Basics of what I recommend for SEO

1. Domain name that reflects the area of interest/business truthfully.
2. If the business is specific to an area, put that in the domain name and page content. e.g. Best-Plumbing.com is a poor domain name if you are only in Seattle. Seattle-Best-Plumbing.com is what you want.
3. In the main page HTML there are META tags that tell search engines the CONTENT and DESCRIPTION. Whatever is written in the DESCRIPTION is what Google duplicates in their search results page.
4. If the webpage is a true business, with a physical postal mailbox and business phone number, then definitely go through Google's registration process to associate a Google Maps address with the business name and webpage. Google sends an actual postcard to the address, someone fills the card out and sends back to Google. Google then can trust that (e.g.) Seattle-Best-Plumbing.com is for-real, and not some Russian spam dogshit website.
5. Long term residence on the web helps.
6. Dmoz.org seems to be unmaintained these days, but remember it is owned by Google. I got entered into its directory for categories 1) php developers and also 2) Seattle local interest. This gained my domain immense credibility in the search universe.
7. I worked for Microsoft Search in its infancy (2004), as a contract engineer tracking down "spam" websites and helping those programming the search algorithms get the machine's capability closer to spotting the same spam.