Submissions
The ‘spider’ robot programs that search engines use to index web sites will follow links in order to deliver high quality results to searchers. The bigger the index of web pages, the better the choice for searchers. This means that the search engines actively seek out links, so it should not be necessary for you to submit to search engines. However, it does no harm to do so to a limited extent.
Dead links
To make sure you are ready to be listed in the search engines, check that all the links on your web pages work properly. This will help to prevent you from leading the search engines into any dead ends by mistake.
Link checker: http://validator.w3.org/checklink
Search engine relationships
The three major search engines are Google, Yahoo! and MSN. There are also two major human-edited directories – Yahoo! Directory and DMOZ – that work with the search engines.
Download this chart to see how the worldwide search engines and directories
work together. You will see that there are just a few major players feeding
in results.
http://www.bruceclay.com/searchenginerelationshipchart.htm
Search engine submissions
Some people say that no-one needs to submit their site to search engines, while others say it might just help!
If you do decide to submit to the search engines, it should be for no more than five web pages from any one site in the same day. You should only submit once or twice a week, using different pages.
Over 90% of all sites submitted through the free Add URL facilities of the major search engines are spam (using ‘illegal’ material to achieve rankings). If you choose to submit your site, it will be in amongst these and the engines regularly disregard submissions without processing them.
You can resubmit your pages to the engines if your site has not been indexed after 30 days, or you can wait for the search engines to find your site through a link. Keep a log of your submissions so you do not accidentally over-submit. To check if your page has been added, search for the URL at the search engine.
Google free Add URL: http://www.google.com/addurl.html
Yahoo! free Add URL: http://submit.search.yahoo.com/free/request (sign up to
submit)
MSN, Ask Jeeves/Teoma: there is currently no free submit service, but they
both actively ‘spider’ the web for links to index.
Directories
When you submit to Yahoo! Directory, DMOZ and other human-edited directories, you should:
- keep to their listing guidelines and criteria
- choose your categories very carefully
- write an objective 15-to-20 word description of your site that the editor can use in your listing (check the listing style and tailor your ideas to blend in, and include your main keyword phrases in the sentence in a natural way)
- submit to Yahoo! UK Directory rather than Yahoo! International Directory (it will cost you less for a commercial listing)
In addition to Yahoo! and DMOZ. there are many more human-edited directories that could list your site. There are general directories for business and leisure, worldwide or for individual countries. There may also be industry directories for your commercial sector and regional directories for your local area. Many of these will give you a higher profile and help you gain link popularity.
Industry directories often charge an annual fee for a descriptive listing with a link to your own web site. These listings can bring a consistent stream of targeted traffic to your site and lend significant weight to any online marketing campaign.
Take time to make sure your listing request complies with the directory’s guidelines, or your request is likely to be rejected.
