1. Add content
Add content, add content, and add content. Before you even register your domain, you should have enough ideas to build 100 pages on your site. Start brainstorming and see what you can come up with in 10 minutes. If that's not enough to fill 50 pages, consider not building the site at all. Having lots of content is important.
2. A simple design is better
Text content should outweigh the html content. Stay away from heavy flash, java, JavaScript, etc. Don't add to much stuff like 'best viewed with'... Your website should be viewable with any browser. Keep it clean and professional.
3. Keep the pages small
Smaller is better. Keep it under 15k if you can. Your site should be fast loading, or people will leave. Speed is everything. Next to content, that is. Keep it under 10k or 5k if you can. Difficult, but people love fast sites. Throw away all the trash on your pages.
4. Content length
Put a new page online every day of about 200 to 500 words. Go to the overture keyword suggester to find ideas of what to write about. Spell checks your content. Search engines can do it, and so should you. If you have a blog, go for article-like posts as opposed to the personal diary kinds of posts.
5. Use keywords
Use your keywords in the following places: title, description tag, heading, url, once bold, once italic and once high on the page.
6. Link to other sites
Put 2 links to other, high ranking pages on your site. They should be relevant to the content of that page and use keywords as your link. Don't add every link that's requested. Check their relevance first.
7. Link to your own site
Put links from one page to other relevant pages on your own site. Again: use keywords as your link.
8. Submit your site
Submit your site to Google, AltaVista, Yahoo, Msn, Hotbot, etc. Then forget about that for 6 months. Also submit it to every single directory you can find. Do a check after 6 months and resubmit if you're not listed.
9. Log and track
Most hosts provide these. Don't use a lame graphic counter. Check where your visitors are coming from to find out what traffic methods work best for your site.
10. Write for people
People are not coming to your site for your content. They are coming for their content. Try to write as if you are writing to one specific person, such as a friend of yours who's interested in the same topic. Don't try to write for 'all of your visitors'.
11. Stay ahead
If you know that something big will come out in a few months, build a page about it now. It gives search engines time to index that page so they can feed it to the growing anticipating crowd.
12. Add more content
This is so important: keep adding content. Do this for a year and your site will be a top ranking website within one year. You could've been there now, if you started last year. So start now, so you'll be there next year. You'll thank yourself (and me) later.
To add your site to Google
http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl
To add your site to yahoo
http://search.yahoo.com/info/submit.html
To add your site to MSN
http://search.msn.com/docs/submit.aspx?FORM=SUNO
You can submit your site to these major sites yourself. But to rank at the top, you need to advertise it. You can try Google Adwords. It’s the most effective and targeted way of Advertising. Although it can be expensive but I know 1 Person here on Yahoo answers who is giving 1000$ of adwords coupons for 25$.
I've personally tried it and its worth. If you want his ID mail me through my profile.
You can also try free classified advertising.