To get to page 1 on Google, choose keywords you can win and build the page type Google already ranks for them. Optimize that page, link to it from your own site, earn links from other sites, and keep the technical basics clean. Then improve the pages already sitting on the second page, because they are the closest to the first page of Google.
There is no shortcut and no guarantee. Google ranks pages automatically, and nobody can promise you a position. The 10 SEO strategies below follow the order we work in for clients. The page 2 play comes near the end because it often brings the fastest gains.
How Google decides what ranks on the first page of Google
Google ranks web pages in 3 stages: crawling, indexing and serving. Crawlers discover and download your pages, and Google stores what it understands in its index. When people search, the Google search engine pulls matching pages and ranks them by relevance and quality. Your Google ranking depends on how well your page answers that search compared with every other page in the index. Google says "relevancy is determined by hundreds of factors," including the user's location, language and device, in its guide to how Google Search works.
The first page of search results is also more crowded than it used to be. The 10 organic listings now share Google search results with ads, AI Overviews, maps and product listings. Our guide to SERP meaning breaks down every element you compete with. Read it before you chase a spot on the first page.
Step 1: Pick keywords you can win
Keyword choice decides your chances of reaching the first page more than any other step. Pick keywords where your site has a fair chance, then work up to harder ones. A keyword is winnable when much stronger sites do not hold every first page ranking. It also needs to match something you sell or know.
Check 3 things for each keyword:
- Search intent: what people search for and what they want to do next. Buy, compare, learn or find a local business. Your page has to match search intent to rank.
- Keyword difficulty: a 0 to 100 score from tools like Semrush or Ahrefs. Newer sites should start with low-difficulty and long-tail keywords.
- Business value: whether a visitor from this search could become a customer. High search volume means little if nobody buys.
A local plumber will not rank for "plumbing" next month. "Emergency plumber" plus a suburb name is often within reach. For local businesses, the map pack is a second route onto the first page. In local search, a complete Google Business Profile (once called Google My Business) and steady customer reviews matter as much as your website. Free tools like Google Keyword Planner and Search Console's Queries report are good places to start your keyword research.
Step 2: Match the page type Google already ranks
Search your keyword and look at what is already on page 1. If the top 10 are product category pages, a blog post will struggle. If they are guides, a sales page will struggle. Build the same type of page that dominates the results, then make it better.
This step decides more rankings than most owners expect, and it is the first thing we check when a page is stuck. We often find a site has a good page targeting the right keyword, but it is the wrong kind of page for that search. Rewriting it does little until the page type matches the intent.
Step 3: Optimize the page for 1 keyword
Give each page 1 primary keyword and 1 intent. Make that clear in the elements Google reads first:
- Title tag (meta title): include the keyword near the start, in about 50 to 60 characters.
- H1 header: say what the page is about in plain words.
- Opening paragraph: answer the search directly in the first 2 sentences.
- URL: short and descriptive.
- Meta description: a clear reason to click. Google often shows it as the snippet, so it shapes whether people choose you.
When 2 of your pages target the same keyword, they compete with each other and both rank lower. Merge them, or retarget the weaker page at a different keyword.
Step 4: Cover the topic in enough depth
Cover everything a searcher needs to make their decision. Look at the subtopics the top 5 results all mention. Then add what none of them cover: real examples, prices, comparisons, or a clear answer they avoid.
Depth does not mean length. A product category page needs a short buying guide and good filters. A 3,000-word essay above the products helps nobody. A "how to" guide needs every step. Write informative content for the reader first, then check your coverage with a content tool such as NeuronWriter.
Step 5: Link to the page from your own site
Internal links send signals to Google about which pages matter most, and they help Google understand your content. Every link is a vote, so point the votes at the pages that sell. Link from related blog posts and category pages to the page you want on page 1, using anchor text that describes it.
The Seus Lighting case study shows how far this can go. The US lighting store had a Domain Rating (DR) of 48, and its commercial pages sat outside the top 20. Instead of starting with new content or new links, we mapped the authority the site already had. Then we rebuilt the internal links, consolidated pages that competed for the same terms, and restructured the on-page hierarchy. The reported results were 60,400 organic clicks, 8.03 million impressions and 842 ChatGPT citations, with no new backlinks built. Existing pages can carry a site much further when they work together, and links still belong in every campaign.
Step 6: Earn backlinks from relevant sites
Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. They remain a main signal search engines use to judge authority, and they help you rank higher against established competitors. We include link building in every campaign, because strong pages still lose to sites that other sites trust more.
Focus on relevance over volume when you build each backlink. A few links from sites in your industry or region beat dozens from unrelated directories. Good sources include suppliers, industry associations, local news, guest articles and digital PR. Avoid buying links with exact-match anchor text: it can push a page out of the results instead of up.
Step 7: Get the technical basics right
Before you optimize your site further, make sure Google can crawl and index the page. Use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console to confirm the page is indexed. Then check the basics:
- The page is not blocked by robots.txt or a noindex tag.
- It loads well on mobile devices, since Google uses the mobile version for indexing and ranking.
- It passes Core Web Vitals or is close: LCP under 2.5 seconds, INP under 200 milliseconds and CLS under 0.1, per Google's Core Web Vitals documentation.
- It uses HTTPS and has no broken links or broken redirects.
Technical fixes rarely push a page onto the first page alone. Technical problems can still keep a strong page off it. Our comparison of technical SEO vs on-page SEO shows which to start with based on the symptom you see.
Step 8: Plan for AI Overviews
AI Overviews now sit above the organic results for many informational searches. Google says there are no extra requirements to appear. A page must be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet, per its AI features documentation. The same SEO work that earns page 1 also makes a page eligible to be cited.
Structure helps. Open each section with a direct answer and use clear question headings. Name the subject in each paragraph so a passage makes sense on its own. That improves the odds of being cited. It guarantees nothing, and a citation does not always bring a click.
Step 9: Push your second page rankings onto page one
Your fastest wins are usually pages already ranking on the second page, in positions 11 to 20. These "striking distance" keywords show that Google already sees the page as relevant. A small improvement can move them onto page one of Google.
Use Google Search Console to find them:
- Open the Performance report and select the last 3 months.
- Turn on average position and switch to the Queries tab.
- Export the table and filter average position from 11 to 20.
- Sort by impressions, so the keywords with the most demand come first.
- Click a query, then open the Pages tab to see which page ranks for it.
Average position is an average across all searches, so treat it as a guide. You can also track the same pages in Google Analytics to see whether the extra visitors convert. Then work through each page:
| What you find | What to change |
|---|---|
| Keyword missing from the title tag | Rewrite the title with the keyword near the start |
| Top results cover subtopics the page skips | Add sections that answer them |
| Few internal links point to the page | Add links from 3 to 5 related pages with descriptive anchors |
| Content is out of date | Update facts, prices, dates and examples |
| Wrong page ranks for the query | Point internal links at the right page, or merge the 2 |
| Top results have far more referring domains | Add the page to your link building plan |
We recommend 1 round of changes per page, then request indexing and give it 4 to 6 weeks before you judge. Our guide to content SEO vs technical SEO explains how to verify each change before you measure the result.
Step 10: Keep going while results compound
How long it takes to get on the first page depends on your competition, your site's authority and how much you publish. SEO takes months in most markets, and effective SEO is steady work. Anyone who promises a Google first page ranking by a date is guessing.
A Southern Highlands landscaper shows what consistency looks like. The business had about 32 clicks a month from Google. The plan was simple: publish 1 project page a week, every week. Clicks roughly doubled in 6 weeks. Steady, useful pages compound.
Should you pay for ads to get on the first page?
Google Ads can get you on the first page today, but only while you pay. Google states it does not accept payment to rank a site higher in organic results, per its how Search works guide. Ads and organic search engine rankings are separate systems.
Ads make sense for urgent, high-value search terms and for testing which keywords convert. Organic rankings cost more time up front but keep bringing visitors without a fee per click. Many businesses run both as part of their digital marketing: ads for immediate leads, search engine optimization for the long-term base.
Why your site is not ranking on Google's first page
If you have done the work and still are not on page 1, check these common causes:
- Wrong page type for the search intent.
- Keyword too competitive for your site's current authority.
- Page not indexed, or blocked by a technical issue.
- 2 of your pages competing for the same keyword.
- Thin content next to stronger competitors.
- Few or poor-quality backlinks compared with the sites above you.
- Not enough time since the changes went live.
Check them in that order. The first 4 are often quick to confirm when you use Google Search Console. The last 3 need a longer content strategy and link plan.
Get help with first page rankings
Start with your page 2 keywords this week. They are the closest wins you have and the quickest way to improve your rankings. If you want a team to run the on-page work, internal links and links for you, see our on-page SEO services.