Google has published a nice, concise guide to help you optimize your site for Google Search:
Following these guidelines will help Google find, index, and rank your site. Even if you choose not to implement any of these suggestions, we strongly encourage you to pay very close attention to the "Quality Guidelines," which outline some of the illicit practices that may lead to a site being removed entirely from the Google index.
A must read for considering your SEO strategy. Read full article: Webmaster Guidelines