Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): There's an entire industry built around mystifying this subject and that gets on my nerves immensely.

Put in simple terms: where you are perceived as the leader in your niche from a networking standpoint, search engines are trying to capture that to make sure they are giving their users relevant data and the answers their users are looking for - because that builds trust. Which brings repeat usage.

• Search Engine: Google / Bing / Yahoo etc.
• Optimisation: Making sure your content/business/approach can be located by the above. Using your content and subject matter authority to publish.
• Approach: Know where you have authority [in your specific area / USP etc] and what you want to capture from a traffic/prospect/customer standpoint. That can be at any level of visibility: local / national / international.
• On Page Content: Make sure it reflects the above and uses keywords/phrases and terminology that reflect you
• Off Page Content: links to relevant associated content /business /clients /associations

Wiki-magic

If you take Wikipedia as a shining example of the mechanics of SEO. Wikipedia does not pay to get First Page/Position results, it's done through:

• Contribution updates (content being revised continuously)
• Links to relevant articles and sources
• Links to their content from sites that see the site as the 'best' source of subject matter

This shows SEO in it's truest form. Knowledge, backed up by relevance and viewed as an authority.

Not everyone has the time for Wikipedia - but taking it at a single subject matter / page - you can really start to understand the inner workings of the 'magic' of SEO.SEO is not complicated, but should be a bi-product of your expertise. Your business has got the building blocks, given the right guidance, strategy and approach - your first page ranking is not unreachable!

I would love to help!

edit: There are important technical aspects to SEO, but given the right platform and some checklist items, that need not be a limitation to any business. I can also help with that.