Specialists in Internet Web Sites Since 1995
Online Marketing for Book and Publishing Web Sites:
Step 2, Search Engine Registration
© 2003 Virginia Lawrence, Ph.D.
Clarifying the Goal of the Site
After designing and building the Web site, we must register the site with
search engines. There are two major types of search engines:
- Directories where we choose a category for our site and list a few
keywords. In the most important directories, a human reviewer looks over the
site to confirm site quality and our choice of category.
- Database listings where we submit the site address. This type of search
engine sends out a software robot to index every word in one or more pages of
the submitted site.
Although search engine submission had been free during the last few years,
many of the top search engines of both types are now charging for submission of
business Web sites. This change arises because the search engines are finding
it harder to base their business plans strictly on the advertising revenue they
can attract. Now they must start charging submitters.
Yahoo, the most important directory, is charging $299 for
every business Web site submission. The payment guarantees only a one-week
response from Yahoo. It does not guarantee inclusion in the directory, since
Yahoo is very picky about the Web sites to be added to their directory.
However, all is not lost for sites not admitted to the Yahoo directory.
Although such Web sites will not appear in the category listings on Yahoo, most
visitors using Yahoo actually use the search function rather than the category
listings. Since Yahoo uses content from Google for its database search, a site
included in the Google database will appear in a Yahoo search.
Inktomi and the other two paid inclusion database listing sites, are now charging up to $30 for the first page.
They guarantee to send out their indexing robot within two days so that the
site will be listed very quickly. The paid inclusion databases power most of the top search engines.
After submitting to the fee-based search engines, submit to the remaining
top free search engines: Open Directory Project and Google.
As of May 2003, submission to those
search engines is free.
The next step in search engine submission is submitting to targeted
search engines. Do not ever use submission software to submit to any search engines. Years ago, using software could be a great help in increasing site popularity. Now it is not.
Be sure to avoid submitting to the Free For All sites. The Free For All
sites are set up only as a way to get submitter’s e-mail addresses. They
maintain site listings for only 24 to 72 hours, yet they will continue to send
us spam forever, trying to sell us phone cards, new mortgages, membership in
sex sites, etc. To complete Step 2 of online marketing for a book site, get
listed on all good search engines. Then move ahead to
Step 3.
~ Virginia Lawrence, Ph.D. is an Information Architect
who publishes both in print and online. Contact her at
virginia@cognitext.com.
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