There are several factors in getting your Website near the top of the list of the search engines.
There is one sure way to get your site to the top of the list of the search engine and keep it there - you pay for it. The 1st page for many searches for pens and woodturners will be sponsored links. That tells me that a lot of woodturners are paying to get to the front of the line.
Other than that, the most important factor of all is content. You must give people a reason for visiting your Website, recommending it to others with links, and keep them coming back. The search engines are aware of the numbers, their origin, their consistency, and how long they stay for each visit.
Those key words are important to a search engine, but it is difficult knowing what words people will use for a search. Since words are used to initiate a search, a site with a lot of different words in its page titles will have a better chance of being picked up than one that has nothing but pictures under a title of "Gallery".
As others have said, links from other sites are important, but, they have to be links that are used. Having a lot of links that nobody uses doesn't count. Getting your site mentioned on these forums is an important link. If my Website is any example, every link that is posted here on the IAP is good for at least 100 hits.
Time is a factor because activity and links build over time
My own Website has been active for 4 years. In the beginning most of the hits came from a search engine. That has changed to where 50% of the hits are from links, 30% are direct access, and only 20% are from a search engine.