Web site Advisor hed: Does your site rank in the top 10? dek: the alchemy of search-engine placement. by Cary Griffith

Centuries ago, alchemists searched in vain for a way to turn lead into gold. Up until the 16th century, it was believed the transmutation of a variety of metals was possible using a pure substance known as the philosophers' stone.

Today, many believe that high placement in the Web's top search engines is as good as gold, and with good reason. But anyone who tells you getting there is easy, quick, and cheap is trying to sell you a philosophers' stone.

Search-engine placement involves the location at which a site appears in the results of a Web search. For example, if you wanted to locate Web sites selling butterfly supplies you might call up Yahoo!, enter the term butterfly, and review the results. The day we tried, there were 339 sites found, of which Yahoo! displayed listings for the first 10.

If you're like most Web users, you begin looking through the first 10. Chances are, the first 10 sites listed will contain what you want. Most people don't bother with sites 11 through 20, and practically no one visits number 339.

Understand the fickle nature of Web searchers and you begin to understand the importance of proper search-engine placement. If you're selling a product or service on the Web, you want to register your site so that it appears near the top of the results of appropriate Web searches.

Many consultants and search-engine placement companies believe the top 15 or 20 search engines drive approximately 97 percent of Web traffic. Good search engine placement is neither easy nor cheap, but there are plenty of ways to get there.

Do-it-yourself alchemy

The cheapest (and sometimes best) method for registering your site with search engines is to do it yourself. Getting your site listed with the major engines is surprisingly easy. Log on to the site, find the site's registration page, complete the online form, and before too long your site will probably be listed with that search engine. But it may not get you any higher than number 339.

The listing process is anything but instantaneous, however. Search engines that don't categorize sites may list your site within one or two weeks of registration, while search engines that categorize will take anywhere from two to four months, providing you've completed the forms correctly.

One of the most painstaking aspects of do-it-yourself site registration is managing the process. Determining whether your site has finally been listed is only the first step of the process. Determining how it places in key searches, modifying your site so that it will place higher, and re-registering it so the new version is properly listed are just some of the ongoing, constant management tasks you'll face.

We recommend registering your own site, because no one will take as much care or bring the same understanding to the process as you will. Keep in mind that no two search engines are alike, and all of them use different methods for indexing and listing sites. Finding the mercurial mix of metatags and homepage text that gets you listed in the top 10 of every search engine is a little like finding the philosophers' stone. Be prepared to make some difficult choices.

Fortunately you'll find plenty of assistance on the Web. The following sites should provide you with everything you need to know about the top Web search engines and how they work.

Search Engine Watch www.searchenginewatch.com Links to You www.linkstoyou.com< Search Engine Forums searchengineforums.com/bin/Ultimate.cgi Search Engine Placement Solutions www.search-engine-placement-solutions.com/ Search Engine Optimization Tool at Sofer.com www.sofer.com SearchEngines.com www.searchengines.com Planet Ocean Communications www.searchengine-news.com

Keep in mind the search engines are always changing the way they index, categorize, and list Web sites, so it pays to keep abreast of what's happening. To assist you in your registration efforts here are what some consider the top 10 Web search engines. Register well with these and watch your traffic grow.

AOL Search search.aol.com/ AltaVista www.altavista.com Ask Jeeves www.askjeeves.com/ Excite http://www.excite.com/ Google http://www.google.com/ Inktomi http://www.inktomi.com/ Lycos http://www.lycos.com/ Netscape Search http://search.netscape.com/ Northern Light http://www.northernlight.com/ Yahoo! http://www.yahoo.com/

Calling all alchemists

Of course, the do-it-yourself method is not for everyone. Many don't have the time, inclination or wherewithal to shepherd their sites through the multitude of issues involving search-engine registration. These people can hire some outside expertise. There are a variety of services that for a small fee will automatically register your site with more than 1,000 search engines. Yes, the Internet has plenty of no-name search engines that are of little actual use when it comes to driving traffic to your site. So if you subscribe to or purchase services from one of these quick-and-easy vendors, make sure they include the top search engines listed above. These services typically only make sure that your site is listed with the search engine. They make no testaments as to your placement in the search engine when it comes to conducting relevant research.

There is lead, and then there is philosophers' stone. Many of the same vendors who provide quick-and-easy search engine submission services will also provide you with a spectrum of other services-from lead to, well, almost a philosophers' stone.

If you want a service closer to philosophers' stone, consider a full-featured search engine submission service. These services not only register your site with over 1,000 search engines, they include the top search engines and work with you to create a site that consistently ranks in the top 10 or 20 retrievals for web searchers entering relevant key words and phrases.

These services are plentiful and extremely varied in price, so shop around. Some examples of vendors offering a spectrum of search engine submission services include the following.

GoSubmit.net http://www.gosubmit.net/pricing/index.html Sure Hits http://www.surehits.com/ AAA Search Engine Placement http://www.aaa-search-engine-placement.com/ GetHitsOnline.com http://www.gethitsonline.com/ All Search Engine Submission Service http://www.allsearchenginesitesubmissionservice.com/ ProSubmit Search Engine Submission http://www.prosubmit.net/ Free Website Promotion http://websitepromotion-12600.hypermart.net/

Alchemy software

If you are more comfortable using a software application to manage your search-engine submission process, you have several from which to choose. These applications generally walk you through the process of completing submission templates. The templates prompt you to enter keywords and phrases that best describe your site. Not all of the sites with which these applications register accept keyword and phrase submissions, so it's up to the software application to keep abreast of the latest search-engine submission rules.

Speaking of keeping abreast, expect to pay periodic update costs for these software tools. Because the search engines are constantly changing the way they index and list sites-not to mention where you go to complete or update your registration-all of these applications publish periodic upgrades.

Some examples of Web submission software include the following.

Netspace Automated Submission System http://www.amazontraffic.com/ Web Position Gold http://www.webpositiongold.com/ Search Engine Commando http://www.freezingcold.com Submission Wizard http://site-exposure.com/wizard/

Unfortunately, there is no one simple method for registering your site with major Web search engines. You can do it yourself, pay to have part or all of it done, pay for cheap and easy submission to more than 1,500 search engines, or pay to insure registration and high placement in the Web's top 20 engines. High placement in the Web's major engines won't get you a philosophers' stone, but it might make you a little gold.