Now as a small business owner you cannot go around and start paying every search engine that wants a hundred bucks or more just for privilege of listing your site (or just considering it!) So you have to concentrate your budget on just search engines that can deliver serious website traffic. Those are engines, or networks of engines with most traffic themselves.

After researching field, I've narrowed this down to just three that are undoubtedly worth price. They are...

8. Yahoo! Business Express http://help.yahoo.com/help/bizex/

Currently $199 for non-adult sites, Yahoo! still has busiest directory by far and you'll get lots of traffic from a decent listing.

9. The Looksmart Network's Express Submit http://submit.looksmart.com/

Also $199, this network powers over 1/2 million websites including AltaVista, CNN, Excite, iWon, Microsoft Network, Netscape Netcenter, NetZero and WebCrawler.

10. Inktomi's Search/Submit service www.networksolutions.com/catalog/searchsubmit/welcome.jhtml

At just $30 a year for first URL and $15 for each additional, this is a cheaper solution to Looksmart Network submission. Inktomi powers searches through AOL, iWon, MSN and Looksmart directory itself. The best part is that network updates every 48 hours so you get your listing in quickly.

OK, there you have it. A quick, cut to chase, search engine submission guide. Just be sure that before you submit your site to ANY search engine or network that your site is ready to be listed favorably. This means adding targeted keywords to your content, META tags and title as well as spell checking and browser checking your site. Once you are sure everything is set to go, visit those 10 URLs and submit your site!

If you already have a business name, you might want to fill out another "Doing Business As" form with your local courthouse and create another assumed name for your business.

5. Create a Very Brief Description

Try and keep your description text to 12 words or less of advertising and hype free text. However, be sure to include your important keyword (Step 1) into description.

6. Choose a Specific Category and Secondary Category

Yahoo distinguishes sites as either commercial or non- commercial sites. If your site is selling anything at all than your site belongs in Business and Economy section of Yahoo.

Try and be as specific as possible when trying to submit your site into Yahoo's first and secondary categories. This will help target your visitors and limit amount of competition your site will have.

7. Implement a Back Up Strategy

Even though you did everything right, you still may not be included into Yahoo's directory. Don't worry, follow this back up strategy:

If you used Business Express service to submit your site and didn't get in with your first try, you'll be sent an email within 7 days stating why you weren't listed. Here's you second chance to get in. Simply fix problem that they've indicated and then recontact your reviewer to inform them of changes you've made in what's know as "appeal" email by Yahoo.

If you did not use Business Express service, you may want to contact Yahoo about your submission. When contacting Yahoo, I suggest you include date of your submission as well as title and URL of your web site.

Yahoo is swamped with emails, so sending them an email to them may be ineffective. What I suggest is that you either call or write to them about your site's listing (writing is preferred method). Here's Yahoo's contact information:

Yahoo!, Inc. 3420 Central Expressway, 2nd Floor Santa Clara, CA 95051 Main Corporate Telephone: (408) 731-3300 Fax: (408) 731-3301 User Support Telephone: (408) 731-3333 - LISTING NUMBER Extension #1: For information on submitting a new URL Extension #2: For information on making changes to an existing listing in Yahoo! Extension #3: Information about Yahoo! search results

When contacting Yahoo, it's a good idea to get to point quickly. Simply ask if they have had a chance to review your web site and reiterate how your site adds value by providing unique content to their directory.

So now you have information needed to get your site listed in biggest directory on net. WHY STOP HERE? Why not use information presented above to get more sites listed?