Dear Mushkin,
Different search engines work in different modes, and you have to fit
yourself to each of them. The method Google uses - which is to analyse
the pages that link to you and their own importance - is one of them.
Others include indexing according to keywords, or indexing by a human
editor, or for a fee (both last types are usually either directories
and not search engines; or not regarded by serious searchers).
Maximising Key Word Search
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
Keywords should have several effects - they should fit the description
of your site and your company, and they should be popular among
searchers. The "easiest" way to know what popular and to find the
suitable keywords for you is to check it out in special services that
deal with it. There are several sites and services - some are for a
fee - that offer such a service:
http://searchenginewatch.com/facts/searches.html - contains many links
for popular or currently used keywords.
http://www.wordtracker.com/ - a popular key-word service.
http://www.keywordcity.com/Enter.html - 10 most popular Keywords in
verious fields.
http://www.submitcorner.com/Tools/ has several useful tools for
webmasters. One of them is the Thesarus
<http://www.submitcorner.com/Tools/Keywords/>, that provides you the
popular keywords that are related to the topics of your company and
site; they also have "top words" (the most popular searches)
<http://www.submitcorner.com/Tools/Topwords/> ; and the word tracker
mentioned before.
Google itself publishes every month its Zeitgeist ("spirit of the
Time", in German), where the most popular search terms in the most
popular search engine are examined
<://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html>. They also have
per-country analysis (for some of the Googles in other languages), so
you can learn more in case you're interested.
You can find more keyword information in Google Directory:
<http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Web_Design_and_Development/Authoring/Online_Tools/Keywords/?il=1>
<http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Data_Formats/Markup_Languages/HTML/Tutorials/Meta_Tags/>
All of this has (almost) nothing to do with Google, which doesn't
operate on keywords!
============================================================================
(okay, the title is a bit provocative. Keywords are always important
because that is the way people would find their way to your site, but
Google operates otherwise regarding indexing).
Except the keywords, there are also other small issues. Make your site
description very clear - so that people who'd see you as a search
result would be interested. My advice is to make the site itself as
simple as possible - too much Flash technology, or too much frames,
and some search engines, including Google, might not be able to "see"
and index you. Try not to have a dynamically generated content; do not
employ doorway pages and splash screens;
(Read More: Google Information for Webmasters
<://www.google.com/webmasters/2.html>).
Google publish a "Web Masters Do and Don'ts", which is valuable
reading material:
"
Do:
- Create a site with content and design that are straightforward,
appropriate and relevant for visitors to your site.
- Feel free to exchange links with other sites that are compatible
with your site's content and users' interests.
- Be very careful about allowing an individual consultant or company
to 'optimize' your web site. Chances are they will engage in some of
our "Don'ts" and end up hurting your site.
- Consider submitting your sites to our partner directories Yahoo! and
DMOZ.
Don't:
- Cloak.
- Write text or create links that can be seen by search engines but
not by visitors to your site.
- Participate in link exchanges for the sole purpose of increasing
your ranking in search engines.
- Send automated queries to Google in an attempt to monitor your
site's ranking.
- Use programs that generate lots of generic doorway pages.
"
(Source: "Google Information for Webmasters"
<://www.google.com/webmasters/dos.html>).
This is also true about many other search engines, so this advice
might be helpful. Do not agree or join any scheme that promises better
Google ranking by usage of "phoney" links to other sites. This won't
do and what's worse - it migth ruin it for you in Google - even if you
get indexed, they might remove you - FOREVER!
Submitting Your Site to Google
=============================
Google is an automated search engine. That means, that Google is not
activated by human editors, who set the appearance of results, but of
an engine, that sets you in the results, depending on variables such
as the number of the sites that link to you (and their own
importance).
(Read More: Google Feedback, "How can I improve my site's ranking?"
<://www.google.com/contact/search.html#2>).
However, you have the chance to "let" Google know about your new site:
"We add new sites to our index each time we crawl, and invite you to
submit your URL. We do not add all submitted URLs to our index, and
can't make any predictions or guarantees about when or if they will
appear. Please visit our "Add URL" page to input your URLs. Only the
top-level
domain is necessary; you do not need to submit each individual page.
Our crawler, Googlebot, will be able to find the rest. Please also
realize that Google finds most of its pages when our robots crawl the
web and jump from page to page via hyperlinks. The best way to ensure
a high listing on Google is for your page to be linked from lots of
other pages."
(Source: Google Feedback, "Why isn't my web site in the index?"
<://www.google.com/contact/search.html#3>).
Go to Google's add URL page <://www.google.com/addurl.html> and
add your site's main address. It should be mentioned, that this does
not ensure that your site would be indexed. Indexing relies first and
foremost on those who link to you.
As mentioned before, a wise webmaster gets as many legit sites as
possible know about his or her new site, and link to it - it improves
Google ranking, and Google ranking improves visitors and people who
link to you in their own sites, and so on.
- Write about your site to as many other related sites as possible,
asking them to list you as one of their links. You can list them in
your links.
- Submit your site to every search engine that does have a human
editor, such as The Google Directory <http://directory.google.com/>.
- Submission to other search engines, which was mentioned before,
could help. As noted, do not use programs that promise things that
sound fishy, because fishes stink (or get eaten by bigger fishes),
even online.
An incomplete list of search engines is available here:
http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Searching/Search_Engines/
- Announcing the site in Google Groups - relevant ones (do not spam
the groups, of course, but make sure that those who visit the groups
know about your site).
http://groups.google.com/
Further Sources
===============
If you need more support, you might be able to get it at Google's
Public Support Group:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=google.public.support.general
You can improve your appearance by advertising at Google. Google has
an advertising program. When someone searches for a certain word, your
link would appear. It wouldn't appear as a regular search result (it
is *not* a search result), but in colour and besides or above the
normal search results. This could be a a great solution for you - but
unlike the "regular" search engine, it costs money (See:
<://www.google.com/ads/index.html>).
Google's advices for Webmasters
<://www.google.com/webmasters/index.html>.
Tips and Tutorials for Webmasters on Search Engine Submission
<http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Web_Design_and_Development/Promotion/Help_and_Tutorials/?il=1>
Search Engine Watch - <http://searchenginewatch.com/webmasters/>
Free Search Engine Submission services
<http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Web_Design_and_Development/Promotion/Free_Search_Engine_Submitting/?il=1>
(beware - most of them spam you in return for the "free submission").
Search Engine Optimisation Firms
<http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Web_Design_and_Development/Promotion/Search_Engine_Optimization_Firms/>
As a Google Researcher, I am neither a Google employee (though many
times I wish I had been) nor affiliated with Google in any other way
(except for using this platform to answer questions). I am impartial
here and do not recommend Google for of any favours I might receive.
My search strategy (on Google) was to search for fine ways to promote
sites by using such terms as "Most popular searches OR keywords" and
"search engine submission".
I wish you and your young startup success. May you become the next
Larry Page and Sergey Brin (or any high-tech figure of your choice).
I think that answered your question. Please let me know if you need
any clarifications on the question. I'd be pleased to clarify my
answer before you rate it. |
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