Directory and Search Engine Submissions

In this article, we'll address whether it is useful to submit your site to search engines and/or web directories. If so, we'll also take a brief look at which you should use and how to submit.

Search Engine Submissions:  Nearly all "experts" agree that submitting your site to the various search engines is a waste of time!  Although some companies will charge you to do so, the evidence suggests that the search engines will find your site as quickly by using their normal means.

Side Note:  You should have a site map that is readable by search engines (in ".xml" format).  There is inexpensive and free software that will do that for you.  My preferred web authoring software creates the .xml site map automatically and updates it each time I publish new or revised material.

Directory Submissions:  There is a benefit of submitting your site to Internet directories.  There are thousands of directories.  Some are free.  Some charge a one time inclusion fee.  Some charge an annual fee.  Some are easy to get listed.  Some are very difficult to join.

"You get what you pay for..."  Those with the greatest authority (benefit) are either difficult to get into, cost a bit of money or both.  They are Yahoo (costly) and DMOZ (difficult but free).

Still, submit your site to at least some of the higher ranking directories, especially those in your niche.  When you are proud of your site, add it to Yahoo (about $200 per year) and DMOZ (high standards of quality).

To find your niche specific directory, use Google search and enter the key phrase "'YOUR NICHE BROADLY DEFINED' directory."

For example, if your niche is "learning piano," search for "Music Directory."  Then, check into the results from the first page or two of the search results.  Submit to as many as you can afford (if any charge).

How to Submit:  During the process of submission you will need to register by providing information including company name, your name, email address, etc.  (You should not be asked SSN or TIN or date of birth, etc.!) 

Web site information requested will be limited.  You'll be asked for the web site title (sometimes called, "name"), a description and the address of the home page (URL, such as www."YOURDOMAIN".com). 

In the description, enter a few sentences of descriptive text.  Alter this somewhat for each directory to which you submit.  Remember that some people are going to be reading this description so make sure it is consistent with your overall marketing strategy. 

In the URL field, obviously, enter your web site address. 

The title will be your linking text.  This title should be a keyword or (more likely) key phrase for which you are trying to rank in search engine results.  You may want to use a few different titles for different directories.  All titles should be variations of your major search phrase.  (I have inserted an example of linking text into this paragraph.  If a visitor clicks on the hyperlinked text--your key phrase--that visitor will be taken to that page.)

As part of the submission process, you will have to follow the instructions they will give you about a confirmation email.

Note that some web directories will allow you to link to pages on your site other than your home page.  After you get links from directories to your home page, you may find some such directories to which to submit the most important of your other pages. 

Now, actually click the highlighted words, three paragraphs up, so you can read a description of your all important linking text.