Steemit handles content and "SEO" very well. There's no longer access to search hacks, it really depends on your content and structure. Your article did well because it was useful and continues to be. New users will search for a steemit guide and find yours or whoever makes a better one. Thats proper SEO. Articles that don't trend clearly had something missing or weren't meant to. They'll fall to the bottom of search because something else is better.