If you already own your website, then you have received the spam emails promising submission to thousands of search engines. Or you may have looked at the tools that automatically submit for you. You could actually be placing your site in danger by using these services. Some of the search engines and directories can tell when a submission was made with a tool instead of by hand and will either ignore the effort or worse. The important engines require extra steps making automated submission impossible. Simply; avoid these auto tools.
The Submission Myths
One of the more popular advertisements promises submission to 50,000 search engines. Sounds good
In reality there are only a handful (less than a dozen) of search engines that will bring you traffic. Add to these a few (as in 3 or 4) directories and you have well over 95% of the search market at your disposal. These thousands of additional engines are made up of free for all (FFA) link pages or special interest webpages.
Submitting your web page to thousands of FFA sites means that you will end up with thousands of spam email messages.
In addition, you will not receive a single visitor when you submit your website about office equipment to a directory of artists in Antarctica.
Who do I Submit to? And How?
As always, it is quality that matters, not quantity. For this reason, you should concentrate on the popular search engines when you submit your website.
Here things actually get easier. As is true with most major corporations, search engines purchase one another and eliminate competition. Here is a rundown of the more important engines in the US of A:
- Google: This engine supplies results to AOL & Netscape. From Google's main page they have directions to their free submission tool, and by submitting once you just submitted to AOL & Netscape too.
- MSN: These guys are running solo and are now self sufficient. As is true with Google, use MSN's main page to find their free submission tool.
- Yahoo: Corporate buyout king. Yahoo now owns Inktomi, AltaVista, AlltheWeb, Overture and some others. Like the previous engines, this submission is also free. Although they also offer paid submissions ranging from $100 to $300.
- AskJeeves: Inclusion here is done through the Teoma directory for a fee.
- Foreign Engines: Each country has its own local search engines, and even the ones listed above have their own branches located in different regions. Submission to these should not be overlooked if you sell product or offer services besides just in the US of A.
- Open Directory/DMOZ: This is the main free directory. The trick here is to be already getting results from the above engines before submitting to DMOZ. This directory then boosts your ranking score with AOL, Google, AskJeeves and others... at least in theory. In the days of Yahoo being king this was a powerful tool, now DMOZ is just kind of there.
- Specialty Directories: There are countless subject driven directories for every imaginable topic. Some are well used by members in that field and well worth submitting to. You will need to find these on your own.
- PPC: Overture, Google, Look Smart and others offer sponsored listings or Pay-Per-Click campaigns. If you are selling product then this could be a definite consideration. As would Google's Froogle engine or EBay.
Submission is quite simple, fill in the blanks provided and maybe pay a fee. For the PPC type of submission
an account will need to be applied for and then maintained which is a little more work.
There are two other options available for the more cost-conscious user:
- Linking: This is a good idea anyway for further maintaining and building your sites ranking. But initially, if another site has a link pointing to your site (this is called a backlink) and the other site is known by the search engines then when the search engines next spider that site they will find reference to yours and freely add you to their submission list. This is absolutely best way to be submitted. And do not stop at one backlink, get as many as you can.
- Toolbars: I hate this option, but it works well. If you add a Google bar to your Windows Internet Explorer program then Google will know everywhere you go on the internet, thus giving all your destinations free submission. Most of the search engines have their own tool bar. This is free, but now big brother(s) know everything you do when browsing.
In Conclusion
Submission is a must for your site to be known by the search engines. But please do not stop with only submission. If your site is not search engine friendly then the submission is worthless.
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