Word stemming can pull in search results that are not an exact match for the keyword searched on, but may be close to or the same thing. When a search engine does use stemming or word stems, it means that searches for word roots will also include the variations of that word. For instance, searches for consult would also return documents that have the words CONSULTing and CONSULTants.

Search engines that practice word stemming will return your Web site for searches on those other word variations so you should incorporate the longest form of your important keywords in your meta tags. For example, including the word consulting in the meta tag will likely get your Web site returned for searches on both "consult" and "consulting" on many search engines. This is an important consideration when you are designing your Web site and deciding which keywords to include and which to leave out. Always choose the longer form of your important keywords and use the plural form of the word by adding an "s" where possible.

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