Preparing Web Pages for
Deep Search Engines vs. Directories

Now that we have covered the general principles involved in how to prepare web pages for search engines, let's look at how deep search engine preparation varies from preparing for directories. For deep search engines, the submission process has no effect whatsoever on how you will rank. For directories, the opposite is true: the information you provide during your submissions will largely determine your ranks. The principles involved in designing web sites for these two types of search services are consequently different.

How to Prepare Web Pages
for Deep Search Engines

When we learned about how deep search engines rank web pages, we saw that, despite the uniqueness of each search engine's ranking algorithm, some design principles are common to achieving top ranks on all engines. We now look at how to optimize each of these common elements, in rough order from most significant to least:

• Title - The title of a web page is one of the components most heavily weighted by search engine algorithms. Simply use your target key phrase, and possibly one or two other top keywords, as your title.

  The title of a web page appears in the title bar of your browser window. This title is not to be confused with the first text that appears in the body of a web page. The title of a web page is the text contained between the <TITLE> and </TITLE> tags in its HTML. To see these tags for this page, do the following: Netscape users, click your View menu, then click Page Source; MS IE users, click View, then Source; AOL users, right click and select View Source.

• Keyword Density - This element is also one that receives top consideration by search engines. Understand that keyword density, not just keyword frequency is the determining factor. A short page that repeats a keyword five times will have a higher density than a longer page with the same number of repetitions. Keyword density can be calculated with the following equation:

  # of occurrences of the keyword   ÷   total # of words on the page
  
  

  The higher the density, the higher you are likely to rank. Individual search engines most likely incorporate additional information in this calculation, such as whether or not the keywords are emphasized (see below), or how closely together instances of the keywords are found. As stated before, the exact criteria that search engines use are unknown.

• Emphasized Text - Search engines consider text that is emphasized to be more important than text that is not. Text can be emphasized in two ways:

  • by position - The higher up on a page it is, the more relevant the text is considered. The idea here is that most web pages will make their main point right away. Consequently, the first words that appear on a web page are most important. Don't waste this valuable position with a graphic, because spiders can't read graphics. Be sure to place keywords in your first paragraph (for position), as well as throughout your page (for density).

  • with HTML - Use heading tags ( <H1></H1>, <H2></H2>,... <H6></H6> ), larger font sizes, bold, and the <STRONG></STRONG> tags to further emphasize key phrases.

• META Tags - The Description and Keywords META tags can also help boost your ranks, but they are less important than the elements discussed above. Again, you can View Source to see the META tags for this web page. In the Description, provide a compelling reason for humans to visit your web page. Like the sole purpose of a résumé is to get a job interview, the sole purpose of your Description is to get a click through. Search engines list your Description next to your title.

  The Keywords META tag may contain key phrases in addition to key words. List your target key phrase first, followed by additional keywords, listed from most important to least. Separate your key phrases/words with commas. Repeat individual key phrases two or three times at most to avoid penalties for spamming. Include your city and state for people looking for your service locally. Keep in mind that some search engines ignore META tags entirely. Pluralize your keywords for more matches; a keyword like "dogs" will match searches on "dog" and "dogs", but if your keyword is singular, it won't match plural searches (which are common). Finally, use primarily lower case keywords, since upper case searches will usually match lower case keywords, but not vice versa.

• URLs - As mentioned before, your URL is your Uniform Resource Locator, or in plain English, your web address. Some search engines (including Yahoo, which is a directory) do consider the URL in their ranking algorithm. So, when saving and publishing your web pages, use file names that contain your key words. You can also use directory names that have key words in them.

  For example, if you look in the "Location:" or "Address" box near the top of your browser, you will notice that this web page is named preparing2.htm - it has the key word "preparing" in it. Also note that preparing2.htm is in a directory called search_engines, thereby targeting the complete phrase "preparing for search engines" (common words like 'for' are ignored by search engines).

  Use this principle when registering a domain name, too. It helps your search engine ranks to include a keyword or two in your domain name. However, for human appeal, it's more important to choose an attractive, descriptive and easily remembered name.

• Popularity - Some search engines include the number of incoming links to your web page in their ranking algorithm. The more incoming links, the more popular your web site is deemed, and the higher it may rank. Trading links with other web sites is itself an important traffic builder and a valuable alternative to search engines.

Submit each individual web page within your web site to all of the deep search engines. While most search engines state that their spiders will eventually find all your web pages, reality is that this procedure does not always happen, or happens very slowly. The only way to be sure all your pages are indexed is to submit each one. If you have dozens of web pages, submit them over time in smaller groups. Search engines have limits on how many pages you can submit at once; refer to their respective "Help" pages for more information.

How to Prepare Web Pages for Directories

Preparing your web site for directories is a whole different ballgame from deep search engine preparation. For directories, only one web page (usually your home page) may be submitted for review. Most of the elements that determine your ranks on deep search engines don't matter to directories.

For directories, the information you provide during the submission process is what determines your ranking. Usually you will be asked to submit the URL, an appropriate category, a title, a description and sometimes keywords for your site. We will learn more about submission procedures in the next tutorial, but understand the importance of these procedures for directories.

When submitting to directories, submit the actual title of your web page (as described above). Also be sure to include a generous helping of your keywords in the description you submit. Honor the limits that directories impose for the length and content of your title and description (for more information, refer to the "Help" link at each directory's site, or to the "Tips" links in the next tutorial).

The principles of web page design for directories are more aesthetic than those for deep search engines, which are more automated and therefore more technical. Consider design elements that will appeal to a human, because directories usually send a human reviewer to your web site to decide whether or not to include your site in their database.

Examples of design attractive to humans include valuable information/content, logical organization and navigation, and attractive graphic presentation. Of these, valuable content in substantial quantities is most important. Useful services like chat rooms, message boards and order forms also boost your chances of getting listed. These criteria are especially important to Yahoo reviewers; not all directories are as selective as Yahoo folks.

Bear in mind that, although the process of being considered for inclusion into a directory's database is a human one, the ranking process is still automated and dependent on the information provided during the submission. For deep search engines, both procedures are automated.

One last note about preparing web pages for directories... Once you are listed in a directory, changing your web page has no effect whatsoever on your ranking. Again, directories contrast with deep search engines, where changes to your web pages will affect your rankings.