How do I optimize my site with SEO friendly HTML code?

• Is there such a thing as search engine friendly HTML code? Do you have guidelines that I should follow when coding a site from the start to make it as SEO friendly as possible?

Answer: There's a fine line to walk between designing a Web site that is easy for visitors to navigate and understand while still being search engine friendly. Correctly formatted HTML code helps to ensure that all of your pages are indexed correctly without any major roadblocks and that you're getting the most out of all the hard work you've put into your site. At the same time it's true that regardless of how pristine your code is you have no real guarantee of traffic and rankings. Your goal is to be sure that if something does stand between you and a top listing in Google - it's NOT your code!

Below are 10 of the most important guidelines we use when designing Web sites to be both search engine and visitor friendly. It's important to note that this is not an exhaustive list but using it will prove invaluable to your long-term success. (this list is not presented in any particular order):

1. Each page should have unique titles <title> and descriptions <meta name="description" content="This is a sample.">. Be careful when using server-side includes, make sure you have the ability to control these for each page especially when using a single template for many pages.
2. Titles should be unique to the page content and formulated around 1-2 keywords. Don't use <title>Name of Company - Name of Page</title> if you can help it. Here is an example for the keyword Blue Widgets - <title>Blue Widgets – Blue Widget Co.</title>
3. Write a unique page description of 150-170 characters, preferably utilizing copy already found on the page. Try to repeat a targeted keyword phrase 1-2 times minimum, and get it at the beginning of the description at least once.
4. If you are using Javascript o...