There is a GREAT article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune that really exposes the complexity of Google and how it ranks websites in search.  It tells the story of a pool supply company and how much they depend on being on the first page of Google.  There are some really interesting quotes in the article.  Here are a few:

In Minnesota and across the country, Google rankings are the Holy Grail of online commerce. "If you're not in the first three to five listings, it's very rare that people are going to click on you," said Ann Treacy, a search-engine consultant from St. Paul. 

Like I said in an earlier blog.  If you aren't first (or realllllly close to it) you may as well be last.

About 200 different measures go into determining Google search rankings, and the company said it changed its formula about 500 times in 2010. To protect its strategic interests, Google rarely announces changes to its ranking process and never discusses the fine points of those changes. The company insists it uses the adjustments only to make rankings more user-friendly.

I can't tell you how many times companies tell me that they have got it figured out.  We have our keywords and we have our meta-tags all taken care of so we should be set.  Read that paragraph above again.  200 measurements and a formula that changed 500 times in a year.  If you can keep on top of what it takes to rank AND run your business, you have really accomplished something.  Truth is that even professional SEO consultants have a hard time keeping up.

Ranking at the top of Google isn't easy.  Even if you manage to get there, it takes constant maintenance to STAY there.

To read the complete article, click HERE.