How I Ranked a Blog Post #1 on Google – Step by Step

How I Ranked a Blog Post #1 on Google – Step by Step

Ranking #1 on Google isn’t magic—it’s a combination of research, strategy, optimization, and consistency. In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly how I took one of my blog posts from page two obscurity to the top spot on Google—and how you can do the same.

 Step 1: Keyword Research – The Foundation of SEO

Everything begins with choosing the right keyword. You can’t rank #1 if you’re targeting ultra-competitive terms with low authority or irrelevant keywords no one is searching for.

Here’s what I did:

• Used tools like Ahrefs, Ubersuggest, and Google Keyword Planner.
  
  
• Found a long-tail keyword with:
  
  
  • Decent search volume (1,000–5,000/month)
    
    
  • Low SEO difficulty (under 30 on Ahrefs)
    
    
  • Clear search intent (informational, in this case)
    
    

Example keyword I chose: “best email marketing tools for small businesses”

Why it worked: It was highly specific, had buyer intent, and wasn’t dominated by huge brands like HubSpot or Mailchimp.

 Step 2: Competitor Analysis – Know Who You’re Up Against

  Googled my chosen keyword and carefully examined the top 10 results:

• What kind of content ranks? Listicles? How-to guides? Videos?
  
  
• How long is the content? (I found most posts were ~1,200 words)
  
  
• What are they missing? I looked for gaps in depth, outdated tools, poor UX, or missing visuals.
  
  

From this analysis, I created a strategy to one-up them in content quality.

 Step 3: Content Creation – Better, Deeper, More Useful

 My goal wasn’t just to match existing posts—I wanted to create something 10x better.

 Here’s what I did:

• Wrote 2,000+ words to cover every angle of the topic
  
  
• Included real screenshots of each tool mentioned
  
  
• Added pros, cons, pricing, and my personal experience with each tool
  
  
• Structured the post with:
  
  
  • Clear H2 and H3 tags
    
    
  • A table of contents
    
    
  • Internal links to related posts
    
    
  • A strong conclusion with a CTA
    
    

I also used original graphics and comparison tables to improve engagement and dwell time.

 Step 4: On-Page SEO – Optimization That Matters

SEO-friendly content requires more than stuffing keywords. I optimized the post like this:

 Title Tag:

• “10 Best Email Marketing Tools for Small Businesses (2025)”
  
  
• Includes primary keyword and the current year
  
  

 Meta Description:

• Summarized the post in 150–160 characters
  
  
• Added a value proposition: “Compare top tools to grow your business fast!”
  
  

 URL:

• /best-email-marketing-tools-small-business
  
  

 Headers:

• Used H1 for the main title
  
  
• Structured content with H2s (tool names) and H3s (features, pros, cons)
  
  

 Keyword Placement:

• Included the main keyword in:
  
  
  • First 100 words
    
    
  • Title, headers, and meta
    
    
  • Image ALT text
    
    
  • 2–3 times naturally in the body
    
    

 Internal & External Links:

• Linked to 3 relevant internal posts
  
  
• Linked to source references like tool websites and official docs
  
  

 Step 5: Publish + Immediate Promotion

Once the post was live, I didn’t wait for Google to find it. I went on the offense.

I promoted it via:

• Email list (400+ subscribers)
  
  
• Relevant Facebook groups and subreddits
  
  
• LinkedIn and Twitter with a value-first post summary
  
  
• Answered related questions on Quora and Reddit with links to my blog
  
  
• Sent outreach emails to some of the tools mentioned (some shared it!)
  
  

This helped generate early traffic and engagement, signaling value to Google.

 Step 6: Backlink Building – Earning Authority

To push it to page 1 (and later to #1), I needed backlinks.

Here’s how I got them:

1. HARO (Help A Reporter Out) – Got featured in 2 round-up posts
   
   
2. Guest posting – Wrote 2 guest blogs linking back to my post
   
   
3. Link roundups – Reached out to weekly newsletters that share marketing content
   
   
4. Broken link outreach – Found outdated links on similar posts and suggested mine
   
   

Result: I gained 9 quality backlinks within the first 45 days.

 Step 7: Monitor, Improve, and Update

I monitored performance using:

• Google Search Console (for impressions, clicks, position)
  
  
• Google Analytics (for bounce rate, dwell time, conversions)
  
  
• Ahrefs (for backlink growth and competing content)
  
  

After 3 weeks, the post was on page 2.
After 2 months, it reached #3.
After an update (adding 2 new tools), it hit #1 and stayed there for over 6 months.

 Final Tips

• Don’t chase just volume—focus on intent.
  
  
• Update your content quarterly to keep it fresh.
  
  
• Never rely on one traffic source—build your authority.
  
  
• Engage with your readers. Add comment sections or interactive polls.
  
  

 Conclusion

Ranking #1 on Google is entirely possible—even without a huge team or big budget. It takes a focused strategy: pick the right keyword, create the best content, optimize it smartly, promote it aggressively, and improve it continually.