I started on this forum with the intention of picking up some tips and tricks with HTML and CSS. I have since become used to the syntax of HTML/CSS and now use a lot. I did have intentions of expanding on my web development path into JavaScript, jQuery, PHP etc... But I have read a couple of books on SEO and since been on this forum and I really LIKE SEO! A lot more than web development (I do like web development, just not as much as SEO) To learn both seems like a lot to take on. I do have a lot of spare time but still... it seems like an incredible feat to try and become a web developer/designer and a SEO at the same time. I know there must be some people in here that KNOW IT ALL. Web developers/seo specialists. I'd love to hear from you and get some advice.
To do complete SEO and not just the popularity contest part of it you pretty much have to know the other stuff unless you want to end up one of the people in a state of panic looking for someone who knows how to fix what they just screwed up. You can pay people to do the other stuff, but each industry seems to traditionally screw the other.
Yeah it's quite a challenge to code/design, to SEO a site and to plan your future viral community plus your sites commercial logistics To manage this I pretty much do things step by step. I tweak something on site and monitor the reaction from it's community and random visitors. For me it's a practice of ad network choice and placement plus adding useful and interesting widgets that draw back the crowds. As I've been saying just take things one step at a time but try to focus on the big picture which is earning revenue to cover hosting costs, domain registration. and most importantly profiting from your site/s ROOFIS