How To Search Engine Optimize Your SMB Web Site

Search engine optimization (SEO) sometimes seems more a black art than a science but there are some simple things you can do to ensure your customers find your Web site.

"Writing a Web piece about search engine optimization is kind of like preparing dinner at a conference of 5-star chefs: You want to make sure not to make the mistakes they're all taking about how to avoid.

Thus I needed to take extra care on wording this write up of the Search Engine Strategies conference. For example, I debated whether to use "SEO" or "search engine optimization" in my headline. Which would likely do better on Google? (Answer: Check Google Trends, and you'll see that SEO is the more popular search choice.) And then, in the end, I went with "more effective Web sites," which seemed a bit more accurate -- and would hopefully appeal to the human reader, even if it's a less frequently used search term."