The basics of search engine optimization
There are two types of search engines: Directories and spiders. Directories, such as Yahoo, are broken down by category and are usually maintained by human editors. Spiders (a.k.a crawlers) gather Web links through automated computer programs and add them to massive index databases. Google is one of the most popular spider engines.
It's easy to get your site listed through a spider because all it requires is submission of your link. Large spider sites thrive off of listings, so there's little reason why your site would be ignored. Directories are harder to crack because you have to justify your site's addition to an editor. It's a longer process and there's no guarantee your site will be accepted.
Submitting your site
Many independent Web publishers don't submit their sites to search engines. The reason? It's not necessary. Most of the major engines automatically find and index Web sites. If your site is live and accessible, it will eventually appear in search results. All you need is patience.
If you're the impatient sort, however, you can speed up the indexing process by visiting individual search engines and submitting your site for inclusion. It's a simple task, but different engines ask for different information, so it can take a while to meet all the requirements. If you're pressed for time, it's best to focus your submission efforts on the major search engines.
You can find the latest engine rankings at Search Engine Watch, a publication that monitors the search engine industry. The statistics fluctuate a bit, but for the most part Google, Yahoo, MSN, and AOL lead the pack. It usually takes a month or two for new sites to appear through these engines, but once you're included you'll be reaching a significant portion of the search engine audience.
Most submission services are free, but you'll occasionally encounter an engine that requires a subscription fee. These fees typically guarantee faster indexing and better placement among results -- aspects that can quickly increase a site's audience size. Attracting a big audience in a short time certainly isn't a bad thing, but the real beneficiaries of paid search services are commercial sites. These sites rely on audience size to determine advertising rates, so the faster they build an audience, the more revenue they can generate. With independent publishing -- where the focus is rarely on revenue -- you have the luxury of developing an audience through free, organic means like word-of-mouth and longevity. Shelling out cash for better placement will likely translate into more visitors, but you have to balance the benefits of this against your budget.
Improving your placement
When your site first appears in search engines, you'll probably find your pages buried deep within the results. Don't worry. Bad results aren't indicative of a bad site. New sites often get pushed to the bottom of the pile because they haven't had enough time to work their way up the results list. The longer a site has been around, the more search engine clicks it receives and the higher it's ranked. Theoretically, you could disregard search engines altogether and still improve your rankings simply because more people know about, and click on, your site.
Ignoring search engines is an option, but a little grunt work can improve your rankings faster. By inserting descriptions within the <title> and <head> elements of your HTML code, you can take advantage of the indexing habits of automated search engines. This process makes your search results more interesting, which leads to more clicks and better rankings.
The <title> area is important because it becomes the clickable link in search engine results. If you place the phrase "Brutally Honest Movie Reviews" between the <title></title> tags (example: <title>Brutally Honest Movie Reviews</title>), your search listing will appear as Brutally Honest Movie Reviews. The title acts as an ambassador to your pages, enticing people to visit your site through a useful description.
The <head> segment is relevant because it's where you place Meta tags. These tags feed descriptions to search engines and help them categorize your site. There are a number of Meta tags that can be added to pages, but search engines really only pay attention to one: The Meta description tag. This tag lets you add a descriptive sentence into your code that details the content on an HTML page. Engines read this tag and incorporate the information into their indices. When your site turns up in a search result, a significant portion of your Meta description appears with it. Useful descriptions lead to more clicks.
When you add <title> and Meta tags to your HTML pages it should look like similar to this:
<html>
<head>
<title>Brutally Honest Movie Reviews</title>
<Meta name="description" content="The latest film reviews from an independent publication that doesn't pull punches.">
</head>
In turn, your search engine result will look something like this:
Related links
| Name |
Type |
Notes |
 |
Search Engine
Watch |
Resource |
This publication keeps track of search engine rankings and important developments in the search industry. It features extensive information about the inner workings of major engines. |
|
| Google Site Submission |
Resource |
Use this form to request indexing by Google's automated search spider. |
|
Yahoo
Suggest a Site |
Resource |
Learn how to submit your site for inclusion in Yahoo's hand-picked site directory. |
|
| MSN Free Submission |
Resource |
MSN search relies upon the LookSmart search engine. Inclusion in LookSmart is done through a subscription fee, but if you submit to LookSmart's other company, the Zeal search engine, you can get your site into the MSN results for free. |
|
AOL Site
Submission |
Resource |
This AOL page explains the submission process for AOL's directory, which is different from AOL's spider-based search engine. Spider results are provided by Google. A site listed in Google will also appear through AOL. |
|
| Search Engine Submission Tips |
Tutorial |
Search Engine Watch shows you how to get your site listed through spiders and directories. |
|
How to Use
Meta Tags |
Tutorial |
Search Engine Watch details the pros and cons of Meta tags. |
|
Got a recommendation?
Send it to: editor@theindependentpublisher.com. |
