Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be divided into two main parts. There is the so called on-page optimization and on the other hand there is off-page optimization. Off-page optimization includes linkbuilding and getting trust trough word of mouth. The latter is often poorly ,or not at all, implemented which harms your site and you loose a good share of potential customers and/or readers.

But first, before even trying to do off-page optimization, you must have a fully optimized website or blog. This includes highlighting your main keyphrases, deploying proper meta tags and have standard compliant code.

Always keep in mind that categorization is key when doing proper on-page optimization. This begins already at the planing stage when creating your new website. The linking structure should categorize your site in the main topics you are going to cover.