What Gives with this SEO?

[mikey9991]

Here are two sites, one on #1 (very top) on page one and the other is on page 2 or 3 for same keyword. Their metrics are close. The one on the left is on page one - #1 and the one on the right is page 2 or 3. Their links are pretty much similar which is blog post comments. What's gives? See pic please. Thanks in advance.

 

[asap1]

Only google sees all the links, the site on page 1 could have some very good links that are hidden from everyone but google.

 

[IAmFromTheInternet]

What site/software do you use to compare those sites? (sorry for the offtopic)

 

[McPatrick]

Onsite, backlinks and content relevancy, backlink profile, domain name, domain age... You show some simple metrics - they mean nothing in SEO when compared to whole picture.
Do your research more extensively and then you will have an answer.

 

[mikey9991]

Domain - both with partial EMD
AGE - 8 months apart

Backlinks - Moz says they're slightly off but not much. Majestic days the one on the right of the photo has 15k Backlinks while the one on the left (page one) has 4k.

I haven't really checked their on site SEO.

Onsite, backlinks and content relevancy, backlink profile, domain name, domain age... You show some simple metrics - they mean nothing in SEO when compared to whole picture.
Do your research more extensively and then you will have an answer.

 

[McPatrick]

Important question now - what kind of links. Did you checked them manually?
And then we have onsite also...

 

[xlcrash]

According to metrics site 2 has better link profile... MOZ rank, MOZ trust etc...

The same question I can ask... I have 300 articles and EMD and good link profile and Im on second page but my competitior has 50 articles, non EMD, worse link profile and he is 1st on 1st page...

And please don't ask me about quality of articles... they are top-notch... I've never understand google and their politics and I will never understand...

 

[kellyman]

Don't forget bad links can drop you down too, more is not always better, hosting can play its part especially if one has shared hosting and in a slightly bad neighbourhood

So many different scenarios its really impossible to tell without a true in-depth look

 

[McPatrick]

According to metrics site 2 has better link profile... MOZ rank, MOZ trust etc...

The same question I can ask... I have 300 articles and EMD and good link profile and Im on second page but my competitior has 50 articles, non EMD, worse link profile and he is 1st on 1st page...

And please don't ask me about quality of articles... they are top-notch... I've never understand google and their politics and I will never understand...

"Top-notch" is not enough. Whats your backlink profile - you need to really diversify your links + get some no-follows etc to dilute your ranking links.
Naturally looking links like forum threads, editorial link, active social profiles. Dont stick to one - three link types. Get active links (links that gets updates over time).

 

[Andrew Scherer]

Links are only one piece of the puzzle and as you've found out here, those metrics are only a rule of thumb.