Rankings ONLY come once you have:

Rankings ONLY come once you have:
- On-Page Optimization
- Incoming Links (lots and lots)

On-Page SEO Overview

Each page has a theme. Choose a keyword/key phrase and stick to it.
Use your phrase in each:
Title tag
Meta description
Content (bold, italics)
H tags
Image name and alt
Do this methodically to each page on your site.

"But why do links matter so much?"

Because links are the currency of the Internet.