Search Engine Optimisation Sticking to the basics

I'm a relative novice when it comes to Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) but I think that I have a pretty good grasp of the critical factors that can really make a difference to the position that a website holds in the search engine rankings. If you are a commercial company it is in your interests to have your website ranking as high in the search engines, particularly Google, as possible. Preferably at the number 1 position.
It is estimated that having the number 1 spot on the first page of Google for your particular keyword will result in you capturing around 40% of the traffic. So, if there are 100,000 people searching for your keyword each month and you are at the No.1 spot you should get at least 40,000 clicking on your website link.
I decided to set myself a challenge. To test my ability at getting a good ranking for a brand new site. I was thinking about what particular market to enter into when I thought - Why not put yourself up against the professionals? You know, the SEO specialists who make money out of this business.

Well, I did a quick search on Google. I live about 20 miles from Manchester in the UK so I put in 'SEO Manchester' and it came back with 325,000 competing companies. Now that's a pretty hefty challenge! You'd think that every one of these companies would have used the best SEO methods and tactics available. So, I've built myself quite a basic website using Wordpress (as Google seems to like this type of site) and I'm just going to optimise it as best I can with the knowledge I have available now plus learning more SEO techniques as I go along. I'll use good on-page SEO plus off-page methods such as articles, blogging, links and social bookmarking etc.