Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) isn't a quick fix to having your site rank no.1 on Google, or even on the first page. It is a complex, long-term process that involves many variables.
Don't be fooled by the so called experts that say they can achieve the impossible of getting you to page one and keeping you there. With over 200 factors in Google's complex algorithms I have yet to find the magic answer. Steer away from companies that promise the earth, they may get you to page one super quick, and you could stay there for a while, but there is a potential risk. Your site could fall off just as fast and be riddled with spammy links leaving you needing to build a new website to recover from the situation.
You don't need a fancy plan, you need a long term strategy that covers the basics.
There are both organic and paid strategies you can use to help with your quest to conquer Google.
Organic includes your on-page optimisation, which involves things like making sure keywords are in your content in the right place: page titles, page descriptions, urls, alt-tags on image files, headings.
Regular content updates, blog posts, reviews, social sharing, and the natural encouragement for backlinks from referrers can help with your organic ranking, you could consider taking up guest blogging. Making sure you have a Google My Business Page that is also optimised with your keywords is beneficial too.
If you want to venture into the realm of paid strategies you could use Google AdWords, this is when you pay for clicks for specific keywords that will push your site higher up the list on Google, and have that nasty little AD symbol beside it (just my opinion). You need to bear in mind that a lot of people don't click on the ads as they feel the organic listings are more authentic. Then there is a gem called "remarketing", a nifty little tool that puts your ad around the web for people who have visited your website or app before to see again, with the intention of converting them to paying customers.
I'm not saying don't use paid advertising, heck I'll use it myself. Even if your ad isn't clicked on, it may hit the peripheral vision, and when a potential client sees the listing further down or an advert on the NZ Herald website for your business, it could trigger a click through. For some businesses paid advertising is a valuable part of their online strategy.
I have just touched on the surface here, the strategy you employ all comes down to your individual company objectives because SEO is not a one size fits all solution.
If you want help sussing out the cowboys from the real deal get in touch, OMG Solutions knows some pretty awesome SEO experts who know their stuff.