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A SEO or an SEO … ? 60-second fix
Author : Catie Holdridge
Posted : 14 / 09 / 11
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SEO (search engine optimisation) is pretty high on everyone’s business agenda these days. If you haven’t already, you’ll probably soon be looking for a company or tool that will help you make sure you always appear near the top of the rankings.
But when you do, as our blog reader Mark enquires, are you looking for ‘a SEO company or tool’ or ‘an SEO company or tool’?
Good question, Mark; and one that often comes up with abbreviations.
Fortunately, it’s an easy one to sort out: you just look at the pronunciation of the abbreviation. Although it begins with a consonant, phonetically SEO (ess-ee-oh) starts with a vowel, so you would precede it with ‘an’.
And as a quick reference for the future, abbreviations beginning with A, E, F, H (pronounced ‘aitch’), I, L, M, N, O, R, S and X should be preceded by ‘an’. Those beginning with B, C, D, G, J, K, P, Q, T, U, V, W, Y, or Z will take ‘a’.
Posted by: Cathy Relf
19 / 05 / 12
Every now and then, you’ll come across someone who insists that different to and different than are wrong, and that only different from is correct, writes Cathy Relf. For the most apoplectic example, we’ll cite the now semi-defunct Queen’s English Society’s, who complain: ‘At a conservative estimate, it can be said that some 90% of […]
19 / 07 / 12
If you mix up your words, it can affect a reader’s opinion of you – and that, in turn, can have a detrimental effect on your business. So here’s how to get affect and effect straight. Almost always, the following will apply: effect is a noun and means ‘a result or a consequence’ or the […]
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