Getting Your Web Site Listed in Search Engines
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November 2003 |
There is no single action that guarantees timely and quality web site placement in search engines, except perhaps paying search engines directly for what are usually called "sponsored links" (which can run from just a few dollars a month to $300 or more for placement). It is possible, however, to get a "good ranking" in search engines without spending money. To do this you must pay attention and respond to the criteria search engines use to place and rank web sites in their indexes, and do real work to meet those criteria.
How do search engines even know about your site? They do what's called "spidering." They have developed software that automatically travels the web, follows links, and locates new and changed content. If you have a web site on the Internet, it's likely they'll eventually find you, particularly if there is another web site linking to you, even if it takes months. But when they do, you might wonder how you tell the search engines that your site is worthy of good placement in their indexes (and not on page 45!).
A few years ago, search engines simply looked at a web site's "meta tags" ("meta tags" are descriptive words and sentences inside the "invisible" html code) to determine how and where pages are categorized. This was a very simple way of categorizing an increasingly complex world wide web, and search engine methods quickly improved to reflect this increasing complexity. Search engine companies such as Yahoo! and Google now categorize and rank web sites in their indexes by evaluating a combination of factors including meta tags, title tags, body textual content, link popularity, click popularity and longevity. Below you'll find a description of each of these factors, as well as a few others:
- Meta tags & title tags- There are two important meta tags:
Description and Keywords. One should make
sure to have an accurate and succinct and compelling 25 word (or less) description tag on
each page of your site. If you have a Dynamic
Web Site with Mediate.com, this is done simply by filling out the "description
field" for each page in your site control panel. This description will be displayed by the search engines when they find you. This description is your first impression and will encourage the searcher to click on your link. Your description text gets the client in the door.
Also ensure that you have a complete set of meta "Keywords." These do not display anywhere on your site or on search engine "results" pages, but are important nonetheless. Meta Keywords help search engines decide what search phrases and keywords should be associated with your site. For instance, if you are a family lawyer in New York, you would be sure that "new york city, law, lawyer, divorce, custody, etc.." were words included in your keywords. If you have a Dynamic Web Site, you can simply fill out the "Keywords" field when editing or adding a new page to your site. Keywords & phrases are separated by a comma, and there is no technical limit to the number that you can include. Some search engines will give greater weight to keywords that are listed first. Some search engines will penalize you or not respond to your using the same keyword many times. Suggestion: put your most important keywords first and do not use any keyword more than twice.
Also, each web site page has a Title Tag that search engines use as a way to help them determine what your site is about. Ever look at the blue bar at the very top of your browser (particularly for MS Internet Explorer for the Mac or PC)? If you look right now at the blue bar on the top of your browser, you'll be able to read "Getting Your Web Site Listed in Search Engines" in white text (the same as the article header, coincidentally). That is the title tag for this page. So, for example, if I wanted to be noticed by Google as an Employment Mediator, I might set my title tag for my home page to be "Employment Mediator - Josh Remis". If you have a Dynamic Web Site with Mediate.com, the title tag is directly editable for every page. Also note that when someone "bookmarks" your page or adds your web site to their list of "favorites," the page title tag is what is saved in their list. So a page title that reads "Employment Mediator" is much more helpful than one that reads "Home Page." or the like.
- Free submission - Free submission is less useful than it used to
be, but is still available in many search engines. If the web site is commercial,
some search engines do not accept free submission (like Yahoo, for example).
Free submission also does not guarantee placement and may take weeks or months
to find one's site listed. This is due, in part, to worsening ad revenue for
the search engines. As they use paid site submission as a way to increase
income, they find themselves needing to make it a noticeable value-add over
free submission. The most popular web site as of this writing, Google, has
a free submission page at http://www.google.com/addurl.html.
- Paid Submission - Since the "Internet advertising collapse," search
engines and directories are giving first priority to paid submission. This
is typically around $200-$300 for sites like Yahoo and MSN search, and guarantees
that your site will be included in the directory within a short time span.
Others, like Google, use a "pay per click" price model. As the Internet advertising
market continues to erode, this model is becoming the norm. Right now it seems
that Google's pay-per-click model, called "AdWords," is the most
popular as one only pays for actual clicks to one's web site and one can control
how much one spends on a daily and monthly basis. Details on this program
can be found at https://adwords.google.com/select/.
- Link Popularity - How often one's link appears on the Internet
helps determine relevancy. This means that Google, for instance, pays attention
to how many web sites link to yours. If your site is an "orphan site,"
with no links at all pointing to it from the greater WWW, then Google will
tend to look askance. If it is well linked to by many sites, Google assumes
that your site must have some relevancy and will rank your site accordingly
(along with other factors).
- Click Popularity - Click popularity measures how much traffic your
site has (how many times have people clicked on links that take them to your
site).
- Longevity - How long your site has existed on the Internet. Mediate.com, for example, has been in the same location for over 8 years. This, along with the many web sites linking to Mediate.com, creates results. See, for example, a Google search on "Mediation ."
- Textual Content - How much quality textual content do you have on
your site? If your front page (aka your index page) has nothing but your address
on it with a "please contact us here," you aren't doing yourself
any favors. Google and other search engines like quality content, and a lot
of it. This doesn't mean your site has to turn into the Internet equivalent
of "War and Peace." but it doesn't hurt to put some meat on those
web site bones. This means have several paragraphs of text on your home page
that directly relates to the purpose of the site. It means posting any articles
you have written to your web site. Coincidentally, this goes a long way in
making an interesting web site for those who make it there.
Also, key phrases and words that you might include in your "meta keywords" should also be placed in the text of your site. For instance, if I'm a mediator in Eugene, Oregon, I would certainly include the phrase "Josh Remis is a mediator in Eugene, Oregon" and may even go so far as to fit a similar phrase into the page one more time if possible ("...mediation in Eugene, Oregon has come a long way...."). Leading search engines now look for congruency between important keywords and phrases in your meta keywords and textual content in the body of your page. They will more closely associate those phrases with your site when they find that congruency.
An Integrated Strategy:
After reading the above you will see that to appropriately place your site on search engines, you need a more robust approach than a simple "free site-submission" to Google, Yahoo or Altavista. An integrated approach should include making sure that your site has good meta tags, submitting to search engines (paid or unpaid) as well as engaging in linking and content development.
It is possible to effectively place a web site utilizing this strategy. Do a search, for example, on "Mediation" at Google and you will see Mediate.com come up first out of of almost 3,000,000 web sites in this category. This is no small accomplishment and the result of years of work and the the recognized value of Mediate.com's information in the Internet marketplace (lots of great articles, many links to Mediate.com, accurate meta tag information that is congruent with text, etc.).
Now, you may not be able to add 1,500 articles on your mediation practice area any time soon, but the same concepts will work for you if you steadily apply these ideas. Get others to link to your site, especially Mediate.com, add good content, and keep your meta tags accurate and complete.
A Summary of How to Get More Clicks:
- Identify organizations and individuals that have web sites that you already
have relationships with. Ask them if they will link to your site. You might
enter into a reciprocal link agreement. Does your city of residence have a
webpage? Many do, and most of the time if you have a business license with
the city they will link to your business in their online directory.
- Write articles in your area of expertise to be published on sites with lots
of traffic (such as Mediate.com) and make sure that the
article includes a link back to your site.
- Make sure you have accurate Meta Tag (description, keywords) and Title Tag
information on your site. Mediate.com's Dynamic Web Site allows you to edit your meta keywords, description and title tags directly.
- Submit your site to search engines where you are able and/or engage in some
sponsored link strategies as detailed above. Also consider
driving local traffic to your site by area code Mediator
Direct placements at Mediate.com or statewide Dynamic Banners. The products have your link visible to people in your geographic area at the top of every page of Mediate.com.
- Any online directory that includes you or your business should also include
your web address link (such as listings in the Mediate.com Locate
a Mediator Directory)
- Increase traffic by making your web site a dynamic information resource.
If people visit your web site two or three times only to find that there is
nothing new, they are not likely to return. Announce all of your professional activities and keep posting new and valuable content and links.
- Put the address of your web site on all your hard-copy collateral, including your business card, stationary and yellow page listing. Not just in fine print down below your fax number, bold, top and center. Your web site will swiftly become the hub of your marketing efforts. If you can get people to your web site, they get all of you in living color!
If you have any questions about the above, please don't hesitate to add your comments (below this article). I'll answer your questions in an evolving FAQ that will become part of this article.
May your web site rise in the search engines based upon your now better informed efforts!
Biography
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| John , Berkeley CA | 11/20/03 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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