Improving your rank is pretty rudimentary: If you win enough games, you rank up. Losing games will de-rank you.

CS:GO follows a modified Glicko-2 ranking system, according to Valve. This algorithm evaluates a player’s skill pool based on their round influence and whether their team wins the round. Factors such as kills, deaths, MVPs, assists, damage given, and bomb plants all affect a hidden numerical value that determines your place within a rank.

A general in-game model to follow would be to play for the round win and not for kills. The amount of kills you have doesn’t matter as much if your team is consistently losing. Those kills only play a long-term role in preventing you from de-ranking.