Which SEO layer did I ignore for years?

The structure and markup layer, which I dismissed as too technical to matter.

Does FAQ schema help without new writing?

Yes. Adding FAQ schema needed no new writing, just structured markup.

Why did new queries appear?

My pages started matching queries I had not specifically written for.

Is a widget the same as internal linking?

No. A real widget is not the same as deliberate internal linking.

Does consistent naming matter?

Yes. I used the same terms, the same way, across every article.

Is structure content too?

Yes. None of these fixes required a single new sentence.

Where is the full breakdown?

Read every structural fix that quietly boosted my impressions.