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Search engines use automated software (known as robots or spiders) to follow links on web sites, harvesting information as they go. When someone submits a query to a search engine, the engine returns a list of sites, ranking them on their relevance (each search engine uses a sophisticated algorythm to determine what is releavnt on your site) used in the search. How search engines assess your site and determine the relevance of the words often depends on how the specific search engine works. And to keep everyone on their toes the search engines often change the way they work out who should be top. Keeping abreast of these changes is what search optimisation is all about.
Which Search Engines Should I Register With?
Realistically there are only a handful of search engines that are worth being listed in. Even though there are hundreds of thousands of 'search engines' out there on the internet the major search engines, ie, Google, Yahoo and MSN are really the only ones you need to concern yourself with.
Google controls over 60% of the search market followed by Yahoo and MSN. The rest fight it out among themselves for the scraps. You should never be fooled by companies or individuals who can submit your site to thousands of engines and directories. You shouldn't really part with your money for these 'it seems too good to be true' offers. They rarely improve your web site visibility nor increase the traffic to your site. What's the point of having your site listed on a Chinese Pet's directory when you are selling perfume in Australia?
HGWS Australia recommends getting a listing in the Yahoo directory, which is a fixed cost each year. You should not submit your site to any search engine. The key is for the search engine spider to find your site. How do they do that you may ask? Well, all sites HGWS develop are guaranteed to be indexed. By creating sites that are search engine friendly the search egines spiders find you site via the links from our website.
How Long Does It Take to Be Listed?
Don't expect your site to show up in search engines immediately. It can take anything from 24 hours to 6 weeks or more in some cases! It depends on the search engine in question. Most search engine crawlers typically retrieve only a few pages from each site on each visit and visits can be weeks apart.
However technology is getting better each day so for the major engines you can expect to be indexed within three weeks once your site is live and functioning. Getting a listing with the Yahoo directory takes seven to ten days and listing in the free Dmoz directory can take up to a year. |
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