HOW SEARCH ENGINES WORK FOR YOUR WEB SITE
Search Engines Provide an Index to the World Wide Web
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How Search Engines Work
Search engines work by compiling and storing information about web pages, then indexing them by relevant keywords, titles or or other criteria. But how does the search information get this information?
Most search engines today have "spiders" or "web crawlers" which go out on the Internet and search out links. The contents of these links are evaluated so that relevant words or phrases are put into an index. Usually, the web crawlers index by words found in the title or headings, or in special fields not visible on the web page itself, called "meta tags." These keywords are placed in the index, waiting for someone to come along and enter one or more of these keywords into their search box. When this happens, the search engine goes through all links associated with these keywords and puts the choices out on their web site for you to choose from. The links are usually arranged by the most relevant according to the keywords you entered, down to the least relevant. You will usually see the link itself as well as something to identify what the web site is about, taken from the title or description meta tags or the first paragraph of your web site. When you read the information provided with each link, you'll usually be able to make a decision as to which link or links you'd like to check out further.
Search Engine Placement
Placement in the search engine's results depends on many factors, most of which are controlled by the web designer. Your search may pull up dozens of pages of links. Most of us will find what we want in the first page or two, and rarely will anyone go through all the pages, nor will they start at the last page. You will want your web site to be on one of the first pages, if at all possible. Google's Webmaster Help Center offers suggestions on creating a web page that will get good results when someone uses a search engine:
- Create your web page with the user in mind, not the search engine.
Your web page is created for the user, not the search engine. The search engine is a tool to get the user to your page, and you'll want good content for the user once he gets there. - Think of keywords that someone would use to look for your web site.
Use them in your keyword meta tag, but more importantly, use them on your web site as well. - Before submitting your web site to the search engine, ask other relevant sites to link to yours
Along these same lines, make sure these web sites know that yours is online. When search engines spider these other web sites, they will also pick up your link and spider it as well. - Check your Title, Description and Keywords tags
Be sure they reflect the content of your web site. Check that all your links work. Use text rather than images for important information or links. Web crawlers cannot read text hidden in images.
How Can My Web Site Be Listed In a Search Engine?
One way to get listed is to use an SEO (Search Engine Optimizer). These are companies which specialize in getting your web site listed in the major online search engines. If your web site is business related and you do not know much about creating a web site and getting it online, consider using an SEO. They aren't free, but could be worth the money. Many of the good ones will help you with design and upload questions, too. Be careful about your selection of SEO's; there are some who are more out for their own pocketbook rather than their customers. Many are good resources though, and can even help you with your site directory and content so that your placement is a true reflection of your web site. One submission site that looks promising is StartRanking.com. It is a free site, they ask that you link back to them. As you check these SEO's, see if there are any customer comments that you can follow up on.
Getting listed in Google's search engine is free, and you don't even have to do anything. Their web crawlers work on a regular basis all over the web, indexing new and updated sites. Especially handy for both the business and personal web page builder, since Google is ranked #1 in search engines. They offer plenty of tools to help track your rankings in their search engine, and web site suggestions too.
In Conclusion
No matter how well-designed and informative your web site is, it won't profit you anything if no one can locate it. While we cannot offer everything there is to know about search engines in this article, we hope you find some good ideas to work with. Recapping the main points:
Build your site with your visitors in mind, not the search engine
If you build it with the visitor in mind, search engine placement will come.
If you were looking for your web site, what keywords would you use to locate it.
Compile some potential keywords and use those in your metatags and on the web site itself to make it easier for the user to locate you in the search engine.
Ask other web sites to add a link to yours
As the spiders index these other sites, they will automatically spider yours too. The more, the merrier!
Good luck with your new project!
Internet marketing is an ever changing business so it is impossible to predict any thing in this business. In this fast internet development age, establishing of an internet marketing business for a novice is not an easy task. It is because search engines are continuously changing their policies of search engine optimization. Still most of the webmasters consider link exchange as a good source of search engine optimization. |