How do I go about getting my website up the Google rankings, preferably onto the first page.
I've added all the 'keywords' for the spiders to pick up via the free facility provided by my hosting company, but I still can't find any reference on the first 10 pages.
If I have to buy this facility, how do i go about it, and how much does it cost? 
Ha Ha! Buy it! I like that...
Seriously, usage does it. the more hits the site receives, the higher up the rankings the site goes. Another way is links, get everyone you know with a website to carry a link to your place, the spiders will pick up the references and the chances of getting hits improve out of sheer curiosity.
It's a question of the cart following the horse as popularity will increase the rankings but it will always be trailing behind reflecting the popularity never causing it.
To advertise (paid rankings) depends on the competition but it has been known to bite into the millions. Furthermore it starts wars.
What you need is hits. Plain and simple. Some kiddies comps would help... short term special offers regularly posted... Random prizes, like first person whose birthday is on.. Uh say.. Saturday with a name starting with D or whose number plate contains a N and adds up to 7. You get the picture... to encourage people to check in on a regular basis to see what's going on. Questions and Answers. A Forum even
Get their attention and keep it going.
I'll start by making your site my default page which will give you a hit every time I log on (invoice in the post
)
From experience, it usually takes about two or three years to get to be high profile.
