I have finished building my new site one month ago and used until today the following: 1. Landing Page via Google. 2. Articles. 3. PR. 4. Stumble. And now I'm starting my link exchange. Optimization made with a software called IBP. How long does it take for Google to notice my site on the free list ?
It may take anywhere from a couple of hours till weeks. I had one site that was indexed for the first time after more than 3 months... So, just keep on working and wait
how long does it take for them to compare my site to others and determine where is my location on the free list ?
If you're indexed, you're already being compared to other sites in google's rankings. Keep building links and adding content, and you'll gradually keep moving up. People usually don't break the top 10 for any decent term in a month.
It all depends on how competitive the keywords you're targeting are. Uncompetitive keywords, you can get into the top ten within a week. Competitive ones: usually takes a while, unless you've got yourself a very good website and a very good marketing campaign.