My question is about getting a website listed on major search engines.

For past several months I have been submitting my website to several of major search engines. But, I don't think I am listed by any of them. At least I can find my site when I do a search for my keywords.

Can you take a look at my site and tell me if there is something wrong with my site that is preventing me from getting listed? This is really frustrating.

Signed,

Frustrated

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Dear Frustrated,

Getting listed on any of major search engines can be a trying adverture. But, so much of Web traffic comes from these engines, it is worth effort.

Thought I'd share a few hints, based on our experiences over past five years...

In listing our various web sites, we only concentrate on major (12 or so search engines) and directories, like Open Directory, who supply their database to many of big search engines. We've found that we check our listings in search engines every two months or so and do resubmit - just to MAJOR search engines. Though I don't try it with Alta Vista and especially Yahoo (as we are already high up there with our creative writing courses). I don't dare risk them chucking us out, though I don't think they will! We've had some difficulty with HotBot and Lycos (especially) and Open Directory in getting listed, so I do re-submit from time to time and they then seem to get listed. Alta Vista seems to take a while - about 6 weeks. Believe Lycos is "winding down" in listing sites incidentally.

So suggest checking your listings occasionally and resubmit- ting (INDIVIDUALLY). I don't think any of major search engines see that as spam.

We also submit to regional Yahoo (Australia and New Zealand) and find we get listed quite speedily. I bid on key words with Go To for 'writing courses', but we've found traffic from them to be minimal.