High ranking in search engines

The objective of Search Engine Optimization is to increase web visitor counts by ranking high with the most appropriate keywords describing the content of your website or you product.

One of the simplest and most affordable ways of promoting your website is in free search engines and directories. Why would you want your site well ranked on search engines:

• Every day ± 81 % of web users use search engines. Therefore, ranking highly in search engines and directories should be critical to your Internet marketing strategy
• These search engines drive targeted traffic your way and this traffic is looking for exactly what you're offering.
• Major search engines attract more distinct visitors. Yahoo! boasts ± 64 million registered users.
• Research has shown that users hardly ever go beyond the top 30 search's for a search term.
• Consumers use search engines to research goods, locate and buy goods.

Good rankings are vital if you want to take advantage of the excellent traffic from search engines.

Search engines are now beginning to place more emphasis on paid submission and advertising. The search services that charge to review your site for submission vary in worth, Yahoo now charges US $299.00.

Other major search engines (Google) will list your site for free, but even those that require payment take elements like meta tags content into account when ranking a page.

Some people still believe that the more search engines you submit your site to, the more traffic you will receive, this isn't true. Here are a few search engines and directories:

• AlltheWeb
• Altavista
• Ask
• Ask Jeeves
• AOL Search
• dmoz Open Directory Project
• Excite
• Entire Web
• Exactseek
• Google
• Gigablast
• Hotbot
• Inktomi
• intelseek
• iWon
• Jayde
• Lycos
• LookSmart
• MSN Search
• Netscape Search
• Open Directory
• Overture
• SearchIt
• Teoma
• WebCrawler
• Yahoo

Here is some additional information on Search Engine Optimization (SEO):

• Techniques that should be followed and techniques that should be avoided for SEO.