Search engine optimization. By now, every communications professional has heard of it, though many (admittedly or not) still think of it as that thing that makes a press release appear high up in a Google search's returned results. What these executives don't know is that search engine optimization (SEO) and its kissing cousin, search engine marketing (SEM), are the shortest paths to increased brand visibility; they can also be the quickest way to crash and burn during a crisis.