I know it takes time to get any positions on google, but what tips would be to get a better listing in a very competitive market?
Perhaps I am stating the obvious, but focus on the least competitive keywords in that market - long tailed phrases, etc., while building links, gaining traffic, and developing the site to take on those competitive phrases later on. There is not a lot of room in a competitive market for new sites and Google requires big links and content to gain the most competitive phrases.