Search Engine Overview

By Sandra Lawton
Posted Tuesday, October 19, 2004

More about Search Engines ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget search engines are only one way to promote your site. Ezines are an excellent source of visitors. More about this topic at: (http://www.ezine-info.co.uk)

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So Search Engines
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The page on our web site, (http://www.lawtoninfo.co.uk/se.htm), covers an overview of search engines, so this page is very much about giving you relevant links and prices, so you can make your own decisions. This information is accurate as we find it, but changes happen daily on the internet, so we make no guarantees. Before you begin any submissions you must submit your site to the Open Directory, (http://dmoz.org/add.html) Read submission policy first, but you won't get in AOL, MSN, Netscape etc. if you're not in here. It's FREE! If your site is non commercial also submit to Zeal at, (http://www.zeal.com/users/become_a_zealot.jhtml)

Free Submission
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Automated submission services submit to several hundred engines at a time, either by software that you can purchase and download or if you just want to submit one site you can use a service such as World Submitter. Go to: (http://www.worldsubmitter.com) For more control over free submission, visit our site and use the links to the two services provided. (http://www.lawtoninfo.co.uk/freewebpages.htm) See below for free submission to Crawlers.

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Paid Submission - Read submission policies first! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yahoo
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If your site is non commercial you can submit to yahoo, through their suggest a site, free of charge. Go to: (http://docs.yahoo.com/info/suggest) Yahoo is still the biggest in the business, but they also charge $199 just to look at your site. There is no guarantee they will index you, and I know some guys who are pretty expert on search engines and they have had sites rejected by Yahoo. If you want to give it a shot, here's the link: (http://add.yahoo.com/fast/add?+Business)

Good Luck!!

Ask Jeeves/Teoma
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Both of these are powered by Teoma. Ask Jeeves is built to 'answer questions' and sites that feel they fit this criteria can attempt to submit free, but it is not easy. Paid subscription covers both services and is for a 12 month period. For $30 for the first URL and $18 dollars thereafter. You get: >Your site indexed within 7 days. >Your page refreshed every 7 days. >Your page remains in the index for 12 months. For more information about this service visit, (http://www.ineedhits.com)

Lycos Insite Select ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Several pricing policies available to suit your size of business.

Guaranteed 48 hour inclusion for one year with 48 hour refresh. You have to pay an annual membership fee of $18 and $12 per URL. (http://searchservices.lycos.com/searchservices)

On to Crawlers
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Crawlers are so named as they literally crawl the web looking for links to sites. Therefore the more links you have coming into your site, the more likely you are to get picked up! Persuade people to link to you. Also pick up from the major directories, Open directory, Yahoo and Looksmart. Crawlers include: Google, AltaVista, Excite, FAST,Inktomi. Teoma also crawls the web.

Google
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Probably the most well known and you can submit free. Google results are also used by yahoo and netscape. To
submit to Google go to: (http://www.google.com/addurl.html) It can take about a month to be indexed and there are no guarantees. You only submit your main page. With some of the other crawlers it is a good idea to submit several pages from your site.

FAST
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Free submission only, although promise of paid inclusion to come. Also powers some of Lycos and has it's own search engine, AlltheWeb. Visit: (http://www.alltheweb.com/add_url.php)

Excite
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Rumour suggests this is a dying service, but as yet it is still alive and well. Again no paid inclusion, only free submissions. Visit: (http://www.excite/com/info/add_url_form)

AltaVista
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Paid only. $39 for 6 months for first page $29 for additional pages/url's. Weekly refresh. Visit: (http://www.infospider.com/av/app)

Inktomi
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Powers HOTBOT, MSN, AOL, IWON Sold by link partners who you can find by visiting: (http://www.inktomi.com/products/search/submit.html) $39 for first URL $25 therafter. Guaranteed inclusion within 48 hours, with 48 hour refresh.

Pay per Click
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Basically it's exactly as it says. You put a bid for your keyword/s and the highest bid, gets the highest listing when someone searches using that keyword. You can set a monthly budget, so you know what you're spending.

Looksmart
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Visit: (http://listings.looksmart.com)

Visit: (http://www.overture.com)

So that's about it really. This only touches the surface, but it's a good place to start. Don't totally dismiss free submissions. They dowork. If you are providing a service to a small geographical location then it is probably a good start.

Have a great time!

About the Author
Sandra Lawton - MSc Experienced Web Designer who has helped many small business' in the UK get online for the first time.

You may contact Sandra via e-mail at: mailto:sandra@sandradesign.co.uk or visit her at (http://www.sandradesign.co.uk)