Relevance is the starting point. The page has to actually address what the searcher wants, not just contain the words they typed. Google reads meaning now, so a page about "cheap flights" competes with pages about "affordable airfare" even without the exact phrase.
Trust is the tiebreaker between relevant pages. If ten sites answer a question well, the ones with a track record, real expertise, and links from reputable places tend to win. That is why a new site rarely outranks an established one overnight.
Updated July 2026