Optimization

Hi all

Before I create a business site for my friend I would like to try out optimization on a test site.

My requirements are- for this purpose I would like it to be free (I will look into advertising with the business site).

I want to know how to submit to a search engine- how to use keywords (must they be located on the home page). Can I add it to ALL search engines in one go!?

Do I need to do something with bots?

All advice gratefully received.

What else can I do to get the sit out there for free- other than just adding to search engines?

Thanks.

This doesn't work. It takes weeks, months, if not years to see effects of what you do in the search engines. It's not a case of making a change and getting instant results any more. And the test site would be different from the final site so you wouldn't be able to say what worked for the test site would work for the main site. Don't bother with this.

Sure. Why not?

No. Doing something special for the bots are a great way to get banned from the search engines. Just let them crawl your site normally.

You need regular promotion and marketing through your site targeting specific customers. My point, SEO is not only solution.

thanks for the useful replies.
With regard to my question of "can i submit them to search engines in one go" - i was wondering if there is a specific site you can go to where you enter your metadata and then click "send to all search engines"- rather than having to individually go to each one..?

thanks

There are only three search engines that you can submit to: Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Ask doesn't accept submission. They only accept one piece of information: your URL. Don't use software to submit to them, do it by hand. It will only take 60 seconds (which is faster then software can do it) and you will be sure it worked.

thanks for the info- im surprised to hear there are only 3 search engines i can submit to. i thought there were more!

There used to be but they were either bought by a bigger search engines or just started using someone else's search results (like Google or MSN).

every body has said real things about seo. seo is not a work of 1 day or 1 month. it requires for a prolong period. day by day seo is getting competitive with the ever changing google algorithim.
so first try to know about seo by reading seo related news letters and articles. this will help you a lot and you will come to know by yourself about seo, about bots and search engine submission.

There are more, but only 3 that count. The BIG 3 account for 98%+ of internet search engine traffic.

To submit your sites quickly, I'd use xml sitemaps (Google Sitemaps, but if you're trying to submit just one page at a time, here the web addresses on Google, Yahoo, and MSN for submitting single pages to the search engines.

I don't recommend submitting 1 URL at a time though. Use a sitemap.