Many people in the Search Engine Optimisation world still talk about the phenomenon that may or not be the Google Sandbox.

This is where Google treat new sites differently from other sites that have been established, penalising the rankings and not allowing them visibility in the search engine rankings until such time as a series of factors is met that allow them to begin rankings for the content that a site contains.

I am not certain that this "sandbox" actually exists. However, it is likely that there are a number of factors in Google algorithm that make it likely that a new site will have initial difficulties in ranking well for the terms in its content.

If there is very little competition for the area the site is attempting to rank for and you can get some good relevant links early in a sites life, then there is a good chance that these factors can be bypassed, and a site can rank well as soon as it becomes visible to the search engines.

However, there are no hard and fast rules as to what can be done to avoid it, whether it is the "sandbox" or a set of factors in the Google algorithm. It is always best to create your site for your potential users/clients and make minor modifications to allow the site to rank well for key terms