If you start a new site from scratch and optimize it starting from onpage optimization up till offpage optimization it will take at least two months to see results.

Obviously there are some exeptions and the reasons are very difficult to identify sometimes. However such factors like the number of competition for your keywords and the type and quantity of links you get all effect how fast you get rankings.

Keep in mind that if you do get a ton of links fast and you get high rankings you need to keep getting a ton of links fast or you loose rankings. That is not realistic, so there is no fast way to get rankings. Getting links which are the core of optimization slowly and steadily will allow your site to rank and keep it rankings if you keep getting links slowly and steadily even after your site is ranked on top.

If you stop getting links, your rankings won't remain always on top. However does not mean you have to keep doing all the work. You may outsource and another advantage is that with your site ranked on top many webmasters will automatically contact you for a link exchange. Apart from that fact, you just have to get some links regularly to maintain your position. You need more links to get rankings than to maintain your site at top.

Older sites are more appreciated by search engines, so as your site gets old you have an advantage as well. The initial steps to get rankings can be classified as a bit tough but the rest becomes much easier.

This is what you need to do once you start getting high rankings:

1) Check that your link partners are still linking back to your website.

2) Add new articles once in a while, although the more you add the better as long as they are articles you create not copied.

3) Add nofollow tags on certain links like terms of conditions, earning disclaimers and privacy policies. There is no need for these pages to rank high in search engines. By putting nofollow tag, search engine spiders ignore them and they do not give them pr, instead they give the pr to your other important pages. If you have a high pagerank website do that and you may see an increase in pr to your other pages.

4) Monitor your search engine rankings for your keywords. If a particular keyword looses ranks work on that keyword. It means get backlinks so it regains position. Use the keyword in the anchor text of each backlink but always change it a bit now and then. Changing a bit means add a word or two different with the keyword. For example if the keyword is blue cars use varioutions like:

blue cars available

tons of blue cars

blue cars for sale

very fast blue cards

You got the point.

This shows that you can achive high rankings and it also shows one other important thing to take note of. Choose low competing keywords at first. If you have a new site it is very hard to compete for high competing keywords. Once you gain rankings and pagerank start working on other keywords.

Search engine optimization provides you with monthly free targeted traffic. After initial few months you start getting traffic and then lots of it. People using Google are more likely to buy than those using other search engines so monitor your rankings on Google and aim for the top rankings. Google is the number one search engine, buyers prefer it simple because it gives the most accurate results.