search-engine optimization

— Although much has been said about the value of television and billboard advertisements driving traffic to Web sites, the main way that people reach sites is by typing an inquiry into one of the many search engines that index the Web, [Rob M.] Laporte said. “I used to think that the search engines would become less important than other methods, but I was surprised to find that doesn’t seem to have happened.” Advertising and search-engine optimization are complementary, Laporte tells clients.