The First Steps to
Getting Noticed on the WWW
By Craig Lock
Thought I'd
share a few hints, based on our experiences over the past
seven years (so some information on the search engines may be
outdated - see UPDATE)....
Firstly, ask yourself what is the PURPOSE of your web site? Is
it designed merely to inform, to share a bit of yourself and
your ideas with the world, or to sell your product. Then work
out a short description of your web site before you submit to
the above list of search engines. You can make this task far
easier for yourself by just copying and pasting the wording.
Try to keep the description of your web site to under say, 25
words and focus on your main product, or chief selling
objective (or USP*, as those "marketing types" like to call
it). * = Unique Selling Proposition.
Always making the simple sound complex, aren't they?
As an example our description is: "Books by Craig Lock:
Fiction and non-fiction. Hard copies and e-books - self help,
travel, humour, novels, inspirational writings, etc."
In listing our various web sites, we only concentrate on the
major (12 or so search engines) and directories, like Open
Directory, who supply their database to many of the big SE's
(see I'm learning "tech/geek speak" terminology already). I've
found that I check our listings in the search engines every
two months or so and do resubmit - just to the MAJOR search
engines. Though I don't try it with Alta Vista and especially
Yahoo (as we are already high up there with our creative
writing courses). I don't dare risk them chucking us out,
though I don't think they will! We've had some difficulty with
HotBot and Lycos (especially) and Open Directory in getting
listed, so I do re-submit from time to time and they then seem
to get listed. Alta Vista seems to take a while- about 6
weeks. Believe Lycos is "winding down" in listing sites
incidentally and Infoseek takes a while also. So suggest
checking your listings occasionally and resubmit- ting
(INDIVIDUALLY). I don't think any of the major search engines
see that as spam.
We also submit to the regional Yahoo (Australia and New
Zealand) and find we get listed quite speedily. I bid on key
words with Go To for 'writing courses', but we've found the
traffic from them to be minimal. * UPDATE:
The major search engines (latest list) where you can submit
your website, are listed as follows (in my personal "assumed
order of importance")
* Google * Yahoo * AltaVista * LookSmart * Open Directory (www.dmoz.org).
This is a directory run by voluntary editors, so a word of
advice: Take a bit of care in selecting the most appropriate
category for your web site.
Also... * Inktomi * AOL Search * Netscape Search *
AllTheWeb.com (FAST Search) * HotBot * Ask Jeeves *
Lycos * MSN Search * Direct Hit and finally, * iWon.
* Focus and concentrate on these by just submitting your site
to these major search engines . It takes a bit of time; but
I'm sure you'll get listed and get plenty of hits. And more
traffic = INCREASED SALES
If you wish, you can see whether you are listed, though some
search engines take a few months. If not, you can then try
re-submitting.
* A thought, sorry question, on which to end...
Search engines and positioning therein (sounds funny that
expression!) are certainly not the ONLY form of internet
marketing. We focus on writing articles to share knowledge to
help others...and so help ourselves ("what you give out , you
get back"). With all the comments and articles about search
engines and so many people spending so much time and effort
"trying to get the better of them" in the form of higher
rankings, why don't more web marketers rather spend their
valuable energies in activities, which they CAN CONTROL to
some extent. Once you have posted to the major search engines,
monitor your positioning from time to time (say once a month)
then LET BE. You'll never beat them by attempting to design
your web site to get a high ranking, because the various
search engines have different criteria for rankings...and
anyway, their policies change all the time. So why not start
concentrating on MARKETING and carving out a unique niche for
yourself on the net with your particular products.
It's been a long learning curve for us at Eagle Productions
seeing what works and what doesn't in getting listed with the
major search engines ...like the lessons of life itself.
Hope this info may help you "spaced out" readers "out there in
cyberspace".
Go for it and good luck in your internet marketing endeavours
in 2004.
Craig Lock
http://www.craiglock.com
http://www.craiglockbooks.com
"Whatever, you want to do or dream you can do, the hardest
part is making a beginning. Once you take that first step in
following your heart, your dreams the rest will follow
naturally...
and lead to who know's where."
"Life is about finding, then following the dream... and one's
dream/vision comes to reality through believing in yourself,
making the commitment and then creating it." - Craig Lock
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to
pursue them." - Walt Disney
The various books* that Craig Lock "felt inspired to write"
are available at:
http://www.craiglock.com and
http://www.bridgeniche.com
* Fiction and non-fiction, novels on South Africa, travel,
humour, inspiration, self help and money books (money
management and steps to financial success).
All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children - MINE
Dead Link Sep 25
If you have knowledge, let others light their candle at it" -
Margaret Fuller
|
|