Another thing to do is keep the immediate area around your laptop clean, esp. around the back and sides. This will also allow heat to escape.
And yeah, keep it on a suitable surface while you're using it (no carpets, blankets, etc.), and keep it away from dusty and dirty locations.
One more thing--when you're not using it and you don't want to completely shut it down, close the lid to put it into standby mode. This will keep the fan from working too hard as well.
My laptop is six years old and I've never had a problem with the fan.