I'm so new to SEO that I didn't think I'd be posting do soon but something has got me confused.

I had a holding page which was uploaded last Thursday and domain name (cloaked) pointing to a web hosting company. Having read lots of posts and books I found that I needed a stand alone, 'top level' 'not-cloacked' hosting so I set up another host and asked for my domain to be transfered to the new host.

This was a nightmare but finally they've transfered the domain today.

Last week, and before the holding page left the old host and the domain left the domain name provider (and without me indexing the site with google or Yahoo) I was number 1 for numerous keyword searches. I first thought that Google was providing searched relevant to me only (I wasn't signed in to goole) so I tried on another computer in the house - still number 1. I then thought that my home IP address might be affecting the page rankings so I asked my Dad (3 miles down the road and a different ISP) and still number 1, although his links were broken and showed the ranking in the serps but no website. I checked over 3 days and still the same results. Some keywords showed me number 1, some number 3, some number 7 (including Yahoo - which made me think that it wasn't just Google playing with me!).

I guess the first question would be, why did I rank so soon after not even indexing the holding page?

and the second,

Where have I gone and 'whhhhyyyyyyy........(tails off into the distance)'.......?

Logic is telling me it's all to do with the release of the domain and the reinstating to the other company.

Would there be better hosting companies to go with than others (the old one was Host Papa hidden behind another website and the new one Just Hosts - terrible customer service but what do I expect for 25/year?!?!?)

Any ideas out there in pro-seo-land?