Lithuania - Lietuva

1 search engine, 5 directories

[rencke]

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Lithuania - Lietuva
Fact sheet [odci.gov]
Domain(s): lt
Online population: 320.000 (1Q/2001)
Native language(s): Lithuanian, Polish, Russian
Understanding of English: Rare among 40+, excellent among younger.
Hosts in domain: 26.600 (April 2001)
Pages in language: 150.000 (April 2001, all domains)
Pages in domain: 330.000 (April 2001, all domains)
Local presence required for domain registration: Yes
Multiple domains allowed: No
Professional help: See bottom of page

Known general search engines:

KTU, Kauno Technical University [ktu.lt]
Language interface: English, Lithuanian Traffic volume: ? Local language(s) required: ? Local domain(s) only: ? Search technology: Infoseek/Ultraseek eith Go directory Meta description used in search replies: ?
Things that help ranking: Local language: ? Local domain: ? Keyword in URL: ? Keyword in title: ? Keyword in description: ? Keyword in meta keywords: ? Keyword in header: ? Keyword in 1st paragraph: ? Other: "Index not updating"

Known general directories:

Banga [banga.lt]
Language interface: Lithuanian Traffic volume: ? Local language(s) required: ? Local domain(s) only: No No. of categories allowed per site: ? Search method: Options: 1) Own dir - Google 2) FTP - Lycos, 3) music - Lycos, 4) Infoseek - see KTU
Things that help ranking: Local language: ? Local domain: ? Keyword in URL: ? Keyword in title: ? Keyword in description: ? Other: ?

Centras [centras.lt]
Language interface: Lithuanian Traffic volume: ? Local language(s) required: No Local domain(s) only: No No. of categories allowed per site: ? Search method: ?
Things that help ranking: Local language: ? Local domain: ? Keyword in URL: ? Keyword in title: ? Keyword in description: ? Other: "Index of 4000 pages (!)"

List Lithuania [ktl.mii.lt]
Language interface: English Traffic volume: ? Local language(s) required: ? Local domain(s) only: ? No. of categories allowed per site: ? Search method: ?
Things that help ranking: Local language: ? Local domain: ? Keyword in URL: ? Keyword in title: ? Keyword in description: ? Other: "One of the first, now almost dead."

Lithuania Online [on.lt]
Language interface: English, Lithuanian Traffic volume: ? Local language(s) required: ? Local domain(s) only: ? No. of categories allowed per site: ? Search method: Options: 1) Own directory, 2) 5 other engines, 3) Metaeureka
Things that help ranking: Local language: ? Local domain: ? Keyword in URL: ? Keyword in title: ? Keyword in description: ? Other: Claims to have 99% of all Lithuanian pages. Updates reviewed and included within 5 days.

Search LT [search.lt]
Language interface: English, Lithuanian, Russian, German Traffic volume: ? Local language(s) required: No Local domain(s) only: No, but must be LT related No. of categories allowed per site: Multiple Search method: Own dir and meta search
Things that help ranking: Local language: ? Local domain: ? Keyword in URL: ? Keyword in title: ? Keyword in description: ? Other: Index of 4000 Lithuanian and 2000 English sites.

Local people who can help with translations and advise:

This area will be updated with e-mail and/or web addresses to translators and SEO specialists, who have posted a reply in this discussion. Please state your name, web and/or e-mail address, languages to/from and what you can help out with. Prices and promotional stuff will be edited out.

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Updated 24 April, 2001

Edited by: rencke

[rzfree]

OK, let's start with disclaimer: I'm not in any way connected to any of below, some I didn't know existed, before today. Never built page in lithuanian, my local surfing mostly limits to TV guide and few hobby sites. I tried my best, but what I found may be incomplete and inaccurate. I was not able to find whats most important to SEO: lithuanian sites ranking by popularity, nor individual directories' guidelines/policies. But I hope it will give some general insight.

Understanding of English: rare among 40 or older, some to excellent among teenagers/students. On the other hand, we oldies speak perfect russian.

Web: lots of well designed sites, all main government and business entities represented. E-commerce has started. Some good online services avl (example: recently my bank invited me to pay for comunal services, electricity and water that is, with credit card online, monthly stats etc - real good). FFA's (kind of), chats very popular, auction launched recently. Some oddities too (example: on one popular portal Altavista and Astalavista come together in same search box lol)

How we do it: dial-up US $0.25-0.5/hour, cable and wireless providers pop-up like mushrooms, but prices currently 2-3 and more x higher.

Asked 5 friends where they search in english: 100% answered Altavista. Surfing tonite also saw links to Ex, IS, GoTo, Google (once), ODP (once), HB, Ly, WC, Yh. Never AOL (why should), Ask, DH, Fast, IW, LS, Ink, MSN, NS, NL, NBCi, Webtop. not talking about Ragingsearch or Realnames.

Here goes

DELFI [delfi.lt]
Fairly modern portal + directory
index: 3500 pages
Interface: lithuanian
Local language(s) required: No. Searches produce english/lithuanian mix, mostly Lithuania related.
Local domain(s) only: ? No
Search method: ? keywords in all 3 metatags and URL. Doesn't read body.
Things that help ranking: ?
Searches local directory (default) and optional: InfoseekLT, Altavista, Yahoo, Hotbot, GoTo, Dogpile, MP3.com

---------------

List Lithuania [ktl.mii.lt]
One of firsts, now almost dead.

---------------

search.ktu.lt
index not updating

---------------

Lithuania Online [on.lt]

Directory, good starting point for web newbies. Claims to contain 99% of lithuanian pages which well may be true. Updates reviewed and included within few days.
Searches return results from own dir, options provided:
1. 5 other .lt dir, Euroseek (lang=lt), search.lt
2. Metaeureka.com

Language interface: English, Lithuanian
Traffic volume: here [on.lt]
Local language(s) required: ?
Local domain(s) only: ?
No. of categories allowed per site: ?
Search method: ?
Things that help ranking:
Local language: ?
Local domain: ?
Keyword in URL: ?
Keyword in title: ?
Keyword in description: ?
Other: ?

------------------

Banga [banga.lt]

Directory & portal.
My test search [banga.lt]produced interesting results, first I thought this was a bug.

Search own dir (default), options:
Google
FTP (ftpsearch.lycos.com)
MP3 (music.lycos.com)
Infoseek (infoseek.ktu.lt)

Language interface: Lithuanian
Local domain(s) only: no

-------------

Centras [centras.lt]
Directory & portal
Index: 4000 pages
Language interface: Lithuanian
Traffic volume: ?
Local language(s) required: no
Local domain(s) only: no
No. of categories allowed per site: ?
Search method: ?
Things that help ranking:
Local language: ?
Local domain: ?
Keyword in URL: ?
Keyword in title: ?
Keyword in description: ?
Other: ?

----------

Search.lt [search.lt]

Directory and lots of other stuff.
Searching:
1. Own dir (default)
2. Some other .lt sites
3. Altavista, Excite, Infoseek, Lycos, Yahoo.
Lt Index: 4000 pages
En index: 2000 pages
Language interface: Lithuanian, English, Russian, German
Traffic volume: ?
Local language(s) required: no
Local domain(s) only: no, but Lt related
No. of categories allowed per site: multiple
Search method: ?
Things that help ranking:
Local language: ?
Local domain: ?
Keyword in URL: ?
Keyword in title: ?
Keyword in description: ?
Other: ?

Did my test searches for "taksi kaina" (taxi prices), "telekomo paslaugos" (telecom services) on Google - what a relief, fast and accurate.

Rytis

[rencke]

Laba Diena, Rytis and welcome to WebmasterWorld. What a wonderful surprise to hear from a neighbor from across the Baltic Sea and to get information on Lithuanian search engines at long last - and on Christmas Eve too.

I noticed your remark about Banga and from your finding, we can safely draw the conclusion that this engine cannot identify identical pages in different domains. It is therefore easy to spam, which will cost them many visitors.

I agree with your opinion on Google. It is my absolute favorite and found me the two first and two last words of this post in just seconds. I also get their interface automatically in Swedish and I guess you get it in Lithuanian. It is rapidly becoming enourmously popular everywhere, simply by word of mouth.

I will update the fact sheet on Lithuania with your informations next week. If you find more, please let us here from you. Thank you and
Linksmu kaledu!

[Woz]

Hay rzfree,

thats some great information, many thanks from us all.

Onya
Woz

[rencke]

The main entry for Lithuania has now been updated.

[rencke]

The overview of Lithuania has been updated with the latest statistics, reflecting extremely rapid increase in Internet usage.

[Eric_Jarvis]

a question for rzfree or anyone else in Lithuania

we are planning on adding Russian pages to our site later this year...we already have English, German, Finnish (and many others that aren't relevant to this)...what is the political aspect of this?...is it a good thing to promote the Russian translation in the Baltic?

we do some work in Lithuania, so we may get a Lithuainian translation done in the medium term, but it won't be for a good while yet.

[rencke]

While waiting for the locals to arrive, let me just say this:

As far as I have been able to make out, Russian is a touchy subject in the three Baltic states - as I think you suspected. They are protective of their local languages and unlikely to favour people who address them in the language of their former masters. I would not promote a Russian translation in these countries, although all of them do have sizeable Russian minorities.

[rzfree]

Hi Eric

Rencke is right about russian language being a touchy subject, and I won't risk to suggest you "go" or "nogo". In my understanding it depends on the contents of your web site, and your target audience. For example, if it's useful resources most people won't care what language it is. If it's something that has no alternatives in local language, I'd go for russian pages. Perhaps include a notification that you work towards translation. I would not address in russian: potentially english spoken (students, business ppl...), esp. politicians, because, to some point, in people's mind russian lang symbolizes "dark past", english symbolizes "bright future", so to say.
If you want me to look at the pages as "local eyes", sticky mail the URLs.

Rytis

[Eric_Jarvis]

I think I shall concentrate on pushing the English language version of the site in the Baltic states...it has links to Russian, German, French and Finnish translations from every page

thanks...means I can get on with chasing up SEs and directories right away :)

[rytis]

Had to submit a .lt site to local directories so thought I should post at short update :)

As of Sept.2002 there is no public domain regular spidering engine. Web savvy people are using Google.

Directories generally accept local language only. Some are ignorant and will include English sites, but not worth time - low PR, links mostly dynamic, and visitors come there to find sites in language they understand. But if your site is in lithuanian or russian - very much worth, for lack of Search Engines surfing through directories is #1 method for average "Juozas the surfer".

Other known online methods to attract visitors are paid ads on major newspaper sites, portals etc; E-mail newsletters and spam; and banner exchanges. SEO and USABILITY is unknown, probably due to various reasons: no local SE, not cost effective (too small market) etc. And consequently sites generally are SE and visitor unfriendly. Flash homepages hugely popular, even governmental institutions, even Web shops...Looks like sites' #1 goal is cool flash intro, cooler than neighbours, sometimes it is difficult to find the way to actually enter the site.

I you have site in Lithuanian (and Russian in some) language it is worth submitting here (as of 2002.09.24) :

www.centras.lt
www.delfi.lt
www.firmos.net
www.nuoroda.lt
www.search.lt
www.seklys.lt
dmoz.org/World/Lietuviu/ :)

Cheers
rytis ex. rzfree

[heini]

Hi rz...err rytis
thanks for the info, that's great.
You say there are no spider based engines, web savvy folks using Google.. How high would you estimate the share Google has among searchers? Any other international engines, Fast via Lycos, AV, Russian engines used in Lithunia?