What does really mean of ranking a keyword?

Hi warrior forum members, I have just singed up here. I am learning internet marketing and trying to understand SEO.
I have a confusion regarding ranking a keyword. If this question sound you stupid then please forgive me.

Q. So everyone when make a website or create article/post on his website his next aim to rank keyword for their article/post. I want to know that how do they really do. What i assume that they would create backlinks for their article using that article main keyword as an Anchor Text pointing back to their article/post. So Google get to know for what keyword you want to rank your article/post.
AM I RIGHT ?

For example take a Title "How to ride a bike" So here what i consider is the main keyword should be "ride a bike" but how Google get to know that your keyword is "ride a bike". Do i need to create backlinks using my keyword as an Anchor Text pointing back to my article/post?

I asked a question to Brian Dean that While building backlinks should i use naked url or Anchor Text?
Brian answered "Defiantly use naked url"

Brian answer confuse me a little bit because i was applying above theory to rank a keyword by building backlinks using Anchor Text as keyword.
I also asked Brian my above question but he did not response to it.
Edited : Gotta Brian answer today saying that "Anchor text doesn’t work like that anymore" Well he is pro in his field, So i am gonna believe his words

Hope my question make sense.
Please answer me how do people tell Google that what is their keyword and they want rank it?

And sorry for my English.