Yahoo! - Yahoo is very selective and will not index just anyone who submits to them. Uniqueness of a site and how it falls into their directory structure are the key points to address when indexing web pages. Yahoo is not a search engine, it is a search directory. The most important thing to remember when listing your web site with Yahoo is that the relevancy of the site is based on the Title and Comments you provide. You should use keywords that one might use to locate your site in both the Comments and in the Title of your site.
Excite - Excite does not read Meta tags, but they do look at the words in the Title of your document. Therefore, you should be sure that your page uses the most relevant keywords in describing your site. Excite can take as long as 4 weeks to index your site, so check in often.
Alta Vista - Alta Vista is one of the more difficult engines with which to get a top listing. While Alta Vista does read Meta Tags, you should keep in mind that it uses a case sensitive algorithm. By this, I mean that typing in "Promotion" will give you a different result than if you were to type in "PROMOTION" or "promotion."
Hotbot - HotBot utilizes Meta tags within your HTML code to their fullest extent. HotBot will score the words higher in their relevancy rating, so use unique spellings or characteristics when describing your site. HotBot also looks at descriptive words in your title and Meta description tags, so use them carefully. As with other search engines, make sure that the words you use in your Meta keyword tags are words that someone would use to locate your web site.
Infoseek - Infoseek utilizes virtually all types of Meta tags. Getting your site indexed in Infoseek is easy and the results of your submission can usually be seen instantly, giving you a good idea of where your site will be listed. As with all of the search engines, be sure that the words you use in your Meta Tags are words that someone would use to locate your web site.
Lycos - Lycos places more weight in the full text of your document, but looks at your Meta Tags as well. Definitely use Meta keywords, but make sure you repeat those words again at the start of your document. Note: One way to guarantee that your site will not get indexed in Lycos is to over-use punctuation; therefore, be sure to limit or change your punctuation before submitting to this engine.
Webcrawler - Webcrawler adds new submissions to their database every 2 to 3 weeks. If your site is not in the first 200 listings, it may be because your page has not yet been added to their database. Webcrawler does not take advantage of Meta tags; however, it does use keywords that someone would type in to find your site.
Useful Tips -
· Use a descriptive <TITLE>.
Some search engines give more weight to titles than to body text in a document. Use a title that uniquely describes your page or site. Include this information in the <TITLE> tag of your HTML document. Don't use generic phrases such as "Home Page".
· Place important phrases and summary text near the top of your main document.
Put as much descriptive information as possible about your site in its main page (usually index.html). It doesn't have to be long, but be sure to be specific and include important keywords and phrases.
· Use <META> tags.
Meta tags allow you to specifically identify important items, such as descriptions and keywords, for a search engine. Not all search engine indexers make use of meta tags, but having them in your documents will not hurt. Meta tags are inserted in the <HEAD> section of your documents and, though there are several types of tags, there are two main types that you should definitely include:
· <META name="description" content="Custom stained glass designs for your home.">
· <META name="keywords" content="stained glass, leaded glass, copper foil, etching, windows and doors">
· Of course, you will modify the content to reflect your particular web site.
· Use the ALT attribute of the <IMG> tag.
Some search engines, such as InfoSeek, include the ALT attribute of images in their indexing procedure. If your pages consist of a large amount of graphics, you can use this to gain greater control over how your site is indexed.
· Be careful with frames.
Many search engines treat frames as separate links within your site, which may cause the spider to have to revisit your site as it traverses other links. To avoid any problems, use the <NOFRAMES> tag in your main page to include descriptive text and keywords/phrases.
· Don't use text of the same color as the background.
It's not unusual to have text appear as the same color as the background, such as when placing menu text over a background color or image. However, some search engines consider this to be an attempt at spamming the engine and might discard such pages. To avoid this, use a similar, but not identical color for such text. For example, instead of white (COLOR=#FFFFFF), you might use COLOR=#FFFBF0 which is nearly identical to the eye but quite different to a search engine spider.
· Choose appropriate categories.
Some search engines (such as Yahoo) are organized into subject categories, requiring you to choose the appropriate one when submitting your site. Take some time to peruse their sites and familiarize yourself with the available categories. When choosing a category, be as specific as possible. You may need to "drill down" several levels to find a category appropriate for your listing.
Remember:
1. The more top positions you have, the more clicks you get.
2. The more clicks you get, the more popular you become.
3. The more popular you become, the higher you rank.
4. The higher you rank the more clicks you'll get...
— By Greg Shepard
Greg Shepard writes and speaks about all facets of affiliate marketing including design, conversion, online advertising, and e-commerce. Greg is the CEO for NetTraction.com and AffiliateTraction.com. He can be reached at greg@NetTraction.com.