The squeaky wheel gets the grease, as the old saying goes. Similarly, the high-visibility Web site gets the business. And a great way to make your small business site stand out is by taking advantage of Internet search engines.

You probably already know how easily search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, AOL Search, MSN, and Ask.com can be in locating products, services, and information. So why not tap that same power for your small business?

A good place to start is to understand the process of “search engine optimization” (SEO). This requires you to:

• Create just the right keywords to describe what you offer.
• Organize each page on your site properly to capture search engine attention.
• Periodically submit updated information on your site and your business to search engines and online directories.

You can do much of this yourself or seek help from search engine submission services catering to small business. Don’t expect search engines and online directories to find you. Submit your site to them. The best way to do this is through a paid submission service. Most such services are effective and inexpensive. Your Web designer or hosting service can also help you with SEO and submission needs.

The content of your Web site can also help improve your chances of being spotted by a search engine. Your most important content should appear first, while titles and descriptions should be clear, factual, and relevant to your target base. Incorporate terms your prospective customers are likely to use in searching for businesses such as yours (e.g., specialties, geographic location, etc.).

Depending on your ad budget, consider investing in search engine marketing (SEM), which are are essentially paid ads that show up as “sponsored links” or “sponsor results” on results pages when someone searches for a keyword/phrase that your company has bid on. Approach SEM like any other advertising opportunity—start with a small campaign, judge the results and build from there. You can change anything on your Web site or in your paid campaign at any time, so it is easy to make adjustments along the way based on your results.