What They Are
Search engines and directories are Internet utilities that help people find your web site. Directories are big, searchable databases that list web sites by category. Yahoo is arguably the best-known and most popular such directory and, to be listed with Yahoo or any directory, you must register (usually by clicking on the directory's "add URL" button and entering some basic information about your web site). In contrast, search engines have software devices called "spiders" or "robots" that constantly roam the web looking for new web sites. Eventually, the search engines will find your web site -- but, to speed up the process, it is a good idea to register with them, too.
Which Are Best
Although there are literally hundreds of search engines and directories, there are only a handful that are used by the vast, overwhelming majority of people using the Internet. They include Yahoo, Google, Excite, AltaVista, Lycos, Northern Light and perhaps a few others. We recommend concentrating the initial registration effort on these major search engines/directories plus, if available, a few that specialize in your particular business or profession.
Why "Positioning" is Important
Depending on users' searching skills and other factors, search utilities often return a long list of search results, sometimes filling several pages. However, few people have the time or patience to "wade" through a list like that. Most will just scan the first page and either find what they need or move on. So, they are much more likely to find your web site if it gets positioned at or near the top of the list. To get favorable "positioning" like this, it is important to design your home page with searchability in mind and to handle the registration process with care. For this reason, we advise against using "batch" registration services that offer to register you with hundreds of search engines for a nominal fee.
How to Get the Best Results
At DM Web Design, the first thing we do is design your home page to emphasize words that describe your business or professional organization in an accurate and thorough manner. In addition, we select keywords and put them in "hidden" META tags which some search engines read to help categorize your web site. Then we register your web site with the major search engines and directories plus specialized ones, if available, appropriate to your business or profession. We do not batch process these registrations, but process them one at a time, taking care to provide all the information each search tool requests in the format it specifies. That way, when people search for your business or other organization or the products and/or services you provide, your web site is much more likely to appear at or near the top of the list.