then make a plan...

It's best to start thinking about search before you build your site, because a sensible strategy focuses on site structure and content. It's harder to make these changes once the site's launched.

To rise through the ranks

• Focus on specific keywords

• Target different words for different pages of your site (people search for pages, not sites)

• Integrate words into page titles and headlines

• Get other sites to link to you

• Make sure design issues aren't sabotaging your efforts

But don't be disappointed if you don't see immediate results. It can take a long time to improve your search engine ranking. And if there's too much competition for the keywords that matter, you may never hit the first page of search results.

"Search engines are virtually impossible to manipulate," says online marketing expert Hunter Madsen. And this is why so many services are lining up to help you, with search-optimization books, tutorials, conferences, and consulting services.

It's important, of course, to educate yourself (there are several excellent, inexpensive resources), but think twice before signing on with an expensive search consultant.

"I have watched company after company indeed, I've been in company after company that paid money to services that promised to get one's website high listings in search engines," says Madsen. "And I have yet to see any serious results."