[thelist] search engine placement

Janet Green JGreen at desmoinesmetro.com
Thu Jun 20 13:15:01 CDT 2002


-----Original Message-----
From: David Prowak [mailto:prowak at yahoo.com]

Hi,
I have a client who would like to improve his
placement on the free search engines.

***********

First, make sure the site has actually been *submitted* to the search engines you're looking at. Some have automatic "spiders" that will go out and eventually find the site on their own, but certainly Yahoo! (as a directory rather than a search engine) won't know you're there unless you tell them.

Also, visit a site called www.searchenginewatch.com and read the basics. Many SE's are moving to a "paid submission" model these days, which usually buys you a faster "read" of your site but does not necessarily guarantee a listing. In a recent re-submission of our site, I narrowed my strategy down to about four critical SE's (based on searchenginewatch's recommendations and my own website traffic reports) and focused my efforts on those. Despite the move to paid submission models, I didn't end up having to spend any money.

Finally, don't forget that in your client's case, SE's offering LOCAL business directories might be more useful than a "top 10" placement on Yahoo or another major SE. Make sure your client is a member of the Toledo Chamber so they can get listed in the Chamber's member directory, and find out if the CVB has a "resource guide" for visitors. There may also be a local ISP that features a directory of the sites they host - we have one of those here in Des Moines.

Hope this helps -
Janet






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