There are several companies, books, seminars, etc that promote the concept of putting your website on top of the search engines.  Generally, these promises require spending several hundred if not thousands of dollars.  There is no disputing that there is value in being ranked #1 for a keyword or phrase with search engines.  However, how do you determine that value?

It is very possible to be ranked #1 for your choosen keyword or phrase, and not increase traffic to your site.  The simply reason why:  there is either little or no actual searches being conducted for that keyword or phrase! 

It is very important to truly understand your on-line market before executing a website promotion plan. 

Here are some steps to take to better understand your on-line market:

1.  Create a list of keywords that represent your website.
 
2.  Search for those keywords or phrases, and evaluate the websites that appear in those searches.

3.  Research how many monthly searches are performed for those keywords or phrases.

If the results from your searches do not bring up your competitors, it is possible that although the keyword or phrase represents your website, it is not the keyword or phrase that your potential clients would use to find your product or service.  However, if your research shows that there are a good number of searches for that keyword or phrase, there may be an opportunity for growth.

When a keyword or phrase does not have a lot of monthly data, I would encourage you to reevaluate your targeted keywords and phrases, if no one is looking for them, putting time, and money towards them will not bring success.

Once you have determined keywords that will bring success, your goal should be getting to that #1 spot!