Seeking Advice from Mr. D: Navigating the World of Search Engine Rankings

The Struggle for Search Engine Visibility

Dear Mr. D,

I understand that for a business to thrive online, it needs to secure a high ranking on search engines. Despite submitting my website to several top-tier search engines, I've been unable to achieve a high ranking. In fact, it seems like my website isn't even ranked on most of them. What steps can I take to improve this situation?

Yours sincerely, Frustrated

The Challenge of Search Engine Rankings

Dear Frustrated,

I empathize with your struggle to secure a decent ranking on major search engines. It can be disheartening to submit your site, wait weeks for the search engine algorithms to evaluate it, only to find your site either unlisted or buried deep in the search results. It's enough to make anyone consider giving up on search engines altogether.

However, it's crucial to remember that search engines are a vital tool for driving traffic to your site. They can attract more visitors than all other marketing channels combined, making them an indispensable resource for reaching potential customers.

Strategies for Improving Search Engine Rankings

So, what can a webmaster do to improve their search engine rankings? Many turn to search engine optimization (SEO) experts for advice. They follow guidelines to make their websites more search engine-friendly, incorporating META tags into their site code and crafting the perfect description and keywords to attract search engine algorithms. After ensuring every detail is in place, they resubmit their site and wait.

Unfortunately, even after all this effort, it's common to find that the major search engines still don't rank your site highly. At this point, you might consider creating "gateway pages" to improve your chances of a better listing. This process can take some time to figure out and implement, but once done, you can resubmit your site and hope for the best.

Exploring Your Options

If, after all this, you still find your site unlisted on major search engines, don't despair. You have several options:

• Keep Trying: Persistence can pay off. With time and effort, you might eventually crack the code and secure a high ranking.

• Hire a Specialist: Search engine specialists exist, and some are incredibly effective. They can help you achieve and maintain a high ranking, although their services can be costly.

• Consider Pay-Per-Click Search Engines: The frustration of traditional search engines has given rise to pay-per-click search engines. These platforms allow you to bid on keywords, with your ranking determined by your bid amount. You only pay for actual results, and you can monitor the traffic each keyword generates for your site. If a keyword isn't performing well, you can easily change it.

While pay-per-click search engines do require an investment, it's money spent on tangible results rather than speculation. Some popular pay-per-click search engines include GoTo.com, PowerSearchExpress.com, SearchFeed.com, and SearchHound.com.

Regardless of the path you choose, don't ignore the power of search engines. They are a crucial part of your marketing strategy. If you decide to continue battling the major search engines, I admire your tenacity. Please keep me updated on your progress.