It was March. The college kids drank beer and swarmed the south Florida beaches in tanned hordes. While they danced and pressed their oiled bodies together, Ardis Creative's staff was hard at work in our offices coaxing our search ranking higher and higher with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). If you have ever tried to optimize your website for Google, then you know how difficult it can be just to rise from page 342 to page 23, Sure, the sun was hot, the water clear, and the sand invitingly soft, but keywords had to be tweaked, special code had to be placed in the head sections of websites, and links had to be arranged correctly. We thought we could even hear the thump of the bass, and the roar of the crowd coming all the way from Miami. But still, articles had to be written and posted in online magazines, and content had to be adjusted so that Google could send the most relevant traffic our way.

These are the sacrifices we've made so that Ardis could be at the top. We're happy to report that, not only did we achieve our goal to be on top in South Florida search results, but we've exceeded our own expectations. Now, if you search for "top creative web design," Google will show 74 million web pages ready to be displayed on 7.4 million Google pages, and Ardis is on page one! Also, Google displays us near the top for several other keywords, like "top creative website" and "best creative flash site."

Of course, it wasn't always like that. At first we were growing so fast, and working so hard for our clients that Ardis's own website had to wait. Now, we have the staff and the space, so we will continue to place more links, write more articles and books and create more web pages with compelling, keyword-rich, and creative content.

Looking ahead we have a new goal. In three months we will corner the market on more keywords on Google's first page in Florida and beyond. We will continue to work hard for ourselves, and for our clients.

So, head to the beach. Relax in your thong with the college kids, and sip your daiquiri. We've got everything under control.