The "Search Engine Submission" Forum - gone because its irrelevant

[dirtyc]

Sorry for the newb question, however I'd like to answer this question once and for all (since every "guru's" answer depends on what solution he's trying to sell you):

Does Search Engine Submission help your site get indexed AT ALL?

I'm guessing it doesn't but I'd like a definite answer from some people who've "been in the trenches" for a while.

Thanks :)

[caveman]

It is for the most part a total waste of time. In fact, the word for a while was that only spammers and the clueless were using those services so it might even have made sense for the SE's to use those submission mechanisms as spam site indicators. I don't know if I buy that or not, and don't really care.

The point is that a critical aspect of how sites are evaluated by the SE's today has to do with the number and quality of inbound links to your site from "unaffiliated" sources (i.e., sites that you neither own nor directly influence). Think about it. If you were a SE and the only way you can find a site is by the site submission button, not by crawling the Web, what would you conclude about that site?

These days, crawls of the Web are so relatively efficient and frequent even compared to just a few years ago, that there is simply no reason to submit sites to the SE's. IF they have any value at all, or any resources even, they will be found.

Spend you time and effort on real marketing, content creation, and if applicable to your site, technology advancements that enhance user experience or site value.

[Pedent]

Not trying to sell you anything: SE submission services are a waste of time.

If you won't rank without them, then you won't rank with them.

Instead, get links.

[dirtyc]

Thank you to both of you guys for clearing up that .01% doubt I had in my mind. Everything you said about "submission", especially the idea that they might use it to judge which pages are total junk makes complete sense to me.

[Robert Charlton]

...it might even have made sense for the SE's to use those submission mechanisms as spam site indicators. I don't know if I buy that or not, and don't really care.

Back in the year 2000, I think it was, I had it on pretty good authority that Inktomi assumed submissions were 99% likely to be spam and gave submissions negative points (which inbound links could eventually dispel).

[Shiznaught]

That's a pretty extreme point of view, but I'd have to say it makes a lot of sense. The merit of a search engine depends on it's ability to seek out and rank quality content, not on it's ability to gather submissions from interested parties. I scanned my stats for a couple of sites, and I'd have to say I mostly agree with this assertion, althought recently I got listed by a south african search engine because I have an article about south africa on one of my sites.

[Robert Charlton]

That's a pretty extreme point of view, but I'd have to say it makes a lot of sense....

Actually, the 99% figure isn't extreme, if that's what you meant. It's what Inktomi observed by looking at their submissions.

[Pranjal Thapliyal]

Hi,
I think it does to an extent.

[Marcia]

The only time I've used submission in the rememberable past was when a site got completely "lost" by MSN. I submitted the index pages of subdirectories a few at a time for a few days to remind them it was still around. Don't know if it did a blessed thing, but it felt better than sitting helplessly by being aggravated.