I've read quite a few blogs which talk about their 'Google ranking/listing' and that they've moved up because of 'more hits'.

I really don't understand this. Is being listed a good thing? How do I know what my listing/ranking is? If I type 'Non-Sensei' in the Google search, the first two links are to this blog. Is that any good? Or is my search too specific?Damn, now I really want to know.