What Ever Happened to Free Search Listings?

By Special Guest Writer Paul J. Bruemmer

We've had so many pricing models in search engine marketing over the last two years that it takes a rocket scientist to estimate campaign costs.

(May 2002) It seems that the argument for unpaid listings to maintain editorial integrity and relevancy have gone by the wayside. However, some engines still allow free listings.

The Last of the Free

You can still get free listings on AllTheWeb, AltaVista, AOL Search, AskJeeves, Google, Inktomi (through HotBot/Lycos), iWon (through Inktomi), Lycos, Netscape, ODP and Zeal..

You can increase your probability of getting listed by having your site optimized for search engines (except or ODP and Zeal, which are human-maintained directories).

Each page should contain relevant, keyword-rich text, proper HTML tags, and plenty of valuable incoming and outgoing links. It goes without saying that your site architecture and content must be consumer-friendly with fast loading pages, easy navigation, and savvy copywriting to ensure good conversion rates.

[For links to the relevant submit URL pages, see the Pandia Add URL search engine submissions page. The Editor.]

AllTheWeb

Owned by Fast Search and Transfer, AllTheWeb still accepts free listings. Click on the "Submit Your Site" link at the bottom of the homepage, which takes you to the submission form.

AllTheWeb search results come from FAST and ODP. "Sponsored Search Listings" are from Overture.

AltaVista

Recently revamped, AltaVista is still popular, reaching over 45 million global visitors. Click on "Submit a Site" at the bottom of the homepage to get the submission page. Basic Submit allows you to submit up to five pages and takes four to six weeks for indexing. "Products and Services" listings are from Overture.

AOL Search

Having switched from Overture to Google for its sponsored links, AOL Search gets its editorial listings from ODP and Inktomi.

Click on the "How to Add Your Site" link at the bottom of the page for instructions telling you that submissions are handled by ODP after selection of the appropriate AOL category or subcategory.

Sponsored links are from Google Ad Words Select.

AskJeeves

This directory is different in that it provides links to answer user questions. The secret to a free listing is to send an email to url@askjeeves.com, including your URL and a brief site description.

AskJeeves editors will accept submissions from sites that provide good answers to questions users might ask, so keep that in mind when copywriting and optimizing your pages. "Sponsored Links" are from Overture.

Google

Yahoo! used to be your major essential listing; now, it's Google. The Add URL page states that Google will index your site when crawling the Web, or you can submit. No guarantees, and it can take four to six weeks depending on the crawl cycle.

Google powers Yahoo! and Netscape. The Google Directory gets data from ODP. "Sponsored Links" appear first and to the right in shaded boxes.

Inktomi

This is a powerful database that provides results to many other engines (AOL, Overture, HotBot, iWon, LookSmart, MSN). It used to be you could get a free listing in Inktomi through HotBot, but its Site Submit is presently non-functional while being updated, referring you to Lycos for a free listing.

You can also submit free to Inktomi through Microsoft bCentral Submit It.

[In addition the UK HotBot site has an add URL form that seems to be working. The Editor.]

iWon

This search engine doesn't have its own database but is powered by Inktomi, LookSmart and Overture ("Featured Listings"). You can get a free listing through Inktomi (see above).

Lycos

Lycos offers free single-page submissions that take from three to six weeks to appear in the index. However, you must first register for Lycos Free Site Submission.

As the main Lycos' sites are using search results from Fast, you may also add your URL at the Fast AllTheWeb site.

Lycos "Sponsored Search Listings" are from Overture.

Netscape

Netscape is owned by AOL/Time-Warner and is powered by Google with sponsored results from Google Ad Words Select. You can get listed free in Netscape by submitting to Google.

ODP

The Open Directory is maintained by volunteer editors and supplies data to many major search engines (Netscape, Google, Lycos, AOL, HotBot). It's an important listing and can be difficult depending on the editor or category selected.

What's important is unique content. Listing problems can be discussed on the Open Directory Project Public Forum, a vehicle for communication between the public and editing community. It takes about three weeks if your listing is accepted.

Zeal

Owned by LookSmart, Zeal is a free directory for non-commercial sites, managed by volunteer editors. If accepted, your listing will appear in several major search engines including LookSmart, MSN and AltaVista.

Search Engine Traffic on the Rise

The latest Jupiter-MediaMetrix statistics show that search engine traffic increased rapidly over the past six months -- up 11 percent with 92.3 million visitors.

Major search portals increased even more (Yahoo! up 20 percent with 38.4M visitors; MSN up 16 percent with 42.3M visitors; Google up 54 percent with 34.2M visitors). So get all the free listings you can while you can.

If you don't have the time or the resources, consider hiring professional help. MarketingSherpa's "Buyers' Guide to Search Engine Optimization & Positioning Firms" reviews reputable SEM providers.

TrademarkSEO is a search engine optimization firm based in Santa Ynez Valley, California and serves clients nationwide. His company provided search submission services to over 10,000 websites, including many of the most prominent names in American business.

For more information on search engine marketing, see the Pandia Search Engine Optimization Gateway.

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