How far can one go wrt site optimization (on-page) with only a basic knowledge of CSS and xHTML? I know the basics and I can get in and edit title, h1 and meta tags etc. for a client, but I know there's so much more. Can anyone recommend a good resource for non-developer types (like me) to learn the basics of on-page optimization from a not-too-technical point of view?
These should help... http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182915 http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/internet/google-ranking-factors.htm (This is for reference, ignore the so called claims)
Go to www.SEOMoz.org . You might just explode reading all the quality stuff they have there. Do a search for "beginners" and you'll be right where you need to be.
*shakes head in disgust* seowarrior, are you saying you need to learn how to develop and maintain Web sites using X/HTML and CSS? If that's the case, PM me. I'll need to know a few things before I can make any guaranteed suggestions.
Now you're just making me feel bad . I know just the basics really, but it's not like I can sit down and hand code a site from scratch. My on-page site optimization has mostly revolved around editing title, meta and h1 tags and futzing around with content .....that kind of thing. I just wonder how much more I should or could know without being a full blown web developer type (like yourself). I'm looking to optimize pages not develop them myself.
Which falls under maintenance. You might want to look into Build Your Own Web Site The Right Way Using HTML & CSS by Ian Lloyd or HTML Utopia: Designing Without Tables Using CSS, 2nd Edition by Rachel Andrew and Dan Shafer (both books are by SitePoint). You may also want to look at HTML and XHTML Visual Quickstart Guide, 6th Edition by Elizabeth Castro if you need a reference style book (though many of the CSS techniques listed in there actually CAUSE accessibility problems and may at times interfere with the proper optimization of a Web page for the search engines).