Where to begin
It's been our experience that
the best way to get your site listed on the
major search engines is to first get listed
in the Open Directory Project. ODP is not a
search engine but an index of websites. The
major search engines rely heavily on the ODP
database so if you are able to get your site
listed there you really won't have to worry
about showing up on the major search engines.
The Open
Directory Project uses volunteers to
screen website submissions. As long as you
follow their guidelines you shouldn't have
any problem being indexed. Be aware that
since each site is looked at by an actual
person it may take months for your site to
show up in the index but it will be well
worth it.
You may also submit your site
directly to each search engine but the time
frame for indexing will probably be about the
same as submitting to the ODP.
Some popular search engines
are: Google, Yahoo, Lycos, HotBot, Netscape,
AOL
Search, and MSN
Search.
Optimizing your site
for search engine position
While getting listed with the
search engines is fairly easy, obtaining a
good position is much harder. Remember, there
are millions of websites and they would all
like to show up on the first few pages when
a search is done. This is not always possible
but there are some things that can be done
to greatly enhance your site's chances.
The most important elements
are your site's title, meta tags, and your
actual page content (text). Let's examine each
of these.
Your page title
At the top of your web browser
is the title bar. This displays the title that
is embedded in the code on your website. Search
engines use this when returning results, so
your title is very important.
Your title should be brief,
descriptive, and include your business name.
Meta tags
Meta tags are hidden within
the code of your website. They can include
a website's description and keywords. This
information is not visible to the visitor and
is only used by search engine "".
There is some question as to
how much the search engines still rely on the
meta tag. Some have stated that they no longer
use this information at all. We recommend using
them. It won't hurt your ability to get your
website listed and may help with some search
engines.
Page content
Search engines focus on the
actual text on your page so your homepage content
is critical to gaining a good position on the
search engines.
Your homepage copy should be
understandable, easy to read, and should include
all relevant keywords.
Search engines will not recognize
graphics or Flash animations. Don't rely on
these things when putting together your homepage
copy. Make sure all relevant information is
in plain text.
These tips will help you get
the best possible position when submitting
your website to the search engines.
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