SEARCH ENGINES CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN

• Meta Tags and Keywords

• Website Visiblity

• Meta Tags and Keywords

Before you register your pages with search engines, you must first ensure that your pages are fully prepared for submission. The first step in attaining a strong Internet presence begins with ensuring your pages are properly coded with meta tags and keywords.

Meta tags are selected keywords or descriptive sentences that are not seen by someone accessing the page. They are used to provide data about a document. The metadata is read by most of the top level search engines.

In most cases, a spider will grab only the first few words, sentences, or paragraphs that appear on a page and will then use these words as the keywords and description for your site.

Meta tags allow you to tell the spider what information to use thus allowing you to highlight your page's important concepts.

Meta tags are located in a document's HTML code. There are three essential types of meta tags: 

<title>

The <title> tag is the most important tag of all because it is recognized by every major search engine. It can be a key factor in getting a high search engine ranking. The <title> tag ensures that the correct name of your site will appear above the summary in a search engine listing.

It is recommended that you include relevant keywords in the <title> tag because they can also help your site rank higher in search engine listings. However, do not write a full-length explanation (like that found in the <description> tag) nor simply insert a line of terms (like those found in the <keywords> tag).

For example, if composing a <title> tag for Strategis' English Main Menu, it is better to write:"Strategis:  Canada's Business Information Site — Main Menu"than"Strategis:  Main Menu".

The first example describes the page as well as the site's contents. It also includes two highly searched terms:  Canada and Business

When composing the <title> Meta Tag: 

• Use relevant keywords in your <title> when possible.
• DO NOT write a paragraph.
• DO NOT write a string of descriptive keywords.

<description>

The <description> tag lets you concisely summarize your page for search engines. This meta tag will appear in the search engine as the summary under the title of your page. The description should be no more than 200 characters (approximately 30 words) and less than 100 characters if possible.

When composing the <description> Meta Tag: 

• Ensure that the <description> is written by someone who is an authority on the site's content.
• State the functions or services of your site clearly and concisely.
• Treat your <descriptive> meta tags much like ad copy. Use words to attract "customers".
• Incorporate as many of your <keywords> as you can in the description.

<keywords>

The <keywords> tags are key terms that represent a page's content. If any of these terms are used in an Internet search, the search engine will then seek out any Internet pages featuring these terms as <keywords> and grab those pages as a match. Because each search engine grabs a different number of keywords, ensure that your keywords appear in order of importance.

It is recommended that there should be a maximum of twenty <keywords>. If you have more than twenty keywords, some search engines will ignore the remaining <keywords>, demote you to a lower ranking, or delete you from the list entirely.

When composing the <keywords> Meta Tag: 

• Anticipate the keywords that your target audience is most likely to use to access the type of information you are offering.
• Think of the keywords as a draw that helps attract attention onto your site.
• Decide on the best use of a word (i.e., Should a term be single or plural? Should a phrase be used instead of a collection of terms?). Try to create relevant phrases instead of only single terms, especially if the terms are very common.
• DO NOT repeat keywords more than three times. Excessive repetition is called "keyword spamming" and all major search engines penalize sites that do this. Spamming may cause search engines to ignore your site or refuse to index the page.
• DO NOT include inappropriate or misleading keywords in your meta tags simply to generate traffic (e.g., money, sex).

Search engine registration entails going to the registration area for each search engine and directory and manually submitting your URLs. If possible, avoid using any services that claim to register your site in all the search engines at once. These services are rarely exhaustive. You will achieve a better ranking if you take the time to submit individually.

Once your meta tags are in place, you should then have the following information at your disposal: 

• URLs for all pages that are to be submitted
• keywords (use your META TAG keywords)
• a description of your site (use your META TAG description)
• a designated contact person and all the necessary information needed in order to reach the contact (e-mail and street addresses, phone and fax numbers)
• suggested categories to register under (for directory registration)

There are many search engines and directories that cater to targeted, specialized audiences. These sites target audiences based on subject matter, demographic groups, or geographic area. Make sure to browse the search engine sites for specific directories that you can submit your site to. Google and Yahoo! are two sites that you can search to find applicable subject specific directories.

Important Submission Tips

• Avoid a splash page if possible — the lack of content lowers that probability of a good ranking.
• DO NOT use Frames. Many sites that use Frames will NOT be registered properly.
• Make sure that the keywords that you use in the meta tags are present in the content of your page as well. This is very important! If the content does not match the keywords or description in your metatags, it will be less likely to be listed!
• When using tables, keep in mind that keywords in tables will be read by the search engines differently than how it appears on a browser. If possible, try to place keywords BEFORE the table code.

The popularity of your pages can boost your search engine ranking. Many sites such as Alta Vista, Excite, and Google use the number of OTHER sites that link to your site as a factor in their rankings. There are several steps that you can take in order to maximize the number of doorways to your site:

• Examine the links on YOUR site to gauge which ones you would like a reciprocal link. Contact these sites about the possibility of reciprocal links.
• Search from the perspective of your audience — what other sites are out there that COMPLEMENT your site? For example, Batteries Galore.com sells batteries online. This site can request links from the major electronics manufacturers.

When requesting a link from another site: 

• Send an explanatory e-mail emphasizing how a link to your site will benefit their audience.
• Mention the current link (if there is one).
• Suggest where they should link to within your site AND the best place within their site to place the link back to you.
• Monitor the site to see when — and whether — the link is posted.
• Send a "thank you" email back to your contact once the link has be placed.
• Be sure to notify these sites if there is a change on your site that would affect these links.

Measuring Your Internet Presence

Once you have submitted your Web pages, you must now monitor your Internet presence by verifying your links. Do NOT assume that simply registering your site will guarantee a listing. Expect a varying lapse period between submission and indexing; with Google it can take over a month. If after six weeks your site is not listed, try resubmitting your site. DO NOT resubmit blindly without checking your status first.

There are several ways you can check your site's listing with search engines and directories: