(1 vote)
If there are two questions I get over and over, they are... Should I submit my site to search engines? And, how do I submit my site to search engines? The answer to the first question is a resounding yes. The answer to the second question is a bit more complicated but certainly one we will cover, particularly how to submit your site to Google. So without further adieu, let's get started on the search engine website registration process.
Why Should I Submit My Site to Search Engines?
The answer is easy. So you are sure that the search engines know you exist. Of course you can take a chance and hope that they eventually find you, but take it from me – just do it... It won't take more than five to ten minutes a piece. The reason being that search engines can take quite some time to find you on their own and even then you can't be sure that they really know what you are all about. In addition, search engine website registration can give you an SEO leg up – particularly if you have an xml site map, which we will discuss later.
How to submit and register your site with Google
Thankfully the process with Google, and all other search engines for that matter, is pretty easy. Here's how you do it.
-
Visit the following link: http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl
-
Enter your information.
That's it.
Note: If you have a business that is local or has a physical location, you should also consider submitting it to Google Maps (http://maps.google.com ). This is like a free advertisement when anyone searches for what you sell locally.
How to submit and register your site with MSN
Similar to Google, just visit the following link: http://search.msn.com/docs/submit.aspx and enter your information.
How to submit and register your site with Yahoo
And finally Yahoo, no disrespect. Unlike Google and MSN you have to register. So be prepared to get asked a bunch of questions. Here's the link: http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/submit
Although its not really a search engine, how to register with DMOZ.org
DMOZ is an interesting animal. Its more a directory than a search engine, however it happens to be the most respected directory out there. And it carries significant weight with the search engines. Unfortunately, it receives a lot of requests and remains human reviewed and edited. As a result, it can take some time for your listing to be accepted. But trust me, its worth it. Here's the link : http://www.dmoz.org
Note: DMOZ is more for SEO purposes, but then again, what's not?
Should I submit my site to other search engines?
Maybe. It depends if you have the time. There are two important factor to consider here:
-
Whether you need long tail traffic, because trust me it will be long tail. With the major search engines (Google, MSN, Yahoo) making up an estimated 95% of all searches, there isn't much to be gained.
-
Your target demographic tends to frequent one of the lower volume search engines.
Other than that, don't bother. Focus on the big ones for now.
Added Bonus : XML sitemap submission
The last, and perhaps most important step, is to submit your XML sitemap to search engines. If you don't have one, don't worry. There are tons of free services that can help you create one (http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/). But before you go crazy trying to figure how to create and implement one, there are really only two specific cases where they are needed:
-
If you have a large site with lots of pages. This helps search engines find them all.
-
If you have a dynamic site with constantly changing pages.
If you don't fall into one of these two categories, don't worry about an XML sitemap for now. Yet, if you do fall in one of these categories and are determined, here's how to go about it.
Note: Your XML sitemap should be in the root directory of your server, be a separate file and be named something like sitemap.xml .
-
Google. Now you will need to register. And you will need to add some code to your site. Basically Google wants to verify that you are the owner. If you can meet these two criteria, visit : http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools
-
Yahoo. Yahoo makes it a little easier. Simply submit it using the same page listed above. This time just use the feeds submission process.
-
MSN. For MSN it is really straightforward. Just submit your XML sitemap page using the same link and process listed above.
