I include submittal to the top 10 Search Engines with all of my sites.
This service is generally not provided by Web Designers or Site Hosts.
Most SE submittals are either done by the owner or a paid submittal
service. The reason for this is the time and detail submittals take.
I do it because I feel it is a little like handing someone a new car
with no keys if I do not.
However, I do the basic 10 submittals after the site is COMPLETED. The
reason for this is that SE's basically chart your site in its entirety
and keep it in their records. It is obviously best, therefore, that
the submittal is done with the completed site.
I do offer more significant submittals but these are separate from my
Design as it takes a great deal of time and finagling to accomplish.
I also offer Maintenance Programs where I will refresh your site and
post it with SE's periodically throughout the year.
I am going to include a bit of info here for my readers on SE's so you
can better understand the process of SE submittals. I will also tell
you what is needed from the owner of the website in order for me to
fill out the necessary forms for the many different S.E.’s.
Search Engines basically index your site then rate the percentage value
of words used in your site (how many times you use the word boot for
instance). The percentage value is increased for words found in your
URL, Meta Tags (Page titles, Keywords, Description) and First Page.
there are strict guidelines from every search engine on how these things
should be done. For some-the guidelines are in direct contrast with
other SE's so you have to make a copy of the main pages and submit those
pages to the SE with the changes they request....It can be complicated
but the most important thing for you to do is decide what you want a
search engine to say about you when someone sees it listed...AND for
you to decide which key words are the most important for your customers
to be able to hunt you on the web's SE's.
To that end I will need from you, the website owner:
A list of keywords
--15 to 200--Put the ones
that matter most first in the list. You do not have to send me 200..very
few SE's go that high. I do recommend at least 25.
Then I will need a blurb
on your site/store
--this is what the SE will
say under your URL in the "sites meeting your criteria"
list. Make it about a paragraph but also so that I can cut it to
15 words. Some SE's only allow one line.
Then if you have certain
places you particularly want to be listed let me know.
--As in favorite Search Engines
or Indexes you feel will be helpful to your prospective site seekers.
Then you have to remember
that it can take several weeks to process you.
They are inundated with thousands
of requests and everyone is set into a queue....first come first
processed.
The following is a list of
do's and don'ts for Meta Tags that may help you pick your words.
There are lots of things you should and shouldn't do to your Meta
tags. Below are ten ways that could help your search engine rankings
just by optimizing your Meta tags.
1. Don't stuff every
word you can think of in your keyword tag. Search engines can penalize
you for this by giving you poor rankings. Keep between 10 - 15 keywords/phrases;
too many can dilute the effectiveness of your keywords/phrases.
2. Don't put words in your keyword tag that have nothing to
do with your site. If caught (and most are) you can be penalized.
3. Don't repeat the same keyword more than 3 times in your
tags (esp. the keywords tag), including words in all tenses, for example:
run, running, ran. Search engine robots and spiders can pick those
kinds of things out. The more you repeat, the less effective the word
becomes when it comes time for the search engine to rank your site.
4. Don't exceed the maximum number of characters or words for
your title, description and keyword tags.
5. I wouldn't use Meta refresh tags on pages you plan to submit
to search engines/directories. Some search engines, like Infoseek,
may not index or may give you a poor ranking on their search engine.
Infoseek especially, is one who likes to follow links by itself, it
doesn't like to be taken somewhere automatically.
6. Your title and description tags are very important also.
I would suggest that you put your main keywords and phrases in these
tags.
7. Use keyword phrases between 2 to 3 words long. One word
keywords tend to be more competitive and aren't usually as effective.
8. Place your most important keywords/phrases at the beginning
of your title and keyword tags.
Most of all you must remember
that establishing your website is the same as establishing a new business.
It must become a part of your regular advertising in Print/Radio/Broadcast,
it must be on your fliers, your stationary, your business cards, your
answering machine messages....etc. And you must be actively placed into
the search engines on a regular basis or your percentages will drop
and you will be so far down the list as to be invisible. There are literally
thousands of websites being posted every day....it is a fiercely competitive
media.
I hope I have not buried you with info...or if you want more I have
several interesting articles I have gathered for clients that I could
send....
Feel free to call if you have more questions....I am up all hours (except
maybe 4AM to 9AM)....