There are so many myths out there about getting ranked highest in search engines. We'll help you debunk some of these myths, and offer good, solid suggestions for improving your rankings.
myth: Search engine optimization means just adding keywords to your website.
fact: There are several more factors which can directly affect how your website is ranked in search engines, such as title tags, description, and content, among many others. Keywords are just a small part of a bigger optimized picture. If you don't know how to properly optimize your site, you can take the time to learn or have your website properly optimized by a professional before submitting to any search engines. If you're just starting a website, the key is to have search engine optimization planned into the design of your site from the start.
myth: Submission to a huge number of search engines is always better.
fact: Some people are easily impressed by big numbers, and fall for the hype about submitting their website to thousands of search engines every month. They pay big bucks for what they're told will guarantee results.
It's proven that a high percentage of visitors find websites through the top five search engines at any given time. Having your site submitted to 10,000 other search engines won't mean a thing unless your site is in the top 20 listings in every single one. Impossible, considering every search engine has it's own listing rules, and some are targeted to a specific market so your site may not even be appropriate for that search engine.
myth: Monthly re-submissions will ensure good placement in search engines.
fact: Actually, in several search engines, frequent submissions can be damaging. Your site could be banned or deleted for frequent submissions, since some search engines consider this "spamming".
A good rule of thumb is to submit your site no more often than every six weeks or so. At the very least, before you re-submit your site to a search engine, check their submission rules on their website.
myth: "Guaranteed" placement in free-listing search engines.
fact: No one can guarantee that a search engine will list your site in any order at any given time, unless you pay for high rankings where available. There are too many variables involved which are directly affected by things out of the submitter's control - namely the design of the website, and the search engine itself. It's advertising hype.
myth: The first page of your website is all you need to optimize.
fact: If you want more people to find your website, it makes sense to offer them more avenues in which they can find you. Because people may use very different combinations of keywords to look for you, they are more likely to find your site if you give them more content to search by. If you run your business in a building that is surrounded by roads on all sides, would you just put a small sign up on just one side of your building and hope everyone drives by that way?
myth: Auto-submitters are better.
fact: Manual search engine submissions are by far the best way to go because you have full control over what is being submitted. You can personalize each listing according to what the search engine wants, so you're more likely to be listed higher in each one. Plus, you can save money and time by targeting just the search engines that are pertinent to your website.
If all this talk of search engines and submitting your website confuses or intimidates you, or you now are positive that you need to go back and fix up your website but you just don't have the time or know-how, we'll be happy to optimize your website for search engine placement for you.
Why wait for people to find your website by accident, when you can be proactive in attracting clients with a professionally optimized site?
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