Firstly, creating a website doesn't mean it will be automatically listed by Google (or Bing or Yahoo or any other Search Engine). It can take from weeks to months to be indexed by a Search Engine and listed. Millions of websites are built everyday so one website has a lot of competition in being found.

Also, nobody can ever guarantee you positions in the search rankings. Search engines keep their search algorithms secret and update them regularly to make sure they produce true and accurate results, and limit abuse by some SEO 'experts'.

The best way to get search engines to take note of your site is by using what is called 'Back Linking'. This means getting a site that is already listed (and popular) to link to your site. Google and others follow links from sites to create their indexes, so if you have another site already listed, use that to link to your new site. If you don't, then you can ask another site to link to you (though they won't always do it), or submit your site directly to the search engine, e.g. for Google use their Add your URL to Google page.

That said, the subject of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a very large one. We've written a whole guide on it (available from the Help menu in the Toolbar when you're in edit mode) or downloading. It's worth downloading and working your way through it. But here are some ground rules to get you started.

The second thing to know is that SEO takes real work. You’re going to have to give it some thought and you may have to make changes to the pages in your site. This will take time and you may want to adjust things after a few months as you start to see results. The Internet is a great potential market but you need to invest time and effort in marketing your site if you want it to be successful. SEO is a good way of doing this but like most things it doesn't always come easy.

Next, it's going to take time for your rankings to improve. While Search Engines can take months to even list your site and then further time to assign you a rank, they will then review your site periodically and check for updates. The frequency of these visits can vary. So don't expect too much too soon. Be patient, build your credibility and presence, and good things will come. Many sites that rank highly have been around a long, long time, update content regularly and get referenced from other websites.

And finally, SEO isn't everything. There's never an excuse for not marketing your site in other ways if you're serious about getting it noticed. Traditional offline marketing (putting your URL on letterheads and business cards) as well as online marketing (banners or AdWords),  posting it on industry specific directories/message boards etc., can all help and these actions will also support your SEO efforts too. So don't forget to look at other forms of marketing too.