Tips for improving your site's ranking:

Check your site's "keyword" content
The search engines read the text on your website to ascertain just what your site is about. The content is in two categories: "Meta" text that the public doesn't see; and regular text that the public does see. Both should be reviewed to be sure that key words are used to convey the nature and purpose of your website (eg. if your site is about puppies, be sure to use "puppies"; "puppy"; "dogs"; "pets", etc.)

Submit to directories
Do a search for "website directories" in your city. Submit your website to be listed. Check also for specialty directories of websites like yours and submit to those if there are any.

Submit to search engines
The major search engines are Google, Yahoo and MSN. They'll find you eventually, but if you're new, it doesn't hurt to submit your website to them manually.

Include "useful information" content on your website
The idea is to provide meaningful information in your area of expertise that searchers are likely to want to bookmark. Each of their bookmarks is another link to your website. "Top Ten" lists (top ten ways to make money, top ten ways to get better results, etc.) or other pure information content about ideally very specific topics are best.

Get linked
The search engines are able to measure the number of links to your site. The more links the better. They also measure the quality of the link sources: Getting a website like Amazon to link to you for example, carries more weight than a bookmark by an individual.

Exchange links
Think of any websites that are related to yours, and email them asking to exchange links with you.

Advertise your site on Craig's List or other classifieds
If the goal of your ad is to get business directly, then target your ads accordingly. Otherwise, choose the largest metropolitan areas possible for the most links. Obviously there has to be meaningful content on your site in order for people to want to link to you.

"Weed your garden"
View search engine optimization is a process rather than a step. The content of your site can be managed to reflect your changing business; and new advertising opportunities - many of them free - frequently come along.

Time works for you
Expect your search rankings to improve the longer you're online. Websites that have been up and running for five years are given better rankings - all other things being equal - than those that have been there for five weeks