SEO fundamentals in 2020: content, backlinks, and indexation

Executive overview

Google's algorithm constantly changes, but its goal does not: surface the best result for each query. Chasing updates and new tactics is wasted effort.

Ranking comes down to three fundamentals: content, backlinks, and indexation. Get these right and algorithm updates become largely irrelevant.

Fundamentals compound; tactics expire.

Content: match intent and cover the topic

• Search intent is the reason behind a query — match it before anything else.
• Use the three Cs to decode intent from top-ranking pages: content type (blog post, product, category, landing page), content format (how-to, list, tutorial, editorial), and content angle (the hook or benefit).
• Cover the topic in full — not every detail, but the subtopics that top pages address.
• Use a content gap tool: enter the top 3–5 ranking URLs and extract common keyword themes to find missing subtopics.
• Get on-page basics right: title tags, URL slugs, and heading tags.

Backlinks: use proven tactics, not copied templates

• Links remain one of the strongest ranking signals — essential for competitive keywords.
• Proven tactics still work: broken link building, the skyscraper technique, guest posting.
• What fails is copying outreach templates verbatim — you become indistinguishable from hundreds of identical emails.
• Personalise outreach to provide genuine value to the recipient.

Indexation: confirm Google can find your pages

• If a page isn't indexed, it cannot rank — regardless of content or link quality.
• Check the Coverage report in Google Search Console; submit a sitemap if you haven't.
• Without Search Console, run site:yourdomain.com in Google to verify indexation.
• Three common causes of site-wide de-indexation:
  • Accidental noindex tag left on after a site redesign or migration.
  • robots.txt blocking all bots (Disallow: /).
  • A manual action penalty in Search Console — fix the issue and submit a reconsideration request.
• Page-level indexation issues are often technical: unintentional noindex, or auto-generated low-quality pages diluting crawl budget (e.g. forum profiles, faceted navigation).