Free Web Site Promotion by Lisa Maliga

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Free Web Site Promotion
by Lisa Maliga

Tips for Successful Free Search Engine & Directory Listings
[Including 50 Links]

Once you’ve built your site and launched it online, you’ll need to make sure that the search engines and directories receive it so it can be indexed.

In order to do this properly, you’ll want to make sure you have set aside enough time so that you can do this project without feeling rushed.

A great way to go about entering your site is to have all the information in front of you so you can streamline this process. Having the relevant info in a word processing program before you start the process, so all you do is copy and paste into the appropriate spaces.

The title of your web site
Some search engines insist you use the actual title, not just a bunch of keywords. If your site is really called Everything Shea Aromatic Creations, that’s what it has to read.

Your domain name
http://www.yourdomainname.com. Don’t submit any other pages, just the main one.

Description of your site
This is where you will note just how many words or characters the particular search engine will accept. Most of the time the search engine is optimized by the number of characters per line, so that’s why you should type all your information beforehand in a word processing program and keep account of how many words and characters – with spaces – so that you are prepared. Most search engines accept 200 characters for a site description, but a few go as low as 175, and others take up to 1000!

Keywords
Have your most important keywords listed first, and use commas in between words. Some search engines don’t even want commas, just spaces. Most of the time you are allowed 200 characters. Sometimes you’ll have to stop at 50 characters [or 5 words], other times you can enter as many as you like.

Your e-mail address
The best e-mail address is the one directly affiliated with your site. When submitting your site with some search engines you must register with them and have to go back to their site, after receiving their automated e-mail, and confirm your listing.

Linking Back
Many directory site owners appreciate a link back to their sites and will provide you with a text link or button. Some sites only will do reciprocal links with their text link, banner or button on your main page. Other search engines/directories don’t seem to care, and some sites allow you to put their link on one of your other pages. If it’s on a secondary page, it has to be available through your main page. For example, Everything Shea Aromatic Creations will have another page for my Whipped Shea Butter and it’s fine to add the link there.

You should be aware of those search engine robots that are out there spidering your site – they don’t like to see the word search engine on your site. It’s considered a “poison” word, like free. Poison words are those used way too often in an attempt to get noticed. Unfortunately they no longer are noticed even if they’re relevant to the site’s content.

I’ve included a list of sites that accept free submissions to get you started. Make sure that you read the instructions carefully so that your site will get indexed. Only add your web site to one category unless the site owner asks for you to add it to another one. This can happen when you provide a link to their directory.

Also, there are folks who run search directories, especially in specialized categories, because to them it’s an intense interest and they genuinely want to help the Internet become a better place. Respect them and encourage them and we’ll all benefit from this type of positive attitude.

http://www.01webdirectory.com
http://www.aardvarkbusiness.net [must send e-mail to 5 contacts] Warning: be sure to put your site in the correct category or it’ll be rejected. Ask me how I know!
http://www.addpro.com
http://www.aeiwi.com [link back]
http://www.allthewebsites.org
http://www.amidalla.com
http://www.burf.com
http://www.business-to-business-resources.com
http://www.cantufind.com [no free email addresses such as yahoo, hotmail, zwallet, etc. FAMILY SAFE]
http://www.clearleadinc.com
http://www.clickey.com [must register with e-mail address that is affiliated directly with the site]
http://www.dmoz.org [Be patient with this one – can take several months, if ever, to include your site!]
http://www.earthstation9.com [Send this man an e-mail with your site’s info – that’s all. And don’t try to butter him up, as he won’t have it!]
http://www.exactbot.com
http://www.ezilonsearch.com
http://www.giftlinks.org [not about giving links but for those in the biz of presents/gifts/packages that are nicely wrapped, you know, pleasant things like that!]
http://www.gogolook.com
http://www.google.com [Always the top search engine to be involved with.]
http://www.hotlaunch.com
http://www.infoprobe.net
http://www.intelseek.com
http://www.isedb.com/html/Web_Directories [You’ll discover loads of directories here, from the highly specialized to the mainstream. Many of the sites have ratings; indicate whether they’re accepting new submissions, and if there’s a fee for submitting].
http://www.jayde.com
http://www.katakombe.com [must have a page rank of 5]
http://www.kazazz.com [must add search box to home page]
http://www.knowbe.com
http://www.linksmatch.com
http://www.netshoppers.com
http://www.noago.com
http://www.onebigdirectory.com [register]
http://www.pmonkey.com
http://www.searchpole.com
http://www.searchengine.com
http://www.searchsight.com
http://www.searchwarp.com
http://www.shoppingspot.com [What makes this site stand out above the rest? they ask]
http://www.skaffe.com
http://www.somuch.com
http://www.splat.com
http://www.stopdog.com
http://www.submitexpress.com
http://www.surfgopher.com
http://www.theeverywherepages.com
http://www.theknowledgenetwork.org
http://www.worldcitypages.net
http://www.url.biz
http://www.yahoo.com [always the top search engine to be with]
http://www.yeandi.com
http://www.zeal.com [non-commercial only]
http://www.zonebot.com

Author's Biography:

http://www.lisamaliga.com ~ Lisa’s Library of Writing offers advice on ePublishing, adult figure skating, aromatherapy, web design, Internet promotion and publishing. This is the home of fiction and nonfiction writer Lisa Maliga.

Posted on: February 17,2005

Email: Lisa_Maliga@msn.com
Website: http://www.lisamaliga.com