Some of search engines and directories that were once independent have been bought out by other companies or borrow their search results from them to display on their own site. Keeping up with who owns what and who's charging for admission could drive you crazy. Come along with me for latest updates in insane world of search engines as I review major players in game today.

1) EXCITE: http://www.excite.com/info/add_url

Now partnered with LookSmart by submitting you'll also get listed with LookSmart's Network of partner sites such as Alta Vista, MSN, WebCrawler and Magellan.

Offers three levels of submission services. Express submit gives you a guaranteed review within two business days for $199.00.

Basic Submission is $99.00 but takes longer, with sites being reviewed in approximately eight weeks. Excite still offers a free service with no guarantee of a listing: Go to http://www.excite.com/info/add_url_form

2) ALTAVISTA: http://doc.altavista.com/addurl/

As one of LookSmart's partner sites, here you'll be presented with same submission prices as at Excite. Prices are $199.00 or $99.00. They do allow you to submit your site for free with no guarantee of a listing. Go to http://www.altavista.com/cgi-bin/query?pg=addurl#form

3) HOTBOT: http://hotbot.lycos.com/addurl.asp

The link above will submit your site to Inktomi web page database which is HotBot's partner. Another way of getting listed here is to submit your site to "The Open Directory Project" which is our next stop. Submission is still free at this time.

4) THE OPEN DIRECTORY PROJECT: http://dmoz.org/add.html

In order to rank well at any search engine it has become critical to use basic techniques of appropriate content and page architecture to provide search spiders with indexing and ranking scorecards. We all know by now that metatags, including title, description and keyword tags as well as image alt text is important. Most of us know that using keywords liberally in body text and creating descriptive hypertext links within body copy is helpful. Most of us know also that using keywords in TEXT based page navigation links (not image links, such as buttons) increases ranking and improves your score at major search engines.

For a concise overview of this information for new webmasters, visit:

http://website101.com/metatags.html

Suppose you are doing all of important items above and still need that extra little edge required to gain visibility in engines? Here are a few techniques to tip scales in your favor.

1. Gain link listings from large *Targeted* high traffic sites that are complementary to your business. Sometimes paid listings in these types of directories is well worth cost of entry. One such directory would be small business section of Business.com, $199 will gain your company dramatic link relevancy increases in Google and it's search partners. Specialists should consider sites appropriate to their professional category such as Law and legal sites for paid directory listings. Try contacting "guide" at About.com for a link from your subject category for an often over- looked and valuable link from a guide site at About.com. (It's Free)

http://www.business.com http://www.about.com