The New Millenium Search Engine StrategyWritten by Marc Goldman
In olden days of net, circa 1997-1999, we small business types used to have a fighting chance to get our site listed in major search engines. Well year 2001 has now arrived, and with it has come end of our fighting chance. Many of major search engines and directories have recently abandoned their fair business practices in favor of a more profitable (for them) strategy. This does not bode well for you if you do not have a few thousand dollars of disposable income lying around to try to get listed. You now are encouraged (in case of Yahoo, required) to pay upwards of $199 to receive a guaranteed site review. Please understand that word, review. This by no means, guarantees you a listing, simply a review and possible inclusion. The search engines claim that they are doing this in a concerted effort to fight spam and to maintain a clean engine that brings up relevant sites for relevant search terms and phrases. If that was truly case, then I would have no problem with it. Due to proliferation of doorway pages, keyword stuffing, signpost pages, hallways and all manner of tricks developed over years by intrepid marketers, search engines have become somewhat stuffed with junk. However, these companies are not doing this in some noble cleansing effort, instead they are adopting a strategy strictly based on bottom line thinking. They are trying to make a buck. Now, believe me I am as capitalistic as next man, but I am also a small businessman who seeks to make out by doing as much low and no cost advertising/ promotion as I can. If I create a relevant webpage and work hard doing keyword research, should I not be granted a listing in search engines for free? Doesn't that benefit search engine user more than me paying to be listed? Lets come off soapbox for a second and consider facts: 1. Looksmart, who provides results for MSN, Excite, AltaVista, IWon and others was first company to really promote "guaranteed site review" concept in late 1999. They guarantee that within 2 business days after receiving payment you will be notified if your site is included in their directory and also in results of above search engines. You will also be notified if your site is not included and told why. You will then be out 200 dollars regardless of whether or not your site is included. 2. Yahoo has always offered a guaranteed site review for $200 (this used to be one of many "Yahoo Secrets" that
| | How To Recognize a Good Automatic Search Engine SubmitterWritten by Ralph Tegtmeier
A good automatic submission program is quite undetectable if you do it right. So what constitutes a "good" submitter? To qualify, program must:- Convey correct referral (submission) URL. - Transmit all required data (e.g. email address, where required). - Use engine's specific correct submission syntax (by no means a given - this requires extensive and regular updates). - Allow for customizable submission limits (e.g. 5 pages per domain and day). - Apply realistic time delays when submitting multiple pages (this would typically mimic manual submission speed). - Check submission pages for availability (else, it will generate an error message, wasting search engines' system resources and bandwidth). - Offer extensive submission reports including snapshots of search engine error message pages to remediate faulty submission processes and/or schedule resubmissions if required.
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