For most, this might be pointing out the bloody obvious. When you are trying to find out if your article is anywhere to be found on the first page of Google by typing in the keyword you are trying to rank for, make sure you go to Tools > Clear Recent History > Clear Now. You may find that your site (that was just in the top 10 for a highly searched keyword) has suddenly vanished into the netherworld of cyberspace. I know for a fact that a lot of newbies get excited when they see their blog/site ranking highly for a certain keyword and are scratching their head, wondering why they aren't lying on a beach sipping margaritas yet. Google is just picking up on your browsing history and showing you what they think you want to see. You have probably clicked on your own site so many times, that Google thinks you must really dig this site and therefore deems this a site preference. Just a thought. 3 AM and can't sleep.