Chapter 16

Search Engines 101 - Search Engines Explained

What Are Search Engines?

A search engine is a database system designed to index and categorize internet
addresses, otherwise known as URLs (for example, http://www.submittoday.com).

There are four basic types of search engines:

Automatic: These search engines are based on information that is collected,
sorted and analyzed by software programs, commonly referred to as "robots",
"spiders", or "crawlers". These spiders crawl through web pages collecting
information which is then analyzed and categorized into an "index". When you
conduct a search using one of these search engines, you are really searching the
index. The results of the search will depend on the contents of that index and its
relevancy to your query.

Directories: A directory is a searchable subject guide of Web sites that have
been reviewed and compiled by human editors. These editors decide which sites
to list, and, in which categories.

Meta: Meta search engines use automated technology to gather information from
a spider and then deliver a summary of that information as the results of a search
to the end user.

Pay-per-click (PPC): A search engine that determines ranking according to the
dollar amount you pay for each click from that search engine to your site.
Examples of PPC search engines are Overture.com and FindWhat.com. The
highest ranking goes to the highest bidder.

There are a few downfalls you should know about using PPCs:

1. The use of PPC search engines will not improve your search engine
positioning in the regular editorial search results. Instead, they will most always
appear in a "Sponsored" or "Featured" area located at the top or side of the
regular search page results. Even though your paid listing will appear at the top of
the search page, many users will not click on paid listings because they look at it
as an advertisement. In the past, people used to always click on banner ads, but
now they are seen more of as a nuisance. Similarly, the same thing is happening
with PPC listings. Also, PPC listings are not always as relevant to a query as the
editorial search results.

2. If your site is not effectively search engine optimized before you begin to
submit it to a PPC, it will still be poorly advertised afterwards. The optimization of
your Web site is critical to the success of your rankings.

3. When you stop paying for a PPC submission, your listing disappears and so
does the traffic.

PPCs can be an effective short-term solution for gaining exposure and driving
immediate traffic to your Web site while you wait for full indexing, but it can
become expensive if you use it as a long-term solution.

How Do Search Engines Work?

Search engines compile their databases with the aid of spiders (a.k.a. robots).
These search engine spiders crawl the Internet from link to link, identifying Web
pages. Once search engine spiders find a Web site, they index the content on
those pages, making the URLs available to Internet users. In turn, owners of Web
sites submit their URLs to search engines for crawling and, ultimately, inclusion in
their databases. This is known as search engine submission.

When you use search engines to find something on the Internet, you're basically
asking the search engine to scan its database and match your keywords and
phrases with the content of the URLs they have on file at that time. Spiders
regularly return to the URLs they index to look for changes. When changes occur,
the index is updated to reflect the new information.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Search Engines?

Pro: With the vast wealth of information available on the Internet, search engines
are the most effective and efficient way to find information based on your specific
search requests.

Con: Because search engines index mass quantities of data, you are likely to get
irrelevant responses to your search requests.

Are Search Engines All The Same?

Search results vary from search engine to search engine in terms of size, speed
and content. The results will also vary based on the ranking criteria the search
engines use. If you aren't getting the results you need, try a different search
engine. While the results may not be wildly different, you may get a few search
results from one search engine that you didn't from another.

How Do Search Engines Rank Web Pages?

When ranking Web pages, search engines follow specific criteria, which may
vary from one search engine to another. Naturally, they want to generate the most
popular (or relevant) pages at the top of their list. Search engines will look at
keywords and phrases, content, HTML meta tags and link popularity -- just to
name a few -- to determine the value of the Web page. Webpositiongold.com is a
service you can use to submit your website for site optimization.

I strongly suggest you download these two toolbars for SEO

googletoolbar

Alexatoolbar

The free Alexa Toolbar has been the choice of smart surfers everywhere for over
six years. The Alexa Toolbar provides instant access to Web Search, Related
Links, Site Stats, and Contact Info for all the sites you visit! Plus, the Alexa
Toolbar now has a Popup Manager, so you can surf the web in peace without all
those annoying ads. This is the most useful toolbar ever made. The Internet -- the
way it was supposed to be. Available for users of Microsoft Internet Explorer on
Windows.

The Alexa Snapshot brings the Alexa service to users on Macintosh and Linux
platforms, as well as to users of Netscape Navigator, AOL, and Microsoft Internet
Explorer 4 browsers. It provides one-click access to Alexa's award winning
information, including Related Links, website owner Contact Information, and Site
Statistics. No installation is necessary. Just place the Alexa Snapshot on your
browser's Links Toolbar.

The Alexa Toolbar is a free search and navigation companion that accompanies
you as you surf, providing useful information about the sites you visit without
interrupting your Web browsing.

Get rid of those annoying popup ads.
Search the Web and other resources directly from your toolbar.
Learn about Web sites including traffic information and contact info.
Surf more efficiently with Related Links for each page.
Share opinions about sites with other users.

Keyword Analysis

To learn more visit the wordtracker.com website
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