| What are search engines ? How do they work ?
The
term "search engine" is often used generically to describe both true
search engines and directories. They are not the same. Search
engines, such as Google, Excite or AltaVista, create their listings automatically.
Search engines spider (or "crawl") the web to find new sites. The spider
returns to each site on a regular basis, such as every month or two, to look for
changes. Then people search through what they have found. Page titles, keywords,
body text, your code and other elements all play a role in determining your site's
position and displayed result.
Directories such as Yahoo, DMOZ.org and Looksmart
depend on humans for their listings. You submit a short description to
the directory for your entire site, or editors write one for sites they review.
A search looks for matches only in the descriptions submitted. Directories include
far fewer sites than search engines and some of them (Yahoo, Looksmart and NBCi)
are unlikely to list you unless you pay a consideration fee of € 200 for
each directory. How
search engines rank sites ?
Whenever you use a search engine, you're
asking the search engine to sort through the millions of websites it's indexed,
and try to find those sites that are related to your search words. Once the relevant
sites are selected, the search engine will rank these sites in order of relevancy,
using a formula that varies for each search engine. As a website owner, there
is a lot that you can do to improve the chances that a search engine will recommend
your site. One of the areas to focus on is Meta-tags. What
are Meta Tags and why are they so important ?
The importance of Meta
tags for your website can't be emphasized enough. A search engine doesn't read
through your page to index your site - it usually uses keywords and short
phrases ie. meta-tags. With our service NetMoto you can automatically
generate Meta Tags using keywords and descriptions specified in the registration
wizard. The
Meta tags include several pieces of information ?
Title: The
title is probably the most important part of your site to evaluate, as it is the
most frequently searched component by search engines. It should state exactly
what your site is about, without use of any hype or superlatives. To get high
rankings, the title must include your most important keywords.
Meta
Tag Description: Your website description should be a tight 12 to 18-word
summary of the content of your site. This description should contain some
of the keywords and be sure to avoid hype or marketing language. Example of Description:
"A full service provider of interior design services - decorating, painting,
furniture, and color schemes for your house".
Meta Tag Keywords:
The Meta Tag Keywords should be those words or phrases that you think people will
use when trying to look for a site like yours on search engines.
Incorporating
keywords in your site's body text - To rank high on search results, your website
must have a focus and the text should emphasize it. Incorporate your Meta tags
within your site's first paragraphs (60 words) and repeat them throughout
the text. Where
do I place the Meta Tags?
The Meta tags should be inserted between
the <HEAD> and </HEAD> tags of your document.
Click
Here to view an example of where Meta tags should be placed. How
do I get the Meta tags NetMoto creates into my Web page ?
When filling
your NetMoto registration form you should use the same Title, Description and
Keywords as the Meta tags included in your site's code. To ensure this process,
you can use our Meta tag generator.
At the end of the NetMoto registration process you will receive an automatically
generated Meta tag code for your site. Simply copy and paste into your HTML
editor and then upload the page to your server. What
should be my Keywords ?
If you are not sure about what words best
describe your site, look at it from the user's perspective. How would they find
your site? What search words make sense? The keywords you choose will dictate
the success of your web site promotion. It is unrealistic that a young and
unrecognized web site can compete on rankings with popular destinations on generic
key words such as "computers" or "travel". Make sure that
your keywords are not too general. General keywords will bring up thousands
of listings to searchers and your site is unlikely to be on top. The fact that
people don't usually use a single word, such as "software" to look up
in seach engines. "Dentist" or "Fish" works in your favor.
Users are more likely to search for something more specific like "Accounting
Software for Small Business", or "Dentists in Washington DC". You
have a much higher chance on ranking high on specific key words related to your
site. If you would like to rank high on search engines avoid excessive keyword
repetition (no more than 3 repetitions). Also, note the practice of keyword
derivatives. For example, if you developed a Website concerning mutual funds,
you might use keywords like invest, invests, investment, and investor. Finally,
be sure to include your domain name, company name, and products name in the
keywords. TIP: Always include at least 10 keywords or phrases that are most
relevant to your site (starting from the most important ones,) but not more than
25. How
do I improve rankings ?
We cannot guarantee that your Web page will
appear at the top of the search results for any particular keyword. But we might
be able to help you improve your chances: - Choose
keywords that people will associate with your Web site.
- Make
sure your keywords are phrases and not highly popular words such as 'internet'.
-
Make sure your Web content mentions those keywords near the top of the page.
For instance, place the keywords in the headline or in the first paragraph on
the page.
- Mention
keywords more than once within your Web page.
- Include
the keywords in the TITLE, DESCRIPTION and KEYWORDS meta-tags in the HTML
coding of your Web page.
- The
initial keywords must be the most importants. Some Search Engines (i.e. Yahoo)
use only 3 keywords.
What
other factors determine my site's ranking ?
When someone enters a
keyword to conduct a search, Inktomi looks for the presence of that keyword on
your Web page. If the keyword is on your Web page, your site will be included
in the search results. If the keyword is near the top of the page, in a headline
or title, in the meta-tags in the site's HTML coding, and/or appears frequently
on the page, your site will appear sorted higher in the search results. Instead
of trying to determine which specific keywords are relevant to a Web page,
Inktomi indexes both the full text of the Web page you submit as well as
the meta-tags within the site's HTML. For example, when a searcher enters
a keyword to conduct a search: - Inktomi
will first look for the presence of that keyword on your Web page.
- If
the keyword is present, your site will be included in the search results.
- If
the keyword is near the top of the page, in a headline or title, in the meta-tags
in the site's HTML and/or appears frequently on the page, your site will appear
sorted higher in the search results.
Are
their restrictions on the type of sites I can submit ?
Before you
subscribe to, please make sure your URLs and the corresponding Web pages meet
the following Editorial and Technical Guidelines. Any URL/Web page maybe
removed (without refund) from the index for any reason including without limitation
the following: Technical
Guidelines : - The
URL must resolve to an operational Web page. It may not generate error messages
such as "File not found".
- The
Web page must be accessible and not require a username, password, cookie or other
authentication in order to access.
- The
Web page must not be on a secure server (i.e., https).
- The
Web page must permit so called "spidering" technology, such as not using
a "robots.txt" file.
- The
Web page must contain visible text (not graphics or Flash format only).
Editorial Guidelines : - The
posting of content or the offering of products or services that may be or are
illegal.
- The
fraudulent use of the Service.
- The
infringement of the rights of a third party.
- In
response to a court order or other judicial or governmental request or action.
Click
the "Light" or "Professional" buttons below To Submit Your
Site.
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