Page 1 of Google is the Holy Grail for publishers, and every one is fighting to rank better on Google. It’s dominated by established news sites that have been publishing for more than three decades, improving their SEO optimisation techniques and strategies almost daily.

It may seem like an impossible task to get your stories to the first page of Google searches and even more impossible to Rank 1 on Page 1. But it’s not. It takes time and discipline.

Here’s how I helped a start-up in just eight months go from zero articles published to multiple keywords in a very crowded market, including Keyword Difficulty keywords of more than 90% to rank better on Google Search.

When I helped launched a new, news website in January 2025, it had no brand authority, no backlinks, and no certainty anyone would ever find its journalism. The challenge was clear: in an environment dominated by established Australian and global publishers, how could a start-up carve out visibility — let alone reach the top of Google?

2. The “Google Search” Strategy

The foundation was Content-Led Growth anchored by three principles:

  • Organic Search First: Instead of chasing quick wins, I focused on articles that aligned with user intent, answered questions, and solved problems.
  • Audience-Led Journalism: I studied what readers searched for, where competitors fell short, and positioned my content to fill those gaps. “What type of stories will get the most traction that our competitors aren’t doing.”
  • Evergreen is king and queen: Google is there to help its users to find answers to questions. Delivering content that best answers those queries is Google’s currency.
  • Consistency Over Virality: A regular cadence of evergreen, authoritative content beat sporadic “viral” attempts.

3. The Execution to rank better in Google

  1. Measurement: Relentless tracking of user behaviour, engagement, and session depth to refine and republish content, especially evergreen content.
  2. SEO Hygiene: Optimised headlines, meta data, internal links, and structured data.
  3. Distribution: Leveraged social (without relying on it), tested referral strategies, and used email sparingly but effectively.
  4. Newscycle: A vast majority of publishers break stories but rarely go deeper. They move on. This is where new publishers can excel. Don’t fret about appearing in search results for the actual event, work hard to publish supplementary journalism. Go deeper, explain, answer the questions users will have to help them understand the story better.
  5. Patience: Every click counts. It may seem at times you aren’t getting anywhere. See point 1, starting from scratch is hard and takes discipline. EVERY KEYSTROKE MATTERS.

4. The Breakthrough Google Moment

The turning point came when organic search overtook every other channel.

  • Search became the largest source of users by a clear margin, eclipsing direct traffic and social.
  • Engagement quality from referrals was surprisingly strong — showing that niche partnerships and backlinks mattered.
  • Intent is key. People that go to Google and type in a question, phrase or keyword they are seeking information. When they find it, data shows they spend longer consuming it. This is engagement gold.

5. The Results

  • Tens of thousands of users now arrive each month through organic search.
  • Search delivers more than half of all sessions, proving the No. 1 rankings drive scale.
  • Engagement metrics confirm readers aren’t bouncing — they’re staying, reading, and returning.

This wasn’t luck. It was the discipline of building an audience-first, SEO-informed editorial strategy.

6. Lessons Learned

  1. Small can beat big: you don’t need deep pockets, you need precision.
  2. SEO is journalism: the craft of matching content to what people need to know.
  3. Authority comes from trust: publish consistently, cite sources, and update content.

7. Key Takeaway

If I could distill this into a mantra: Start small, go deep, stay consistent.
That’s how a start-up site can reach No.1 on Google — and stay there.

What is Evergreen content

Evergreen content is content that remains relevant, useful, and valuable over time, rather than being tied to breaking news or short-lived trends. The term comes from “evergreen trees,” which stay green year-round, an analogy for content that stays fresh long after it’s published:

  • How-to guides & tutorials (e.g., “How to Conduct an Investigative Interview”)
  • Explainers (e.g., “What Is Evergreen Content?”)
  • Resource lists (e.g., “Top 10 Tools for Journalists”)
  • Case studies (when focused on timeless lessons, not fleeting stats)
  • Glossaries/definitions (e.g., “SEO Terms Every Journalist Should Know”)
  • Career advice (e.g., “How to Build a Portfolio in Journalism”)