If Marshall Simmonds had written an SEO Training Manual for the guides at about.com, it would be something like this:
Customize content for each page. Every URL is a potential entry point. Keep content in the header tags focused and terse. Simplicity is so important in search engine optimization.
Keep the graphics low and the content high. All engines do two things: index text and follow links. Give the spiders the opportunity to do just that. Keep the content as high on the page as possible and give relevant links to quality content either on or off-site. The HTML title should be focused and accurately represent the content of the page.
A properly optimized page has appropriate keywords in the title and meta tags. Beyond that, creating content and headings that also contain appropriate keywords can lead to more recognition in search engine rankings.
The biggest SEO guru, Marshall Simmonds, is also responsible for making The New York Times website more search engine friendly.