Many SEO articles intentionally go over the head of the reader with the intent of the writer making money for selling their services.

Thus here is The Basic SEO Article in bulleted list form

• Structure a page properly using heading tags, subheading tags, and page titles which are keyword dense.

• Use a different page title on each page, each page should usually have its primary keywords at the beginning of the page title.
• Also include the keywords in the page copy.
• Write for the user first, stressing their benefits. The text should read well to the human eye.
• Use text links on your site whenever possible. If it is not part of the primary navigation then add text links at the bottom of the page.
• Add a site map to help structure the site for spiders.
• Build the navigation of your site similar to how you would break down a store. (Break the site into its themes and sub themes.)
• Try to get your keywords in much of the anchor text in both internal links and links from other sites that link to you.
• Give enthusiasts of your topic a reason to link to you.
• Link to related resources if it adds value to your site.
• Submit your site to directories.
• Try to get a few more links.
• Add content which gives people a reason to come back to your site and gives them a reason to want to link to you...keep it fresh.

If you feel I missed anything in The Basic SEO Article feel free to add your SEO tips below.