How do I get my web pages listed with search engines, I created two
for friends a couple of months ago and neither of them show up yet?
They are midwestpandb.com and greatervisions.net.

Hi mngreg:

Getting listed in search engines takes a bit work, but it's not as
hard as it may seem.

I visited both sites, and first observation says there is really
nothing there for a search engine to actually search and list. It
appears that neither site is 'finished'. One is titled "Future Home of
Midwest Paint and Body"; and the other is titled "Placeholder for
greatervisions.net". There is no real content on either page for a
search engine to index.


You also didn't mention whether or not you had actually submitted your
site to Google for indexing, using the "Add URL" page, but I wouldn't
do it til the sites are completed. The "add URL" page is here:
 - ://www.google.com/addurl.html


The Basics
==========

Google has a lot of information about how to increase your chances of
getting listed in its Information for Webmasters here:
 - ://www.google.com/webmasters/

More importantly, Google offers Webmaster Guidelines here:
 - ://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html

Note Google's suggestions under "Design and Content Guidelines"

  "* Make a site with a clear hierarchy and text links. Every page
should be reachable from at least one static text link.
   * Create a useful, information-rich site and write pages that
clearly and accurately describe your content.
   * Think about the words users would type to find your pages, and
make sure that your site actually includes those words within it.
   * Try to use text instead of images to display important names,
content, or links. The Google crawler doesn't recognize text contained
in images."

And also:

   " Make sure that your TITLE and ALT tags are descriptive and
accurate."

So far as both sites go, the title indicates it's not finished, there
is a large graphic on the paint and body shop with only the hours for
text (no text describing the work done, etc.) There is no alt tag on
the graphic, so basically all Google has to index is the hours - which
doens't have much to do with anything so far as a search engine is
concerned.

On the greatervisions.net ... the only thing the site contains is an
image with no alt tags, no finished title and therefore, there is
nothing there to index at all.

In addition, 

To get listed:

1. Give each page of each site a Title.
2. Add 'alt' tags to all graphics you use so the search engine knows
what they are.
3. Add content to the site besides a graphic and the hours - make the
content rich in the key words you expect people to search for.
4. Make your site user-friendly, too - this is the WORLD wide web, and
neither site even mentions a city or state. Add information about the
business, the owner, how to contact, what the site is about.
   For instance: A paint and body shop is fairly easy ... but there's
no real information there.
   I have no idea what greatervisions.net is about. The graphic is no
help.
5. Complete the site and then

6. Submit it to the search engines to index.


I didn't use search terms, just Google's suggestions for WebMasters.

Hope this helps, and good luck,
Serenata

I thought the answer was very thorough!