Getting Listed in Search Engines

Category: Web Development Author: User Image

Gary R. Hess

When it comes to getting listed there are quite a bit of rumors and suggestions. You may have read on other blogs about getting listed, but what really works and what doesn’t?

Search Engines

The most popular suggestion given is submitting your website to search engines directly. Although this may work in some cases, it isn’t necessary for the big three: Google, Yahoo, and MSN.

Why it doesn’t work
- Google, Yahoo, MSN : Worked several years ago, but not now. There is nothing that shows websites are indexed by submissions.

Exceptions
- Blog search engines. Submitting to Google Blog Search works.
- Will work on smaller search engines and is suggested. This is because small search engines have fewer sites listed, thus they must use the submission box to crawl. Even ask.com uses it, although crawling through links is preferred.

Buying links

Since submitting to the big three is known within some blogging communities, they search for other ways to tell their readers how to get listed. Buying links is a extremely popular suggestion.

Why buying links doesn’t work
Will get you listed, but for how long? If the links are under a headline titled ’sponsors’ or ‘advertisers’ the link will be discounted. You might get listed, but you’ll receive a nice sized penalty that could stick for a long, long time.

Exception
Links within articles or other unquestionable manners.

The best way to get listed

With so many suggestions being thrown around it is hard to sift through all the non-sense and find the quality information needed.

What works
- Comment on as many blogs as possible. Make sure they aren’t spammy, and be sure to include your url within the ‘url’ box.
- Submit to as many directories as possible. They can be free or paid, just make sure the links aren’t 302′d and is listed within Google, Yahoo, etc.
- Write articles and submit them to article directories.

What about the sandbox?

While talking about getting listed, it is almost a necessity to mention the sandbox.

Sandbox facts
- The sandbox existed long ago, but it is no longer. With the popularity of blogs and the ever increasing need for fresh information, Google decided to do away with such a thing.
- Today, what is known as the sandbox is actually a penalty due to several factors: 1) Too many links at one time without much after. 2) Links from spammy sources. 3) Bought links.

How to stop the ’sandbox’?
- Be careful where your links go. Link exchanges went out of style, so don’t do them even with directories. If you must do them, be sure to do it with related websites.
- Don’t buy obvious links. If your site is about hot dogs don’t buy a link on a car website. Unless it is a hot dog car page.