How to properly promote a site in search engines?

Question

Search Engine Optimization

Hey! I understand that the question is completely childish, but I have not found a definite answer.

Some say that you need to correctly place meta tags and HTML5 tags (arctile, footer, header, aside...). But my old school site was made even before the advent of HTML5 and there are almost no meta tags there either, and this does not prevent it from showing off on the first line in the search engine.

Others say that you need to pay search engines and it doesn't matter how the site is made. But I'm pretty sure my school didn't pay a dime for it.

How is it really done?
I ask only for serious answers and / or links to articles ;-)

Answer 1

Some say that you need to correctly place meta tags and HTML5 tags (arctile, footer, header, aside...).

It is rightly said that semantics (like the mobile version) increases the chance to enter the top, but is not a guarantee.

But my old school site was made even before the advent of HTML5 and there are almost no meta tags there either, and this does not prevent it from showing off on the first lines in the search engine.

The age of the domain plays, the target query, + lack of competition (a site about a school is not a business competing for positions, no one cares about it)

Others say that you need to pay search engines and it doesn't matter how the site is made. But I'm pretty sure my school didn't pay a dime for it.

As a rule, most of the work of an SEO is a cargo cult of pure water. As a rule, it all comes down to the normal technical component of the site, fast loading, domain age, interesting content that people read, and linking your site in other sources, let's say your school is mentioned in 20-30-40 other sources through which the transition occurs.