I'm slightly biased, but likely your best starting point is the Beginner's Guide by SEOmoz http://www.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-seo http://www.seomoz.org/be

I'm slightly biased, but likely your best starting point is the Beginner's Guide by SEOmoz http://www.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-seo http://www.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-seo Amazingly well-produced, and covers all of the basics -- without any of the snake oil. The SEO industry gets a bad wrap (most times, rightfully so) but once you parse out all of the shit, there's some great stuff out there. Hope that's helpful.