The top 3 ranking factors that Google uses in its algorithm are links, content, and RankBrain. This means creating quality content for both users and search engines. This is the sort of content that other websites will want to link to as you become the authority in your area.
Other studies such as SEMrush’s Ranking Factors 2.0 study, found that Google also uses time on site, total referring domains, followed backlinks, and content length to determine rankings.