Search engine submissions
Try conducting a little internet research on the subject of search engine submission and before long you will come up with some rather contradictory ideas and
opinions. Many companies will offer to submit your site to hundreds of search engines for a one off fee. These companies use automated submission software which
allows them to offer this service more or less at the touch of a button. At first glance this may seem like the ideal solution. Guaranteed results with little effort
and at bargain basement prices. Investigate a bit further, however, and you will find other people who say that this sort of activity could get you banned from the
search engines and that you don't need to submit your site at all.
The truth is that most search engines do not require you to submit your site. Indeed search engines prefer to find your site by searching for it. All search
engines have their own programmes (called spiders or robots) which crawl the internet in search of websites. A search engine will find your site from a link on
someone else's site. Once on your site it will proceed to index your web pages.
What is important then is that you have some links on other websites that point to your site so the search engines can find you and index your site.
Directory submissions
While search engines will eventually find and index your site on their own, directories are compiled manually by human editors. Submitting your site to
some of the many directories that exist on the internet is therefore a good way to begin your link building campaign. Here are some tips which will help
you get started.
Free or paid listings
You will need to decide whether you are prepared to pay to have your site listed. Although there are many free directories available, the trend on many sites
is for paid listings. Some sites offer a combination of paid or free listings. Often you will find that a paid listing will guarantee you an immediate listing
or a quick turnaround time, whereas a free listing is not guaranteed and it may take several months for your site to appear. Of course, if you have no money then you
are limited to the free listings only. However, if you do have an advertising budget it could be worthwhile considering a paid listing on some of the best sites.
Target only the best directories
There are many directories available on the internet, but not all are of equal value. When deciding which directories to target, focus on those that have the
most authority and which will give you more visitors. One indicator which you can use is Google PageRank. Google PageRank is a system whereby pages are ranked
according to their relevance on a scale of 0 – 10. The higher the page rank the better. A page rank of 5 or better can be considered good.
Ensure that the directories you choose are appropriate for your business
Many general directories will be suitable for most types of businesses. However, some directories are more specific and cover only certain markets. Obviously
there is no point in adding your site to a directory that has nothing to do with your business. On the other hand, these niche directories can be very useful where
they are relevant to your business. You should also consider whether a directory is geographically appropriate. For example, if your business is in the UK you will
need to ensure that the directories you choose are relevant. Try to make sure you have links in some UK only directories as well as worldwide directories. There
are also many regional directories within particular countries which can be worth considering for targeting local markets.
Develop a submission timescale
Once you have decided where you are going to submit your site you could send your details to all the directories at once and then sit back and forget about it
now your job is done. However, there are real drawbacks with such an approach. For example, search engines can get suspicious if they suddenly notice 50 links
pointing to your site where previously there were none. A better approach is to build up your links gradually over time. Starting with the best directories
first submit to 3-5 sites per week and within 2-3 months you will have 40-60 links pointing to your site.
Monitor your progress
In order to keep tabs on your progress, keep a site submission journal or a spreadsheet containing all the relevant details. For example, The name of the directory,
web address, the date you submitted your site, the category you added your site to, how much you paid (if anything), and any other relevant details such as contacts,
how long you may have to wait for a listing and so on. Armed with these details you will easily be able to keep track of your linking campaign. You can then check to
make sure that your site has been listed and consider any follow up steps if required.
