arrived at a keyword, you’re ready to move on.
Step 2: Understand the Search Intent Behind the Keyword
Begin your article with the end user in mind. What’s their goal when they search for your chosen keyword on Google?
This is known as search intent, and it typically falls into one of four brackets:
- Navigational intent: Users want to find a certain webpage (e.g., “Hack The Entrepreneur”)
- Informational intent: Users want to learn more about a specific topic (e.g., “How to get on the first page of Google”)
- Commercial intent: Users want to research a product or service they’re thinking about buying (e.g., “Best SEO outsourcing services”)
- Transactional intent: Users want to take immediate action, usually a purchase (e.g., “buy a book on SEO”)
Step 2.5: Choose a Format that Fits the Intent
Once you understand the search intent, you can then choose a format that compels your audience to click on your content.
For example, if your audience is looking for high-protein breakfast recipes, here are some formats you could use:
- List-post: 101 High Protein Breakfasts
- Guide: The Helpful Guide to Making High Protein Breakfasts
- How-to: How to Make High Protein Breakfasts
- Case Study: How I Lost 83 Pounds Eating High Protein Breakfasts
These formats are popular because they work well. Not only for conveying information but for getting Google front page results.
Find out which type of post is already working well for your competitors.
You don’t need any fancy SEO tools for this. Google your keyword, and look at the top results.
In this example, the majority of these results are list posts:
These results tell us that people click on list posts when they search for this topic. You have the best chance of getting to page one with this format. But it has to be bigger, longer, and better if you are going to stand out.
Remember, the number one rule is to create amazing content. Google’s Helpful Content Guidelines make it clear that more isn’t better if it’s low quality or low effort. It has to deliver what readers want better than the competing posts.
If you’re using the same format as the most popular articles for your keyword, you have to do something to stand out.
For example, to compete with other list posts, you can create either:
- A bigger and badder list, or
- Go more in-depth with your list items
This is the exact thinking behind these articles we’ve published:
It sounds simple, but it’s deceptively effective.
Another way to outshine the competition is to refresh your existing content. Improve on it, add the latest information, and republish.
Brian calls this a content relaunch:
Step 3: Write an Article Outline
Creating an outline for your article before you start writing is incredibly helpful.
It’s easy to say, “I’m going to write out 200 recipes.”
It’s a lot harder to do.
Brian learned this important step early in his career when he worked with Neil Patel to write an online guide.
Brian went along with Neil’s request to submit an outline — something he had not done since his high school English class.
He quickly realized the wisdom of outlining.
With an outline, there’s no blank page anxiety or writer’s block.
Writing is faster and easier when you don’t have to stop to research and plan each paragraph.
Here’s an outlining framework to get you started, so you never have to start with a blank page.
For a list post, outlining is straightforward:
- Short introduction
- List all the items
- Ending
For more complex posts, like case studies and guides, outlining is a more creative process.
Step 4: Writing Your Article for SEO
Writing a Short Introduction
I asked Brian about his approach to introductions because I noticed something different about Backlinko articles — his intros are super short.
A more common style found in SEO content writing is to use several paragraphs of introduction.
Have you ever searched for a recipe and had to scroll through pages of backstory before finding what you wanted?
Here’s the thing: People already know they need the information – that’s why they typed it into Google.
All you need to do is introduce what your article is about.
Think of it as a preview. If they want to go deeper, they can carry on reading the article.
Not only is this easier to write, but it’s very effective.
Bonus tip from Brian: Including an emotional hook in your intro can be good for SEO.
Try including a sentence that speaks to the person searching your keyword.
The purpose of this is to create an emotional connection. Show readers you understand what they are going through, and they are more likely to keep reading.
Writing the Body of Your Article
Use examples and stories as much as possible.
As much as you can, use examples that focus on what you have personally done.
This is a powerful way to separate your article from more generic content.
Write how you speak.
Use simple language and short sentences to make your writing easy to read.
This may be difficult if you are used to a more formal style of writing.
Brian had to deprogram his writing style after years of academic writing in college and graduate school.
Once he simplified his writing, his online content performed much better, and he figured out how to get on the first page of Google.
Use images to illustrate every concept.
Use images like screenshots, charts, photographs, and illustrations as much as you can.
You can almost never include too many images.
The goal is to publish an article that someone can skim through without reading, and still understand the story.
For example, I wanted to make pancakes so I looked up a recipe. I read the instructions but still wondered if I was doing it right.
How do I know when to flip them? How thick should the batter be?
These images from TheKitchn answer all my questions:
Step 5: Optimize Your On-Page Elements
If you’ve followed the steps so far, you’ve already done the hardest part — creating amazing content.
But what about SEO?
It’s easy to overcomplicate this subject.
You don’t need to overthink SEO — there are no tricks to get ahead.
In fact, using shady tactics like keyword stuffing, buying backlinks, and cloning content can harm your rankings.
Google is so advanced, it’s best to think about what makes sense for a real person reading your site.
Essentially, all you need to do in this step is tell Google: My page is about [this keyword].
Here’s an example, using an article I published recently with the keyword side hustle ideas.
Include the exact keyword:
In the headline and title:
In the URL:
In the meta-description:
In the main body of the article where it makes sense:
If your site is on WordPress, Brian recommends a plug-in called Yoast SEO.
Use it to set the focus keyword, title, and description:
More On-Page SEO Tips to Help Your Content Perform Better
When you make a new page, the default permalink can contain a lot of extra nonsense.
Keep the permalink URL as simple as possible, so Google knows exactly what it’s about.
Besides making it easy for Google, which of these would you rather click on?
Before you publish, specify the permalink URL here:
The information attached to images in your post is also part of SEO — Google reads the file name, description, and alt text.
This information is also critical for visually impaired readers. The software uses these descriptions to describe what’s on the page.
File names should be a simple description of what the image is.
Here’s an example of a screenshot image I included in this article:
Step 6: Design Your Article
When Brian started hiring a professional designer for some Backlinko content, the increase in performance was night and day.
That’s because one of the biggest factors in Google rankings is backlinks (more on that in Step 9).
Here’s the thing, the better your design, the more people will link to your page.
There’s a perceived value when something looks really good. Attractive design helps your page stand out — there’s a wow factor.
If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design.
— Ralf Speth
You can publish regular posts too, but once in a while hiring a designer is a good investment to increase the chances of building your backlink profile.
Step 7: Publish Your Article
You now have an article that’s good enough to get on the first page of Google.
But we aren’t done yet.
Your Google ranking won’t improve without the next steps.
Step 8: Connect Your Article with Internal Links
Internal links are hyperlinks that connect different web pages on your site. They’re crucial for SEO and the user experience.
For one, internal links guide website visitors through your website and help them discover different pages they might be interested in.
These links are also a significant Google ranking factor.
Google’s algorithms follow internal links to map your website and rank its content. If a post receives plenty of links, Google will automatically rank it as a high-value article.
You can use this principle to your advantage by strategically linking to important pages on your website.
To do this, use your SEO tool to locate your best-performing site pages. Then, add links from these pages to the page you want to rank higher.
Bonus tip! Be thoughtful about anchor text.
Anchor text is the phrase you use to ground your hyperlink.
Google prefers when you use mostly partial match anchors. This means your anchor text should include a slight variation of your target keyword for the linked-to page, but not be an exact match.
Step 9: Submit Your Article to Google
This step is not necessary, but it will speed up your results.
Google is constantly crawling the internet to find new and updated pages.
But there is no way to know when your site will be crawled.
And occasionally, a technical problem can mysteriously keep your page from being indexed (this has happened to Backlinko).
Instead of waiting around, you can use a tool in Google Search Console to notify Google about your new post.
Step 10: Promote Your Article
The first phase of promoting your new article is “The Eyeball Phase.”
The goal is simply to get eyeballs on it and it’s crucial to you getting on the first page of Google.
An initial burst of activity is a signal to Google’s “buzz-meter.”
You will get a temporary boost in rankings when lots of people visit your new page — even though they aren’t from organic search.
Your ranking will drop back down, but the initial boost will help your long-term SEO.
Here’s how to get eyeballs on your article:
Send an Email to Your List
If you don’t have an email list, stop reading this and start building your list.
It’s essential to building an online business.
Once you have an email list, send it a short and simple message.
Just let your subscribers know you have a new post just for them.
Your goal is to get as many people as possible to click through to your article. Don’t include extra information, like a newsletter or a sales pitch — the simpler, the better.
Here’s a good example from the smart content marketers at CoSchedule:
Post to Your Social Media Accounts
Promote the article on Twitter.
Share the article on Facebook.
The Eyeball Phase is all about getting a boost of traffic while your article is fresh. Investing in paid ads with Facebook Promoted Posts at this time can help your results.
LinkedIn is another platform you should be using to share and promote your new content.
Particularly for B2B or anything close, LinkedIn has better reach and engagement than other platforms.
Brian published a Backlinko article and got these results during his initial promotion:
150 – 200 people clicked through to his page from a Twitter post.
1600+ people clicked through from a LinkedIn post.
Twitter and Facebook are crowded with promoted content. It’s easy to get lost in the noise.
There’s much less competition to get your post seen on LinkedIn.
More of the right people will see it, share it, post comments, and click through to your page.
You can get a free $100 ad credit at LinkedIn.com/HACK if you want to try promoting your next article on LinkedIn.
Create Backlinks
If you’ve done everything right so far, you may jump to the first page of Google within the first couple of days. I’ve seen it happen within hours.
Now it’s time for link building.
Backlinks are simply links to your site from other websites. And they’re the biggest ranking factor in Google’s algorithms.
The number (and quality) of backlinks signal to Google the usefulness of your page.
Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts here, even if you use great link-building tools.
This cold outreach strategy takes consistent effort, but it works:
- Find places online where your post would be useful and add value.
- Contact the owners of the page and ask them to link to your article.
Don’t get discouraged if most of your requests get no response.
2-5% is normal when doing this kind of outreach.
If you want to go deep on link building and learn more strategies, check out this guide.
Step 11: Continue to Publish Authoritative Content in Your Niche
Congratulations! You’ve now followed all the steps to get your article on the first page of Google search.
Remember, though, that one article is just a drop in the ocean. To build credibility and authority, you need to combine quality with quantity.
So, keep repeating the process above and publish SEO-optimized content consistently.
Do that, and your brand will achieve top Google search results in no time.
Your Strategies for How to Get on the First Page of Google
Now that you’ve learned how Brian Dean gets on the first page of Google search, I’m excited to hear your process.
Remember, search intent and content quality go before everything else. Once you’ve nailed both, follow the rest of the steps in the article above, and give it some time. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t land on page one of Google’s SERPs.
If you don’t have the time to create or optimize your own content, then the team at Digital Commerce Partners can do it for you. Check our services page to see if we’re a good fit.