Search Engine Submission by Larry Poch
Before submitting your site to search engines you should have
some insight into, 1.. how they function. 2.. what some of the
differences are. 3.. which ones to submit to. 4.. do I need to
pay for a submission?
Is it a Search Engine or a Directory?
When submitting your site to a search engine or search directory
be aware that there is a difference between the two. Not being
aware of this difference can create problems. Example, Google is
a search engine and Yahoo is a directory. The basic difference
between the two is in the way the submission is reviewed and
entered into the database index. Search Engines
Search engines are databases that use robots/spiders to crawl
the Internet and index web sites. The database listing is
automatically generated from the information gathered from the
pages of the web site. The sites may be found through random
search of the Internet or through a submission.
Directories
Directory databases are compiled from submissions and reviewed
by editors, real live human beings. The editors physically
review the submission, rate it, and catagorize it. Take great
care in describing a site when submitting it to a directory. The
methods used to achieve a high search engine ranking DOES NOT
work when submitting to a directory.
Submission
Understanding where major search engines and directories get
some of their database information from can help when it come
time to submit a site. It can save a lot of time and possibly
quite a few dollars.
Many major search engines and directories get their search
results from third-party search providers. Some of these
third-party search providers are other search engines or
directories. So by reviewing who provides search results to whom
may help with your submission process. Submitting to one search
engine may get your site displayed in another one where you
would have had to pay for the submission.
Example:
Google, most popular search engine on the Internet, provides
main results to AOL Search, Netscape Search, and Yahoo
(fee-based). Google uses the Open Directory for back-up results.
The Open Directory also provides the directory back-up results
for AOL Search, Ask Jeeves, HotBot(fee-based submission),
Lycos(fee-based submission), and Netscape Search.
Needless to say, getting your site listed in the Open Directory
is well worth the time spent submitting it. DMOZ
(http://dmoz.org/)
This alphabetical list of the major engines shows the current
sources for database search results.
AltaVista (search engine), provides its own results using a
crawler to index information for its database. Paid
results/listings come from Overture, while secondary results
come from the Open Directory.
AOL Search (search engine), primary and paid results both come
from Google. Secondary search results are pulled ftom the Open
Directory.
Ask Jeeves (search engine), paid results come from Overture with
secondary results coming from Teoma. Directory results are from
the Open Directory by way of Teoma.
Google (search engine), crawler based providing its own primary
and paid results. Directory results come from the Open Directory.
LookSmart (directory), paid results are their own, secondary
search results are from Inktomi.
Lycos (search engine) primary results come from the Open
Diectory, secondary results from Fast and paid results from
Overture and their own fee-based submission program.
MSN Search (directory), with results coming from LookSmart. Paid
results provided by Overture with secondary results from Inktomi.
Netscape Search (search engine) primary results from the Open
Directory, secondary results from Google, and paid results from
Overture.
Overture (pay-per-click database service) Not actually a search
engine, Overture provodes the paid search results for many of
the major search engines. Such as;
All the Web AltaVista AskJeeves Excite iWon MSN HotBot Netscape
Lycos Teoma
Open Directory (DMOZ) (directory) All content in this
human-edited directory is from direct submission.
Yahoo! (directory) paid submissions from its own fee-based
program and Overture. Secondary search results from Google.
For more in-depth detail on this interwoven web of search
results see the following pages.
Search Engine Providers Chart
http://www.searchenginewatch.com/reports/alliances.html
Search Engine Results Chart
http://www.searchenginewatch.com/webmasters/results.html
Search Engine Relationship Chart PDF file format, need Adobe
Acrobat Reader installed.
http://www.bruceclay.com/searchenginechart.pdf
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Larry(Momp) owns Momp's Web Design and MWD News newsletter. In
addition to the web design service, the site includes a web
design reference library for webmasters.
Momp's Web Design: http://www.mompswebdesign.com/ MWD
Newsletter: http://www.mompswebdesign.com/mwdnews.html Contact
Momp: mailto:momp@mompswebdesign.com
About the author:
Larry(Momp) owns Momp's Web Design and MWD News newsletter. In
addition to the web design service, the site includes a web
design reference library for webmasters.
Momp's Web Design: http://www.mompswebdesign.com/ MWD
Newsletter: http://www.mompswebdesign.com/mwdnews.html Contact
Momp: mailto:momp@mompswebdesign.com
