| One of the most mystical and misunderstood elements of internet marketing is the website submission process. There seem to be a million different opinions on how best to submit a URL to Google, perfect search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, the right way for submitting a site to web directories and search engines, link building, pay-per-click marketing (PPC), Google page rank, etc. In fact, if one were to read every available article concerning how to submit a website to search engines, he or she would most certainly come away more confused and frustrated than when they began their research.
The divergent opinions related to submitting websites and search engine optimization in general are due, in large part, to the ever changing nature of the internet itself. We must remember that, despite it having become such a major part of our lives, the World Wide Web is still in its infancy. There is a natural evolutionary process with all new technologies and services, and this is most certainly true of the web. And, this evolution is perhaps most apparent in the methodologies and algorithms utilized by today’s major search engines.
In the early days of the internet, a webmaster had a relatively easy task when it came time to submit a new website to the search engines. Google was yet to be a major player in those first few years. Yahoo, MSN, Alta Vista and Looksmart were the key directories and search portals for submitting your URL at that time. With a few bucks wisely spent, a new web site could rise in the ranks of these search engines in a matter of days, with very little regard for SEO. As more and more website owners realized how easy it was to submit a URL and gain search engine rankings virtually overnight, search results soon became cluttered with poorly crafted and/or irrelevant websites. In the midst of this first wave of website submission and search engine clutter, Google began their rise to World Wide Web dominance.
Having developed and explored the Page Rank algorithm and other means for delivering more relevant search engine results, founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin formed Google in the late 90s. Today, when anyone discusses submitting a website to the search engines, that effort begins (and often ends) with submitting their URL to Google. |
