Bulk Submission
It's worth mentioning that this site is not set up to cover bulk submission. I respect the companies that provide this service. It's simply not one of the services I personally provide unless specifically requested.
The truth is that over 90% of all the searches done on the Internet are done on less than 10 search engines. Also, many of the so called 'engines' that mass submission programs submit to are not really engines at all. They are Free For All lists (explained later in this tutorial).
This site will cover the smaller engines, and show you how to get into the ones that are relevant to your business.
If you are already familiar with the basics of search engine optimization, feel free to continue with the next topic. However, if you'd like to start off with the basics, please continue reading down this page.
Search Engines vs. Directories
To complete the tutorial, you'll need to know the difference between search engines and directories.
A Search Engine - is a database that has been built by 'spiders' or 'robots.' These cyber spiders scour the Internet analyzing web pages and logging information. They then return the information to a database where it is stored. Theoretically, the web site should show up in the search results the next time the engine updates. The delay can be from a few days to months.
Search engine spiders can scour hundreds of thousands of pages a day. Many of them will also follow the links on a page to find information independently. Thus, it is possible for your page to be indexed by a spider even if you have not submitted the page to the search engine.
A Directory - is also a database of web sites. However, directories (such as Yahoo) don't rely on spiders. Instead, human editors review and categorize the web sites that have been submitted for inclusion, and decide if the listing will be accepted. In contrast to search engines, which may list every page on a site, most frequently a directory will only list one page. Additionally, once a site is listed in a directory, getting a human editor to change your listing or move you to another category can be almost impossible.
Unless otherwise noted, we'll refer to both search engines and directories as "search engines" as we continue along.
