Best practices in SEO

How can i tell if any website has best practices for search engine optimization?

You can use this resource for starters.

It also depends on what you mean...
1) you can check page rank
2) meta information
3) back links etc....
4) friendly urls
can all be done manually.

What would be the purpose behind that in the first place?
Do you want to do research on this or you are just curious to know about it in details?

to knw best practices i think you must first read the google guidelines for webmasters and then optimize your site in a natural way..don't try to trick search engines but be honest and don't hide or overdo anything

Effective optimization is an ongoing process, you need to follow the sound seo principle and remain competitive to achieve maximum results.

Before you write one line of code:

• Do keyword research to determine what keywords you want to target

While constructing your website you should do the following:

• Use markup to indicate the content of your site
  • Optimize your <title> tags on each page to contain 1 - 3 keywords
  • Create unique Meta Tags for each page
  • Use header tags appropriately (H1 > H2 > H3)
  • Use <strong> and <em> tags if appropriate
• Optimize your URLs
  • Use Search Engine Friendly URLs (for dynamic sites)
  • Use keywords in your domain ((URL address blocked: See forum rules))
  • Use keywords in your URL ((URL address blocked: See forum rules))
  • Use dashes instead of underscores to separate words in your URLs (keyword2-keyword3.html)
• Optimize your content
  • Use keywords liberally yet appropriately throughout each page
  • Have unique content
  • Have quality content
• Use search engine friendly design
  • Create a human sitemap
  • Do not use inaccessible site navigation (JavaScript menus)
  • Minimized outbound links
  • Kept your pages under 100K in size
• Design the navigational structure of the site to channel PR to main pages (especially the homepage)
• Create a page that encourages webmasters to link to your site
  • Provide them the relevant HTML to create their link to you
  • Provide them with any images you may want them to use (although text links are better)
• Make sure your website is complete before launching it

Immediately after launching your site you should do the following:

• Submit your site to all major search engines
  • Google (Use a Google SiteMap)
  • Yahoo (Use the page list option)
  • MSN
  • Ask (Finds your site via incomming links)
• Submit your site to all free directories
  • DMOZ (also powers Google Directory)
  • JoeAnt
• Submit your site to relevant directories
  • Find more at ISEDB
• Begin a link building campaign (attempting to get keywords in the link anchor text)
  • Put a link to your website in your forum signatures
  • Reply to relevant blog posts (Don't spam please)
  • Submit articles to relevant websites

If you will pay to promote your website:

• Submit your site to pay directories
  • Yahoo
  • GoGuides
• Purchase text links from high PR (Pagerank) sites related to your site

Finally, as part of an ongoing strategy:

• Continually update your website will quality, unique content
• Continually seek free links preferably from sites in your genre

Do NOT do the following:

• Make an all Flash website (without an HTML alternative)
• Use JavaScript for navigation
• Spam other websites for incomming links
• Launch your site before it is done
• Use duplicate content
  • Point several domains to one site without using a 301 redirect
• Use markup inappropiately
  • Style <H>eader tags to look like regular text
  • Hide content using 'display: hidden' (for the sake of hiding text)
• Use other "black hat" techniques (unless you accept the risk - Banning)
  • Doorway/Landing pages
  • Cloaking
  • Hidden text
  • Keyword stuffing

Additional Tips:

• Usable and accessible sites tend to be search engine friendly by their very nature
• Be patient! High rankings don't happen overnight
• Don't obsess with any one search engine. They are all worth your attention.

In other words you have SEO in mind before you start your website. And only submit once you have a complete website.

What does it mean?

# Submit your site to all major search engines

* Google (Use a Google SiteMap)
* Yahoo (Use the page list option)
* MSN
* Ask (Finds your site via incomming links)

# Submit your site to all free directories

* DMOZ (also powers Google Directory)
* JoeAnt

# Submit your site to relevant directories

* Find more at ISEDB

Submitting your site to the search engines basically means you tell them about it so they know to visit your website and index it.

first try to learn ethical seo and start your effective seo practices. to bring your site in good oposition make a complete analysis of your website and competitors site(atleast 10 competitors).

during the time of analysis make a match between your site and competitors site. after doing this analysis you will come to know everything automaticaly. always try to culture every thing with your great knowledge and you will be a master.

Hi rudratta,

"Learn Ethical SEO" - what does it mean?
Sorry I'm new to SEO stuff but would really like to
learn how to promote a website wisely.

Thanks,
Robert

Ethical SEO means not trying to use trickery into getting higher rankings. This includes using landing pages and hidden text amongst other things. All of these things might get you ranked higher but they also will get you banned once you get caught. Then you'll be out of the search engines and out of a lot of potential traffic.

SEO means Search Engine Optimization

If you don't know how to use a search engine,
how are you ever going to achieve SEO?

Gooogle is a search engine

Sorry for the sarcasm, but think / research before posting

Good luck in your quest.