If you plan on ranking at the top of the search engines, then I can’t stress enough the importance of educating yourself. The search engines are a highly competitive arena where only those who have taken the time to “learn the rules” claim a top 10 spot.
Very rarely these days will you hear of someone “getting lucky” and just magically sliding into a top ranking.
So if you want a top 10 listing under your best keywords and phrases (i.e. you want your site to appear in the top 10 listings when someone searches the key phrase “cotton balls” in Alta Vista, Yahoo!, Google, Excite, HotBot, etc.), then you need to do two things:
a) Examine the web sites that already rank in the top 10 under your best keywords and phrases — and look for patterns.
b) Use the proven know-how of the search engine experts to learn the ropes. If you want a top ranking, then you’ll want the experience and advice of someone who makes it their mission to keep up with the constantly changing rules of each search engine and directory.
In fact, before you spend a lot of time examining the sites of your competition for clues as to why they are listed among the top 10, I recommend seeking out these search engine gurus. With their advice, you’ll be better prepared to critically examine your competitors’ web sites for clues that explain why they’re at the top of the ranks.