Have text on your home page: Search engines index the text read from the various web pages they visit. If a page lacks descriptive text, then there is little chance that page will come up in the results of a search engine query.
It's not enough for that text to be in graphics. It must be HTML text. Some search engines will catalog ALT text and text in comment and meta tags. To be safe, a straight HTML description is recommended.
In addition, some people try to spam search engines by repeating words in a small font or in color to make them invisible to browsers. Search engines are catching on to these and other tricks. Expect that if the text is not visible in a browser, then it won't be indexed by a search engine.
Have text high on your page: Tables are one chief way of pushing your text further down the page, making keywords appearing on the page less relevant to some engines when comparing against other pages. This page is a good example of a bad indexing situation. The engine reads the table on the left-hand side, then works over to the text in the next column. Get your text up higher, either through meta tag use or smart design, when possible.
Pick your keywords: Focus on the two or three keywords that you think are most crucial to your site, then ensure those words are both in your title and mentioned early on your web page. Generally, most people will already have those words present on their pages but may not also have them in page titles.
Keep in mind that the keywords you consider crucial may not be exactly what users enter. The addition of just one extra word can suddenly make a site appear more relevant, and it can be impossible to anticipate what that word will be. The best bet is to focus on your chosen keywords but to also have a complete description.
Submit your key pages: Most search engines will index the other pages from your web site by following links from a page you submit to them. But sometimes they miss, so it's good to submit the top 3 or so pages that best summarize your web site. It can take longer to get those other pages, perhaps up to a month. But in the end, they will get there. The features chart shows my best estimate of how often the different search engines update their catalogs.
Have links to inside pages: If there are no links to inside pages from the home page, some search engines will not fully catalog a site. Unfortunately, the most descriptive, relevant pages that are often inside pages rather than the home page.
Frames can kill: Some of the major search engines cannot follow frame links. Make sure there is an alternative method for them to enter and index your site, either through meta tags or smart design. For more information, see the tips on using frames.
The Meta Myth: Meta tags will help you control your site's description in engines that support them. They will NOT guarantee that your site appears first. Adding some meta description code is not a magic bullet that cures your site of dismal rankings. For more information, see the tips on using meta tags.
Forget Spamming: For one thing, spamming doesn't seem to work with every search engine. Ethically, the content of most web pages ought to be enough for search engines to determine relevancy without webmasters having to resort to repeating keywords for no reason other than to try and "beat" other web pages. The stakes will simply keep rising, and users will also begin to hate sites that undertake these measures. Efforts would be better spent on networking and alternative forms of publicity described below.
Vigilance: Once you are in an engine, check your site at least once a week. Strange things happen. Pages disappear from catalogs. Links go screwy. Watch for trouble, and resubmit if you spot it.
Resubmit regularly: Many engines are now visiting sites on a schedule developed from site changes. The engines have grown smart enough to realize some sites only change content once or twice a year, so they don't visit regularly. Resubmitting every month or two will ensure that your site's content is kept current.
Network: If your site fails to make the top ten lists, then get together with those that do. Perhaps some might be considered "competitors," but others might be happy to link to your site in return for a link back. After all, your site may appear first when slightly different keywords are used. Links are what the web was built on, and they remain one of the best ways for people to find your site.
Relax: Search engines are a primary way people look for web sites, but they are not the only way. People also find sites through word-of-mouth, traditional advertising, the traditional media, newsgroup postings, web directories and links from other sites. Many times, these alternative forms are far more effective draws than are search engines. The audience you want may be visiting a site that you can partner with or reading a magazine that you've never informed of your site. Do the simple things to best make your site relevant to search engines, then concentrate on the other areas. For some ideas, see the links listed under "Publicity" on the resources page.