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Keys to search engines.

A Brief History of Publishing

Once upon a time, the only way one could get their opinions and beliefs out to others was to write them on stones, papyrus, bark or leather. It was done by hand, and it was difficult. So, anything that wasn't worth a lot of effort just never got written. Handwriting was a built-in filter, weeding out trash.

Then came the Gutenberg press. It made production and later distribution of material very simple. First, things that had already been written the "old-fashioned" way were printed. Now that it was easier, people that were not so committed could also write and print books, as long as money would help. So, publishing companies and their staff became the new "filter" that weeded out what was not needed to be read. They focused on what they thought would be best, or on what would sell best.

Now we have the internet. All you need is about nothing, and you can get your pages up. You don't need money, because you can find free hosting. You don't need a computer, because many libraries (in the more technologically advanced parts of the world) have computers available for use, and they are connected to the internet. You don't need many skills, because great software abounds to help even the novice get on the net.

So, who filters all this stuff for us now? It's the search engines. Play by their rules, and they will help you get noticed. Act like trash or treat them like trash (in their opinion) and you get treated like trash. It is possible to get 'black-listed' by them for being too tricky and deceiving, so stay away from deceit.

Here's what I believe, and have learned and have done. You can check my results if you like:

1. Get your own domain If you want to be taken more seriously you need to do this. You will 'appear' to be more committed to your message than if you are using free web space. After all, If you won't spend your money on your website, why should someone else spend their time on your website? If you force unwanted advertising on people, why should they accept that? You can register your domain and get great hosting at www.webhost4you.com. (I do!)

2. CONTENT & Audience Why will your website exist? To whom are you talking? What do you have that's unique? What need does your website fill, and for whom? Think about these questions, as the answers will guide you as you both write your content and design your site..

3. INTERACTIVE & DYNAMIC Paper is boring, like a cassette tape. It's all one-way and people will not stay long if that's all you have. Link rollovers, time-specific events, animation & scrolling text and other features that involve the reader are required to keep people's interests. The search engines may bring them to you the first time, but it's up to you to have them stay awhile and even come back a second time, or to tell their friends about how great your site is!

4. META TAGS You need these. Most websites don't use them, so even poor-quality use of them puts you ahead of the pack! You will do yourself well to use the following Meta Tags:

   1. Keywords. Since you did #2 above, you have an idea of what people who need to come to your website will be typing into the search engines. You can even enter common misspellings of words, too help you get more visitors.

   2. Description. If you don't enter one, most search engines will either take your beginning text, or they'll try to do some good with your page. Don't let some computer try to figure it out, give them a great (accurate!) description.

   3. ICRA (once known as RSACS). Because there are an estimated 20 million adult websites out there (Early 2002) which use very deceptive marketing techniques, some search engines refuse to list you if you are not rated with ICRA. Do the extra work if you believe you web site is worth it. If not, why are you doing this?

   4. Robots, (index, follow) Known also as spiders, these update search engine listings. Since they are visiting your site, why don't you exercise some control over them?

   5. Revisit, (30 days) Tell those spiders/robots when to come back, to get back to work on your website. Since I update my site frequently, I chose 30 days as a reasonable request. They won't come back if you say "daily" because they have better things to do.

   6. Expires, Tell those caches around the web that your page has expired and they need to load the page to ensure that the latest information is up on the web.

   7. Copyright, Tell people that your information is important. Put a copyright notice up, which tells the spiders (and their owners) that your content is unique. Of course, if it isn't, don't do this.

   8. Reply To, give an email address for forms to use when emails are generated by your website. Some email filters refuse email that doesn't have a return address.

   9. Author, take credit for what you do, it shows you think it important, and the spiders will be more likely to believe.

    

5. Attract & Feed Spiders

   1. Meta Tags Mentioned above, and you are reminded again!

   2. Alt Tags for your images: Yes, this is an issue for blind computer users as well, but remember that spiders also read text only, and can only take from your images the text you associate with it.

   3. Best Content Near Top. If the spider finds nothing near the top of the page, why should it keep looking down the page? People have the same habit. If the top of the page doesn't attract them, they'll never scroll down to see what you hid down there!

    

6. Links to similar pages on other domains, (find via keyword search) Do a search on your own keywords, and visit your competition. If you like their site, let them know and link to them. If they return the favor, you both will do better.

7. LINKS 'in' Get all you can. Search Engines look for who links to you and how much. If sites in your 'field' link to you, that says a lot about your website. So, get these links, there are several ways:

   1. Awards, both for your content AND for web design work. Neither of these will hurt your rankings. It's another example of something that takes time, but that the time gets rewarded.

   2. Links from similar pages on other domains, (find via keyword search) Do a search on your own keywords, and visit your competition. If you like their site, let them know and link to them. If they return the favor, you both will do better.

   3. Discussions and Forums, Visit discussion groups and forums that are related to the topics on your website. Use a signature that links to your website.

   4. Newsgroups, Do the same thing here.

   5. Banners Exchange Programs; Especially those that are related to what you are already discussing. (See #2 above)

    

8. Submission Note how late on the list this is. Why? Because you don't go out on a date until you are ready! For some of you that means a lot of clean up, and for others it means carefully choosing your clothes. If your site is not ready for the search engines, you do yourself no favors by asking them out on a date, so to speak. List to top 10-15 only, because they are about 90% of all search engine traffic. The rest really won't make much difference, but go ahead if you want!

9. Marketing Search engines are one way to get traffic, but they are only one way to do that. You need to have someone understand Internet marketing. I get a lot of help from an ezine sent to me from the wonderful people at  http://www.MarketingChallenge.com  That has been very helpful, don't you agree?

   1. Email Signature, you use this on those discussion forums mentioned above, so put it on your emails, too. Just a short one about your website and the title. This does wonders!

   2. Forums, Mentioned above, these will help you!

   3. Banner exchanges, Again, this is a reminder (or a nagging reminder) of the importance.

   4. * chat rooms, This may well be helpful, but I don't stay in these, nor do I visit them myself.

   5. Business cards, This works great. (See mine!) Create a card and hand it out!

   6. * awards offered (gets links) You can offer awards, asking people to link back to you when they list the award. That gets you links coming in! (I have not done this yet, as I am focusing on content.)

   7. apply for awards (gets links) Most sites that offer awards have a page listing the winners. So, if you win, you get another link in to your site, in addition to getting the award. (See the awards achievebalance.com has won!)

   8. web rings, This gives you 'relevant' links to your site, and 'relevant' links from your site.

   9. Note: the ones with asterisks are great ideas, I just haven't done them yet!

    

10. Membership Joining various organizations will get you tips over and over, and you can keep up with what you need to know and learn. The web is always changing. If you don't keep up, you won't attract people and your website will be like a book on the back shelf of the library that is unread. It exists, and collects dust and some hosting company will make money from you every month.

    1. HTML Writer's Guild
    2. WDDA
    3. and others

Notes: This web site has at least a "1st" or "2nd" with everyone, so I must have done something right! Whatever it was, I hope that it is on the list above!

Other recognition this website has received is: on the awards pages, the reader's comments, site background history, and author's credentials. You can also donate to this site via Paypal! You may vote for this site on several lists! Visit our most popular pages!