There don't seem to be any magic methods that will make a page appear at the top of every search engines' listings. There's too much fluctuation on the web for any page to claim a foothold, and all the engines handle relevancy slightly differently. However, there are some general tips that do help a page appear more relevant.
Have text on your home page: Search engine catalogs contain the text read from the various home pages the engines visit. If a page lacks descriptive text, then there is little chance that page will come up in the results of a search engine query. It's not enough for that text to be in graphics. It must be HTML text. Some search engines will catalog ALT text and text in comment and meta tags. To be safe, a straight HTML description is recommended.
Pick your keywords: Focus on the two or three keywords
that you think are most crucial to your site, then ensure those
words are both in your title and mentioned early on your web page.
Generally, most people will already have those words present on
their pages but may not also have them in page titles.
Keep in mind that the keywords you consider crucial may not be
exactly what users enter. My study focused on making the InfoPages
directory appear high on lists if keywords "Orange County"
were entered. The lack of success with some search engines does
not mean that the site isn't being found.
Many people find the site by entering more words, such as "Orange County California" or "Orange County Web." The addition of just one extra word can suddenly make a site appear more relevant, and it can be impossible to anticipate what that word will be. The best bet is to focus on your chosen keywords but to also have a complete description.
Have links to inside pages: If there are no links to inside pages from the home page, it seems that some search engines will not fully catalog a site. Unfortunately, the most descriptive, relevant pages that are often inside pages rather than the home page. You can also try sending search engines directly to your lower levels, if they don't ordinarily go there. The comparison chart shows how deep various engines go.
Forget Spamming: For one thing, spamming doesn't seem to work with every search engine. Ethically, the content of most web pages ought to be enough for search engines to determine relevancy without webmasters having to resort to repeating keywords for no reason other than to try and "beat" other web pages. The stakes will simply keep rising, and users will also begin to hate sites that undertake these measures. Efforts would be better spent on networking and alternative forms of publicity described below.
Network: If your site fails to make the top ten lists, then get together with those that do. Perhaps some might be considered "competitors," but others might be happy to link to your site in return for a link back. After all, your site may appear first when slightly different keywords are used. Links are what the web was built on, and they remain one of the best ways for people to find your site.
Relax: Search engines are a primary way people look for web sites, but they are not the only way. People also find sites through word-of-mouth, traditional advertising, the traditional media, newsgroup postings, web directories and links from other sites. Many times, these alternative forms are far more effective draws than are search engines. The audience you want may be visiting to a site that you can partner with, or reading a magazine that you've never informed of your site. Do the simple things to best make your site relevant to search engines, then concentrate on the other areas.