Submitting to search engines and directories; what is really important?

Search Engine and Directory Submissions

Search Engine Submissions: In order to rank in a search engine the search engine needs to know your site exists. If you want to be sure you rank in a search engine, it is helpful to submit to these sites. If you have just started and haven't developed links to your site, this can also be helpful. The most efficient way to show up in a search engine is to have a link to your site from a site that is already listed. The search engine should find and catalog your site soon after.

A quick way to find out if a site is in a search engine is to type the entire domain in to the search box. For example, enter www.yourdomain.com in to the search box and see if your site comes up. If you get an error, the search engine doesn't know your site exists. If you arent't sure what to do, we can help with your search engine submissions.

Directory Submissions: Directory submissions serve two purposes. For SEO purposes, a directory submission gives you an inbound link to your site from another site, and inbound links are important for ranking. The most known and respected are Yahoo's directory and DMOZ, which is what Google uses. It is important to be sure you register with these directories.

There are many other directories out there for your site to get inbound links. Because links have been abused and are sought after, some sites now require you to pay or to give a reciprocal link to link to their site. We typically avoid these, unless the directory is highly relevant. Also,you should avoid sites that appear sketchy as they may harm you more than they help. Google is believed by many to punish your site for links that come to it from what are believed to be unethical sites. Keep in mind the other value of inbound links is simply the marketing function of more places for internet users to find your site from other locations. Users will go to these sites and see your listing and may come to your site.

There are a handful of directories that you can submit to that feed hundreds of others. This is why you will often see spam or ads that say they will register you with hundreds of dirctories. Typically, they just pick this handful and they are doing what they promised. However, we go that extra step and search for local directories either catered to your geography or to your industry. These can be the most helpful directory inclusions. We can also help you with social media sites such as "Facebook" or "MySpace".

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