Here is a video where Matt Cutts explains how content without many links can still rank well on top search results.
Link building has been the priority for many website owners looking to rank high on search engine results. Marketers spend a considerable amount of time trying to generate external links that direct traffic back to specific sites. When not used for driving actual traffic, links are built to improve search engine ranking: the more quality external links, the more credibility given to a specific web page in terms of SEO.
Links still matter. In a recent video, Google’s Matt Cutt’s revealed that links still hold tremendous value for good SEO rankings and that this would not change anytime in the near future.
