In the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization, it's becoming increasingly clear that securing a top spot on search engine results pages often requires some form of financial investment. While the idealistic notion of search engines being free and fair playgrounds where the best meta tags win still holds some truth, the reality is more complex. Your meticulously crafted meta tags still matter, but to get them noticed, you may need to loosen your purse strings.
Certain search engines, such as Yahoo! and LookSmart, now charge a fee for your website to be considered for inclusion. Others offer options to 'buy' your way to the top or to purchase additional advertising in your categories or through your keywords.
You might be tempted to resist this trend and continue submitting your website the traditional way, through free submission pages or using submission software. However, with some search engines, like Inktomi, actively discouraging the use of their own submission pages, you're facing an uphill battle.
If you're wondering where to invest your money for the best ROI, here are a few paid submission options you should consider:
Yahoo! - Yahoo!'s $199 submission fee is the only way to get into their top-level categories. While they claim that the fee only guarantees 'consideration' for your listing, it's highly likely that you'll get into their directory if you do it correctly. For tips on Yahoo! submission, visit this page.
LookSmart - With 75% of Internet search traffic and partnerships with MSN, Alta Vista, Excite, Iwon, and CNN, LookSmart's $199 (or $99 for a basic submit, which can take up to 8 weeks) is also a worthwhile investment.
Inktomi - Once a major player in the search engine world, Inktomi now has secure listing results appearing in over 125 search engine partners, including AOL, iWon, MSN, and HotBot. For $20 per URL (and $10 for each additional page per URL), you'll be listed in the directory within 24-48 hours, and they will re-spider your page every 48 hours.
NBCi - While NBCi (formerly Snap) doesn't charge to 'submit' your website, they now offer a "Promote Your Site" option. For $199, they guarantee that one of their live editors will review your website for inclusion in their 'recommended sites' listings. Since NBCi is a human-edited directory, your placement improves significantly if a live person has a hand in your listing.
Remember, being included in the directory doesn't guarantee top placement. The only way to ensure a #1 position is through well-crafted meta tags and the increasingly popular Pay-Per-Click & Sponsored Listings.
As an additional note, once you're in the Yahoo! directory, they offer the opportunity to "Sponsor" your category. For prices ranging from $25 - $300/month, you can have a text ad running in the Sponsored Sites area above the regular results. This is particularly beneficial if you're one of only a few sponsors for that category. When the category has over five sponsors, the ads are rotated each time the page comes up. At Keywordmarketing.net, we're still testing the results of these sponsorships and will have more information in the coming weeks.
