Search engine submissions to the major search engines

Unless you are working on a lot of websites simultaneously we recommend that you do not use an automatic submit service for search engine submissions to the major search engines and directories. One reason is that some search engines will ignore URLs that are submitted incorrectly.

Moreover, if you use search engine submission software to add a large number of webpages at the same time you risk getting banned from a search engine altogether. At Pandia's add URL chart you will find direct links to the submit site pages to the major search sites. We have also included links to the relevant "add URL" help pages.

Please note that most search sites retrieve data from various sources. Most of them use a robot based search engine as well as a directory edited by human beings. You should try to get listed in both indexes.

Many search companies feed data to several search sites. Hence if you are included in the Inktomi search engine or the LookSmart directory, your listing will appear on several sites.

Some offer pay-per-click listings (ads) in addition to regular results. These can be bought from Overture or Google (Adwords Select), or -- in the case of metasearch engines -- a large number of other pay per click search engines.

Yahoo! also has a so-called "paid inclusion" plan, guaranteeing regular spidering for a certain fee. You do not need to use these, unless you have fresh news that needs to be included fast, or if you have a database driven site that makes use of special URLs that includes question marks.

There are more search engines and directories out there, and there is nothing wrong in using a search engine submission service for the rest of them.

Make sure, however, that this automatic search engine submission does not submit your pages to so-called "free-for-all link farms". Being listed in one of those might get you banned in some search engines, particularly Google. You will also get a lot of spam email. We recommend Selfpromotion.com for multi submittals, as this service gives you control over the search engine selection.

If you administer a lot of websites you may consider using search engine submission software that mimics manual submission, like Search Engine Commando or Webposition Gold.

The great thing about a program like Search Engine Commando is that you get a tool for keeping track of your rankings as well. Moreover it will allow you to submit your site to major search engines in other parts of the world.

The same warning aplies to software solutions as to online services: Do not submit to free for all pages or link exchages. Moreover, it may be sensible to limit the number of search engines for another reason: Some of the less serious actors will use your email address to send you spam.

Follow instructions carefully, and make sure that you do not submit your pages too often to the individual search engines. If sites like Google and Yahoo! have found your site, they will normally get around to most of the pages by their own. We hav reason to believe they will actually give a boost to pages their spiders find on their own. If you have another site that has already been listen, the best way of submitting is to include a link to your new site there.

If your pages are listed, do not submit them again! The pages will not get a higher ranking if you resubmit them regularly. Actually, some search engines may become so irritated that they could punish you for using their resources in this way.

See also Kalena Jordan's guide to search engine and directory submissions.

Pandia's add URL chart.

Pandia's Search Engine Marketing 101 Tutorial
Go to the Pandia Search Engine Optimization Gateway.
On search engines and directories.