SEO Tactics That Still Work: Real Examples & How to Rank #1 in Google

Want to Rank #1 on Google? Start Here.

If you’ve times, I’ll show you a proven SEO strategy that still works in 2025—with real examples, data-backed methods, and clear steps to take action. It starts with one simple principle: Google is telling you exactly what your audience wants—you just have to listen.

Let’s dive into the key tactics that consistently rank pages at the top of search and attract thousands of backlinks—without paid ads, gimmicks, or guesswork.

Master Search Intent Using Google’s Own Clues

When users search Google, they’re not just typing in keywords—they’re asking questions. And Google’s “People Also Ask” boxes, related searches, and now even AI Overviews tell you exactly what’s on their mind.

Take this query: “best running shoes for flat feet.”

• People Also Ask shows interest in specific brands like Hoka, Brooks, and OnCloud.

• Related Searches reveal subtopics like men’s vs. women’s shoes, running vs. walking shoes, and concerns like overpronation.

• AI Overviews emphasize key features: stability, arch support, and cushioning.

Now here’s the magic: the current #1 ranking page covers every single one of those points. Coincidence? Not at all.

The takeaway: The best content starts with decoding search intent—and Google already gives you the clues. Learn to spot and use them.

Revive Sleeper Content to Rank Again

One of the fastest ways to climb back to the top is by refreshing what I call sleeper content—pages that used to rank well but lost visibility over time.

But not every old page qualifies. True sleeper content has three essential traits:

1. It has enough backlinks to compete in the SERP (use tools like Ahrefs to compare link profiles).

2. It ranked high before, but traffic has dropped steadily.

3. It has a content issue—maybe it’s outdated, mismatches search intent, or just isn’t user-friendly.

For example, a Stanford page once ranked in the top 3 but lost traffic over a year and a half. It hadn’t been updated in four years and read like a dense academic paper.

Solution? Rewrite for clarity, relevance, and user engagement. I’ve done this hundreds of times—and seen pages shoot back to #1 in as little as 24 hours.

Use Linkable Points to Attract Natural Backlinks

Once your content ranks, the next challenge is keeping it there. That means earning natural backlinks—and one of the easiest ways is by adding linkable points.

These include:

• Stats

• Quotes

• Original takeaways

• Industry benchmarks

For example, we created an SEO statistics post and frontloaded powerful stats like:

• “68% of online experiences start with a search engine.”

• “Marketers who blog receive 1,000% more traffic.”

Without sending a single outreach email, the page earned thousands of referring domains. Why? Because people linked to it to back up their own content.

Pro Tip: Drop your URL into Ahrefs and check the anchor report. Look for text with the “%” symbol—those are your linkable points. Move them higher up the page or reuse them across relevant content.

Turn Stats Into Sharable Visuals

Want to boost your backlink count even more? Turn your stats into simple charts or infographics.

People are more likely to share visuals than plain text—and when they do, they often link back to the original source.

Take our study on AI Overviews reducing website clicks. We used just three simple charts to display the data. Those visuals alone earned backlinks from high-authority publications.

Go through your posts and ask: What stat or insight could be a chart? Turn it into an image people want to “steal”—because every time they use it, there’s a chance they’ll link to you.

Build Free Tools That Drive Long-Term Traffic

Here’s a future-proof SEO strategy: build tools.

AI is transforming how people consume information, and generic blog posts are losing visibility. But free tools still solve real problems and attract backlinks naturally.

For example:

• Our Top 10 Free SEO Tools page brings in over 1.5 million organic visits a month and has earned 13,000+ referring domains.

• A tiny site with a random picker wheel tool pulls in 2 million visits/month and 3,000 backlinks.

With AI, building tools has never been easier. Whether it’s a calculator, quiz, generator, or randomizer, you can use tools like ChatGPT to generate working code in seconds.

Once your tool ranks, it becomes an SEO asset—driving consistent traffic and links month after month.

Expand Beyond Google (Using Your SEO Skills)

Google isn’t your only playground anymore. Platforms like Reddit and YouTube are dominating search results—and they’re ripe with opportunity.

Reddit alone now gets nearly 1 billion visits/month from Google traffic.

Here’s how to win:

• Use Ahrefs to find Reddit threads ranking in Google for your niche.

• Contribute high-quality answers in those threads—your reply can rank too.

• Repurpose your content for YouTube, where SEO is still relatively easy to master. (We gained 1.5 million YouTube views from search alone last year.)

Your SEO expertise is 100% transferable. If you know how to rank in Google, you can win on Reddit, YouTube, and other platforms, too.

Final Thoughts: Stop Guessing—Start Using What Works

These SEO strategies work not because they exploit loopholes—but because they align with user intent and deliver real value.

Here’s your action plan:

• Research search intent using Google’s own clues.

• Wake up your sleeper content with targeted rewrites.

• Add linkable stats and turn them into images.

• Build simple tools that solve real problems.

• Repurpose content for Reddit, YouTube, and beyond.