BY THE NUMBERS
Visitors will arrive at your Web site with their own needs, perspectives, and emotions. Since you don't know much about them individually, here's how you can influence them with the design of your site.
SEARCHING FOR MEANING
In the end, is Google's search advertising system better than Yahoo's, or are they just monetizing better? It sounds like a little bit of both, but we shouldn't count Yahoo out.
AU NATURAL
There are a few firms that I might believe do a good job of both Web design and SEO. I'd also say that most Web design companies have no business claiming to "do" SEO.
LITTLE BIZ
It's a time investment. But something worth having takes time. Keeping up with what's going on in your industry and creating a community you can talk with are key factors that successful web businesses employ.