Search Engine Optimization is a simple process and gives results in time. There is no overnight recipe to it.

Having said that there are a few points that one should keep in mind before starting:

• Do keyword research to determine what keywords you want to target for your website/blog

While planning and creating your website/blog you should do the following:

• Use markup to indicate the content of your website
  • Optimize your <title> tags on each page to contain 1 – 3 keywords
  • Create Unique Meta Tags for each page of your website
  • Use header tags appropriately (H1 > H2 > H3)
  • Use <strong> and <em> tags if appropriate
• Optimize your Website URLs
  • Use Search Engine Friendly URLs (for dynamic sites)
  • Use keywords in your website domain (http://www.keyword1.com/)
  • Use keywords in your website URL (http://www.example.com/keyword2/keyword3.html)
  • Use dashes instead of underscores to separate words in your URLs (keyword2-keyword3.html)
• Optimize your Website’s Design and Develop Specific Content
  • Use keywords liberally yet appropriately throughout each page
  • Have unique content for your website
  • Have quality content
• Use search engine friendly web design
  • Create a human sitemap
  • Do not use inaccessible site navigation (JavaScript menus)
  • Minimized outbound links
  • Kept your pages under 100K in size
• Design the navigational structure of the site to channel PR to main pages (especially the homepage)
• Create a page that encourages webmasters to link to your website
  • Provide them the relevant HTML to create their link to your website
  • Provide them with any images you may want them to use (although text links are better)
• Make sure your website is complete before launching it

Immediately after launching your website you should do the following:

• Submit your site to all major search engines
  • Google (Use a Google SiteMap)
  • Yahoo (Use the page list option)
  • MSN (Finds your site via incomming links)
  • Ask (Finds your site via incomming links)
• Submit your site to all free directories
  • DMOZ (also powers Google Directory)
  • JoeAnt
• Submit your site to relevant directories
  • Find more at ISEDB
• Begin a link building campaign (attempting to get keywords in the link anchor text)
  • Put a link to your website in your forum signatures
  • Reply to relevant blog posts (Don’t spam please)
  • Submit articles to relevant websites

If you will pay to promote your website:

• Submit your site to pay directories
  • Yahoo
  • GoGuides
• Purchase text links from high PR (Pagerank) sites related to your site

Finally, as part of an ongoing strategy:

• Continually update your website will quality, unique content
• Continually seek free links preferably from sites in your genre

Do NOT do the following:

• Make an all Flash website (without an HTML alternative)
• Use JavaScript for navigation
• Spam other websites for incoming links
• Launch your site before it is done
• Use duplicate content
  • Point several domains to one site without using a 301 redirect
• Use markup inappropriately
  • Style <H>eader tags to look like regular text
  • Hide content using ‘display: hidden’ (for the sake of hiding text)
• Use other “black hat” techniques (unless you accept the risk – Banning)
  • Doorway/Landing pages
  • Cloaking
  • Hidden text
  • Keyword stuffing

Additional Tips:

• Usable and accessible sites tend to be search engine friendly by their very nature
• Be patient! High rankings don’t happen overnight
• Don’t obsess with any one search engine. They are all worth your attention.

In other words you have to have SEO in mind before you start your website. And only submit once you have a complete website.