In a very basic nutshell, search engine optimization, or SEO for short, is making your site and the site's individual pages visible and relevant to both search engines and search engine users. How is this accomplished?

Search Engine Optimization at its heart is simple and clean. Don't worry so much about the scary technical stuff if you're just starting out. Start slow, read, learn, read some more. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Most of all, be patient with yourself. Learning search engine optimization takes time, just like any other subject.

Good search engine optimization is very basic. A successful search engine optimization campaign will contain these essential components:
Content. Content is key in search engine optimization.
Simple Site Design. Simple, clean designs are what search engine spiders and search engine users like, because it enables them to get to what they're looking for; which is - you guessed it - content.
Well-written Meta tags. Meta tags are merely part of the overall success strategy. They need to be written with compelling, keyword phrase-heavy content that will make the user click through from the search results page.
In-bound Links. Quality links play an important role in your SEO strategy. Develop your links carefully, and always strive for good sites linking back to you.