Search engine submission is without a doubt the least expensive search engine advertising program in the long term.  However, search engine submission on its own may not give you the desired results you need.  Search engine submission should be part of your Search Engine Optimisation strategy to help you achieve the desired top rankings. 

If you are not submitting to the search engines, it does not mean your site will not be found.  You just need to wait for the search engine spiders to "find" your site and list your site.  If there is significant competition for your keywords, do not just rely on search engine submission technique for high rankings.  You will still need to ensure that your contents are relevant, your site architecture is right etc.

One of the advantages of search engine submission is that when you update your content or add pages to your site, you can "invite" the search engines to evaluate your pages so that they can include your site in their databases quicker.

Some search engines charge an annual fee for submission and others don't.  Getting listed is similar to queueing up for a place in a very popular restaurant.  A little tip cathes the host's attention and you may have a better chance of getting in quicker.  In the search engine world, paying the submmision fee can open doors quicker to their databases.  Then, of course, it is up to your web site design, content, link popularity etc to help you get the desired ranking.

The challenges of Search Engine Submission

Although Search Engine Submission has its advantages, it does not automatically provide enough qualified site traffic and there is no guarantee from the search engines that you will be listed just because you have submitted to them in most cases.  This is because search engine submission relies on search distribution partners to display their results.  As mentioned before you need to complement this technique with other search engine optimisation techniques.

Three main challenges are :-

• No guarantee to top positions
• Organic listings are positioned below Search Engine Advertising (in most cases) 
• Bad design elements

No guarantee to top positions

Search engine submission means your site is listed within a database accessed by the Search Engines.  We all know that there are billions of websites out there.  Some search engines actually go out there and list sites at their own will without any submission by the site owner.  When a keyword is searched, the search engines goes through that database and finds the sites that are relevant.  The next step is to rank these sites.  This is where the design, copywriting and link popularity that helps determine your ability to outrank your competitors.

Organic listings are positioned below Search Engine Advertising (in most cases)

This is true in most cases.  Yes, a percentage of consumers will avoid the sponsored listings and scroll down to find the organic listings, but according to research, 70% of users do not mind sponsored listings.

Bad design elements

You may or may not be familiar with these terms but frames and excessive flash are not search engine friendly.  Some dynamic pages are hindrances to the search engines finding them.  There are ways you can counter some of the bad design elements but there is always a need to strike a balance between design elements and search engine optimisation.

To find out how we can help you optimise your website, contact us today.