Hello dtask ~
Quite honestly, the best way to get listed on the "top search
engines", is to submit them - BY HAND - to each of the engines or
directories, using their submission forms.
Before you do that, there are some basics you'll want to check to
ensure everything on your site is in optimum shape in order to be
listed and more importantly, be found under the search terms you
desire.
==================
The Basics - HTML
==================
Shari Thurow, one of the leading authorities in search engine
optimization, and author of the book "Search Engine Visibility",
recently observed the following about HTML:
"Clean HTML is absolutely imperative for search engine indexing.
Browsers are extremely forgiving when it comes to displaying pages
with "unclean" HTML (unclosed tags, no quotation marks, etc.). Search
engine spiders are not so forgiving. Even something as simple as a
missing quotation mark on the <.a href="page.html"> can cause a spider
to not index text or a link." (See: Link Exchange Digest, July 3,
2003, "Clean HTML")
- http://list.audettemedia.com/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?A2=ind0307&L=led&D=1&T=0&H=1&O=D&F=&S=&P=282
Differentiating between search engine indexing and search engine
ranking, she explained how errors in HTML can affect your ability to
be indexed, and ultimately, ranked.
Below are some HTML elements which are often overlooked or omitted,
but which play an important part in your visitor's experience when he
visits your site. A good rule of thumb is always "what's good for the
visitor is good for search engines." The following, considered
"basics" for the best visitor experience are:
1. DOCTYPE Declaration
----------------------
DOCTYPES are essential to the proper rendering and functioning of web
documents
in compliant browsers. It is also essential for the search engines to
understand and follow the coding contained on your pages.
DOCTYPE is explained and discussed further in "A List Apart",
- http://www.alistapart.com/stories/doctype/
and in Web Design Group's article, "Choosing a DOCtype",
- http://www.htmlhelp.com/tools/validator/doctype.html
2. Navigation
-------------
Google recommends designing your site for your visitors, as opposed to
trying to design your site for PageRank. Among the recommendations are
to "[m]ake a site with a clear hierarchy and text links. Every page
should be reachable from at least one static text link."
Google also recommends providing a Site Map, which of course, provides
the search engine browsers a complete 'map' to your site for indexing
pages.
It is pretty common, almost customary, for sites to contain text links
at least at the bottom of every page. This enables your visitors to
get from one page to another within the site easily.
If you are using a 'graphical' navigation, it is also customary for
them to appear in the same place on every page for the same ease of
use for your visitors.
See Google's Design and Content Guidelines:
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html
3. Alt Tags
-----------
Google also recommends the use of alt tags for every graphic. This is
because search engines cannot read graphic images. If you use graphics
for your internal site links, you cannot afford to NOT add those ALT
attributes to your graphic tags.
Google's suggestion: "Make sure that your TITLE and ALT tags are
descriptive and accurate." (See Google's Design and Content
Guidelines)
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html
Add ALT attributes to all your image tags, and this will increase the
ability to index your site.
Put both the TITLE and ALT tags to work for you, too. Add descriptive
words that complement your site's content.
A Word of Warning: Don't 'spam' the ALT tags with superfluous
verbiage, that will be as bad as no ALT tags for your images.
4. Accessibility
----------------
Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 794
and 794d, set forth the minimum government standards for
accessibility.
Among these standards are such items as ALT and TITLE tags (as
discussed above), and website design which will enable those with
special needs to be able to access and understand your web site.
You might want to run each page of your site through Bobby, which will
give you a full context report of any portions of your site which do
not meet the minimum standards. If you make all the corrections
suggested, it will greatly enhance any search engine's ability to
crawl your website as well.
The Bobby analysis page can be found here:
- http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/html/en/index.jsp
5. Aesthetics
-------------
What's Above the Fold
----------------------
While not as important for search engine crawlers as it is for your
site's visitors, you should have your important content appear "above
the fold". "Above the fold" means that first screen full of
information.
Considered to be important things that should appear above the fold:
* Your logo or company slogan to help establish your “brand”.
* WIIFM (What's in it for me?). A list of some benefits your visitors
will enjoy by staying on your site or buying your products or
services. This should include keywords for the search engines and
should focus on the visitors.
What is the biggest benefit to your visitors?
* A navigation menu. Your visitor has come to your site for a purpose.
Don’t make them hunt for your links - on any page!
* Special Offers Promotions, etc.
And remember to try not to clutter this area.
Some good articles on effective Website design and discussion of
"above the fold" can be found here:
* NetLingo, The Internet Dictionary, "Above The Fold Defined"
- http://www.marketingterms.com/dictionary/above_the_fold/
* RMH Web Design: "Web Site Design: Designing Above the Fold"
- http://www.rmhwebdesign.com/articles/abovethefold.html
* SitePoint, "10 Tips to Building A Click-Ready Website"
- http://www.sitepoint.com/article/224
Other articles discussing the benefits of effective Website design can
be found by using the search terms:
- articles: web design + above the fold
or
- effective web design
===================
Establishing Links
===================
Google's PageRank is based on the number of pages which link to your
site.
"The best way to ensure Google finds your site is for your page to be
linked from lots of pages on other sites. Google's robots jump from
page to page on the Web via hyperlinks, so the more sites that link to
you, the more likely it is that we'll find you quickly." (SEE Google's
" How Do I Get My Site Listed on Google? - 2. Submitting Your site")
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/1.html#A1
There are many practical ways of establishing links which are
beneficial to you in your endeavor to get respectable position
placement on search engines. These methods may take time, but they
also help in establishing credibility and help with your page rank.
Approach like-minded or complementary businesses about linking to your
site (with a reciprocal link from your own). This works without
harming search engine positioning or page rank.
A WORD OF WARNING:
==================
Google specifically warns "Don't participate in link schemes designed
to increase your site's ranking or PageRank. In particular, avoid
links to web spammers or "bad neighborhoods" on the web as your own
ranking may be affected adversely by those links." (See Google's
Quality Guidelines - Basic principles)
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html
It stands that what's good for Google, currently ranked as the number
one search engine is good rule to follow for other search engines.
Articles on Link Popularity
===========================
A couple of excellent articles on how to establish the right kind of
links are available in Traffick's "Ten Steps to Building Links to Your
Site", Craig Fifield - 5/3/2002
- http://www.traffick.com/article.asp?aID=77
and "The Right Way to Improve Link Popularity", By Paul J. Bruemmer -
4/14/2002 -
- http://www.traffick.com/article.asp?aID=41
Notice both articles offer suggestions which can be easily adapted for
use on any website without resorting to link farms. They both point
out the differences and offer easy ways to get started to the kind of
linking search engines prefer.
=============================
Submission to Search Engines
=============================
You will want to submit your site to the search engines by hand, and
DO NOT use any automated system such as WebPosition Gold, submit-it,
etc.
Google warns about using software, such as WebPosition Gold, saying:
"Don't use unauthorized computer programs to submit pages, check
rankings, etc. Such programs consume computing resources and violate
our terms of service. Google does not recommend the use of products
such as WebPosition Gold™ that send automatic or programmatic queries
to Google." (SEE Google's Quality Guidelines - Basic principles)
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html
For submitting to directories, such as DMOZ and others, ensure you dig
down deep
enough to make it into your category. That will both help you get
listed. Once listed there, you will usually be picked up by other
search engines who use those services in their databases.
==============
HOW TO SUBMIT
==============
There are many so-called search engine optimization (SEO) sites which
make absurd promises to rank you in the "top ten" for a particular
search term or submit your site to "over 8000 search engines".
Using them is throwing your money away, because no legitimate SEO firm
would make such an absurd promise - search engines change their
algorithms often enough that there is no way to make such a guarantee.
As for "over 8000 search engines", the truth is that only a handful of
search engines really matter for 99% of the visitors you wish to
attract.
Google has devoted an entire page to SEOs which, again, is a good rule
of thumb for getting listed in any of the top search engines. You can
find it here:
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/seo.html
===================
TOP SEARCH ENGINES
===================
Some search engines gather their own listings for the main results
they display. For example, Google crawls the web itself for the main
results it shows. Other search engines use third-party search
providers for their results. For instance, the main search results at
AOL come from Google's crawler-based listings, rather than from work
inside AOL.
Below are the top search engines as determined by Nielsen Net Ratings:
- http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/
* Google -
- ://www.google.com/addurl.html
* DMOZ -
- http://www.dmoz.com/
* All The Web -
- http://www.alltheweb.com/help/webmaster/submit_site.html
* Hotbot & Lycos InSite (requires registration)
- http://insite.lycos.com/searchservices/
* Yahoo! -
- http://docs.yahoo.com/info/suggest/
* Zeal -
- http://zeal.com/
There are other search engines, such as AOL, Netscape (owned by AOL),
and MSN. Some of them are "for pay", and most are powered by those
listed above.
A fuller discussion of other engines can be found on Search Engine
Watch's article, "The Major Search Engines and Directories", Danny
Sullivan, April 29,2003, here:
- http://searchenginewatch.com/links/article.php/2156221
You'll see that those listed above are generally considered the most
important for submission.
If you are a business, the article also discusses budgeting for the
paid submission search engines if you are so inclined. Do pay
attention to the pros and cons of the paid search engine listings.
I realize this may be more information than you were seeking.
On the other hand, it is always easier to have everything in top
working order prior to submitting to the search engines than it is to
"fix" things after they may have been included.
Good luck in your search engine submissions,
Serenata |
,
0 Comments
)