Search Engine Optimisation

Search engines follow a set of rules. Exactly how a particular search engine's works is a closely kept secret and is subject to change at anytime.

Search Engines can play an important part in promoting your web site, but simply submitting your web site to search engines is not enough, content is everything! The search engine programmers always have one goal - to produce the best, most relevant result, so concentrate on making your site a great resource for your area of business, strive to be an authority in your field, and don't forget:

  • Content with keywords
  • Clear layout
  • Simple navigation
  • Regularly updated pages
Being a hub of information means that other sites will link to you and the search engine robots will like you, visiting often as there's always something new to read. The end result is that you will get more visitors.

Keywords

One of the first things you need to do is identify your keywords, what words identify your business?

One of the main rules a search engine follows involves the location and frequency of keywords on a web page. A search engine will analyse how often keywords appear in relation to other words in a web page. Those with a higher frequency are often deemed more relevant than other web pages.

The challenge is putting together a web site with carefully constructed pages that read well and keep the reader interested, allow the user to find the information they are after and are optimised for the search engines.

Linking

There are debates and "facts" on whom you should link to and whether reciprocal links are good or bad, but the reality is that linking to web sites that your visitors will find helpful can be good for your site too.

Some search engines consider links when ranking a page in the search results. Google has a PageRank algorithm that interprets a link from page A, to page B, as a vote by page A, for page B. But Google looks at more than just the number of votes, it applies the same ranking mechanism to the pages that cast the votes and weights their votes accordingly.

Your Budget

Listing with Search Engines can be an expensive exercise or not cost you a thing..

Search Engine Submission companies offer services to submit your web site for you but this is something you can do yourself quite easily.

Paid listings can offer you an express service or set up fee; it has no bearing on where you will rank in the search engine. For unpaid listings, search engines can take up to 4 weeks to visit your web site and then index it.

The following list will give you an idea of what some of the major search engines are charging to submit your web site.

  • Google - Free
  • AllTheWeb - Powered by Yahoo
  • Yahoo Search - Free (requires registration to Yahoo)
  • Yahoo Directory - $US299 (recurring annual fee)
  • MSN Search - Free
  • AOL Search - Enhanced by Google
  • Ask Jeeves and Teoma - $US30
  • LookSmart (Commercial) - Pay Per Click
  • LookSmart (Non-Commercial) - Powered by Wisenut (Free)
  • Open Directory (DMOZ) - Free
  • Overture - Powered by Yahoo
  • AltaVista - Powered by Yahoo
  • Netscape Search - Powered by Google
  • Wisenut - Free

    • Total $US329*

*prices are as of February 2005

Paid advertising is becoming more popular for those with a larger budget. Cost Per Click advertising allows you to choose the amount charged to you when your add is clicked on and the maximum amount that can be spent. For more information visit Google Advertising Programmes.

The Major Search Engines

For more information on search engines visit Search Engine Watch.

Up-and-coming general directories



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Reference

Promoting Your Web SiteThere are lots of sites on the 'net that want to tell you how to promote your web site. The majority actually just want to sell you some outdated software that maybe worked well a year ago. We've listed a few sites here that give you info, explanations, tutorials etc. Hopefully they'll keep up.. CVSCVS is the Concurrent Versions System, the dominant open-source network- transparent version control system. CVS is useful for everyone from individual developers to large, distributed teams:
  * Its client-server access method lets developers access the latest code from anywhere there's an Internet connection.
  * Its unreserved check-out model to version control avoids artificial conflicts common with the exclusive check-out model.
  * Its client tools are available on most platforms.
 CSSCascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a simple mechanism for adding style (e.g. fonts, colors, spacing) to Web documents.

Clients

EzyDVDAustralia's largest online DVD store. EzyDVD FundraisingPut the fun back into fundraising! EzyGamesAustralia's online game store. IPOSIndependant Point of Sale - Point of sale and cash register solutions for hospitality & general retail. TTNQTourism Tropical North Queensland Beach ShackMission Beach backpackers resort

Technology

LinuxLinux is a free Unix-type operating system originally created by Linus Torvalds with the assistance of developers around the world. ApacheApache has been the most popular web server on the Internet since April of 1996. PerlPerl is a high-level programming language with an eclectic heritage written by Larry Wall and a cast of thousands. mod_perlmod_perl brings together the full power of the Perl programming language and the Apache HTTP server. OpenSSLToolkit implementing the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL v2/v3) and Transport Layer Security (TLS v1) protocols as well as a full-str ength general purpose cryptography library. Template ToolkitA fast, powerful and extensible template processing system. It is ideally suited to the production and mainte nance of web content and other dynamic document systems. CatalystCatalyst will make web development something you had never expected it to be: Fun, rewarding and quick.