Knowledge Base
Promoting Your Website On Search Engines
Search engines and directories are the most frequently used vehicle to locate sites on the web. A search engine uses logic search to find the site you want based on a combination of keywords. A directory, like the traditional telephone directory, is an organised listing with specific categories such as yellow and white pages. Sometimes hundreds of matches are found in response to a search on a particular topic. Some search enhines list the top ten sites, with a probability that it is the site you are looking for.
Your site must be available to these search engines and directories. Keep in mind that the best search engine can look up no more than 35% to 40% of the hundreds of millions of webpages. For example, Lycos uses a robot, called a spider. This is a program that explores the web, collects keyword information, and stores it on a huge database. In contrast, Yahoo! requires you to submit information to include in its database.
Regardless of where your site is included, it must stand out from other sites. You want to top the list, because most surfers click only on the top three or four sites before they click away. Choice of keywords makes a difference. The more extensive and accurate the list ou include in your homepage, the more often your site will be selected as a result of a robot search.
There are over 25 major directories and search engines on the web. With most search engines and directories, the registration procedure is simple. Fill out an online form including your name, URL address, and a brief description. Many search engines limit the number of keywords you can include. Some sites allow only a single URL address, a single description, and a single keyword. Other sites allow several pages as long as the description, URL, and keyword are different.
Should you submit your URL to search engines and directories even before launching the site? In most cases, a new online business should ensure that the site's design is flawless before launching. A lot of things can go wrong, especially the quality of the graphics.