Search Engines 101

How do search engines work?

Search engines help people find relevant information on the Internet. Major search engines maintain huge databases of web sites that users can search by typing in some text.

To compile their databases, search engines rely on computer programs called "robots" or, more specifically, "spiders." These programs "crawl" across the web by following links from site to site and indexing each site they visit. Each search engine uses its own set of criteria to decide what to include in its database. For example, some search engines index each page in a web site, while others index only the main page.

Also unique are the criteria each individual search engine uses to organize information for its users. Some list the results of a user's search according to which sites have the most links from other sites -- a system known as link popularity. Other search engines prioritize results according to the summary information contained in sites' meta tags, and still others look for common themes used throughout a site. There are many other ways to organize results, and most search engines use a combination of several of them.

Spiders and People

Search engines send automated information-gathering computer programs called "spiders" all across the web to seek out available content. Each engine maintains an index of all its information, allowing you to type in search queries that hopefully will point you to appropriate web sites. Directories such as Yahoo and ODP use human editors to compile their indexes, which are cleaner but more limited.

Directories - a whole new ballgame

Directories are often confused with search engines, but actually they're completely different. Instead of using spiders to crawl the web, directories such as Yahoo! and Open Directory Project have real people who review and index their links. They also require web sites to adhere to rigid guidelines in order to be included in their indexes. As a result, directories' indexes tend to contain a comparatively small number of high-quality links.

The factors that influence search engine rankings simply don't apply to directory rankings. Instead, directory editors look at the quality of a site: its functionality, content and design. That means that webmasters hoping to see their sites listed on directories have to use very different strategies than for search engine placement.

Submitting to directories

Directories are different
People often confuse directories and search engines, thinking they're the same. This is not true. Search engines use spiders or robots to index web sites, while directories use people. Directories tend to have smaller but cleaner indexes.

Yahoo!, Open Directory Project (ODP), and Ask Jeeves are the top directories.

Note: LookSmart, a former directory, is now a pay-per-click web site. You can no longer submit your web site to LookSmart without paying a registration fee and then paying per-click premiums. The Express Submit and Basic Submit services are no longer available.

Current LookSmart customers were automatically converted to the new program. LookSmart is giving all web sites who were previously listed in its directory $15 worth of clicks for 20 months. The registration for former customers is also free.

With LookSmart's new pay-per-click program, webmasters can control the description and title of their web sites. The regular price to change the listing is $49, currently $29 for previous customers. LookSmart is giving webmasters whose web sites were listed until July 11, 2002 to active their accounts. To learn more, visit the LookSmart web site.

Do-it-yourself
When it comes to directory submissions, forget about software and web-based submission applications and do it yourself. You'll need to choose an appropriate category for your site and write a description of it, neither of which can be done by software. Many directories will only give you one chance to submit your site. Use it wisely.

Will your site be accepted?
Directory editors reject sites they consider to be of poor quality. Yahoo! is the toughest directory to get into; some sources claim it only accepts about 5% of all submissions. To increase your chances, avoid common mistakes.

Speeding up submissions -- paid options
Yahoo! requires commercial sites to use their paid submission programs. These programs can also help speed up the review process for non-commercial sites.

1) Yahoo! Business Express

• Cost: $299, $600 for adult sites
• Review within 7 business days
• Doesn't guarantee inclusion in the directory
• No refund if the site is rejected
• Yahoo! chooses appropriate category
• Required for commercial sites

2) LookSmart's Express Submit and Basic Submit are no longer available.

LookSmart has recently switched to the pay-per-click model.

Follow directions!
It's impossible to overstate the importance of following directions when submitting to directories. If Yahoo! says not to use promotional language in your site description, don't do it! Don't risk months of hard work and all that potential traffic through carelessness.

An overview
Submitting to directories

• Submit your site to directories first
• Your site should be completely functional
• Yahoo! offers paid options
• Follow directions carefully

Hybrid search engines: The new generation

Hybrid search engines combine a directory with a search engine to give their visitors the most relevant and complete results. Today the top ten search sites are hybrids. For example, Yahoo! started out as a directory, but now it supplements its manually compiled listings with search results from Google, a search engine. On the other hand, Google uses Open Directory Project's directory to enrich its automatically generated listings.

Search engine partnerships

Double your power
Search engines form strategic partnerships to provide their visitors with better services. Major search engines make use of different technologies to achieve more relevant results or to supplement their own technologies.

Some engines partner with other sites to become hybrids -- sites that combine a search engine and a directory. All the major search engines are hybrids, and while some compile their own directories or databases, others buy these services from other engines.

Yahoo!, for example, is the most popular directory on the Web. It buys Google's results for its "Web Pages" section. Other search engines also piggyback on one another to provide more complete results. Many use services such as Inktomi and ODP to enhance their results and make them more accurate by overlaying various technologies.

The following table provides information on partnerships among search engines. This information can help you understand how each search engine works and make appropriate submissions. For example, to get into AOL Search, submit to Inktomi (or soon to Google) and Open Directory Project, instead of AOL.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it

As someone trying to achieve higher search engine rankings, your goal should be to learn more about influencing factors and how each engine uses them. After completing your research you will have a better understanding of search engines and directories. You will also have an idea of what it takes to achieve a top-20 ranking on major search engines.

This section offers detailed explanations of placement factors used by search engines and directories, as well as tips for their implementation.

An Overview

Search engines and directories

Search engines use robots

Directories use people

Top search engines have both robots and people

Different factors are used for search engines than for directories

Why is search engine placement important? Find out >>>

Search engine partnerships

A search engine is a database of resources extracted from the Internet through an automated "crawling" process. This database is searchable through user queries.

How does a search engine work?
Words or phrases you enter in the search box are matched to resources in the search engine's database that contain your terms. These are then automatically sorted by their probable relevance and presented with the most "relevant" sites appearing first.

How search results are organized
Once a search engine has used your search terms to gather "hits" from its database, it lists or "ranks" the resulting sites in order of its own estimation of their relevance. The procedures and factors used to create this ranking are often company secrets, so understanding exactly why one hit is listed higher than another is difficult.

The following is a survey of some of the factors search engines use to automatically sort web sites for presentation to the user.

Relevance Prediction
Currently, search engines predict relevance based on two sets of factors: those based on a site's content and those external to the site.

Factors based on a web site's content

• Word frequency (How often search terms occur in a page in relationship to other text)
• Location of search terms in the document (Are they in the title? Are they near the top of the page?)
• Relational clustering (How many pages in the site contain the search terms?)
• The site's design (Does it use frames? How fast does it load?)

Factors external to the site

• Link popularity -- Sites with more links pointing to them are prioritized
• Click popularity -- Sites visited more often are prioritized
• "Sector" popularity -- Sites visited by certain demographic or social groups are prioritized (Note: This system requires user-provided information)
• Business alliances among services -- Results from a partner search service are ranked higher
• Pay-for-placement rankings -- Site owners pay for high rankings

How Search Engines Differ from One Another

Content

A search engine's content is its database of web sites -- the information assembled by its spider program. Each search engine has its own style and technology that sets it apart. Elements that vary from search engine to search engine include:

The spider
Because every spider is programmed to search for and retrieve sites in its own particular way, each search engine has its own unique database.

The database
How is the database cleaned up and filtered? The frequency with which sites are spidered affects the database's freshness. When a database is updated frequently it will contain a minimum of "dead" links.

The formula
Different search engines employ different search retrieval formulas, or algorithms, to provide relevant content in response to a user's query.

Features and functionality
The various search engines have different bells and whistles to appeal to searchers' different experience levels or individual tastes.

The look
Engines' graphical user interfaces vary, as do the format in which they present their results. In many cases search engines consider the details of how their databases are constructed and maintained to be proprietary information. This information is seldom completely available through their Help or FAQ screens. You can begin to get a "feel" for the type of information an engine gives you by using it regularly.

Two important factors which influence a search engine's quality are:

BREADTH   AND   DEPTH

Breadth

• How much of the "geographic" Internet is searched and to what degree
• Servers in the engine's country
• Servers from that continent
• Servers around the world
• What types of files are downloaded
• Web sites
• Usenet News
• Software
• Image/Video/Audio
• Multimedia
• FTP

Depth

• How much of a given site is downloaded
• URL (http://etc.)
• Title
• First heading
• First 200 words
• Full text
• Full text and some of the documents linked to
• Full text and all of the documents linked to
• Full text and documents that are linking back to this one

Update frequency

When was the content last refreshed or rebuilt from direct searching or "crawling" of the Internet? Some engines revisit stable sites less often than sites with frequent changes.

Why is Search Engine placement Important?

The Primary Starting Point

The vast majority of Internet users find new web sites by using a search engine.

A position within the top 20 listings of a major search engine tremendously increases traffic to a web site.

Portal Power

In recent years many search sites have capitalized on the portal trend, positioning themselves as starting points for all of a user's online explorations. The main page at Netscape.com, for example, features customizable options such as stock quotes, horoscopes, news, shopping and more. This trend has leveled off a bit with the emergence of vortals and specific destination sites. However, major portals will remain a popular gateway for many web surfers.

Because the top 8 most-visited search sites combine portal features with a search engine or directory, a good listing on one of these sites provides terrific exposure.

It's low-cost!

Online advertising, such as banner campaigns, can be quite expensive. Search engine placement, on the other hand, can be a low-cost process. Although some search engines have "pay-per-click" programs, paid submissions and many companies optimize sites for paying clients, there's no reason why you can't significantly increase your site's traffic by simply understanding and applying optimization strategy. Any webmaster can learn more about search engine optimization tips and submission procedures.

High search engine rankings can be more effective publicity tools than paid ads. A top position on a major search engine such as AltaVista can increase traffic far more than an expensive banner ad. Plus, the traffic you get will be more targeted -- it will consist of people who set out to find exactly what your site has to offer.

SearchEngines.com can help

SearchEngines.com is your complete search engine resource center. Here you can learn how to better position your site and search the web more effectively. Our content includes a complete guide to search engine optimization, web site submission and web site promotion.

In this section you'll learn how to:

Use site design elements to improve your search engine positioning

Understand how search engines work

Know what factors influence search engine rankings

Improve your site's search rankings in other ways

Different engines, different rankings

Every search engine uses its own unique formula, called an algorithm, to index and score web sites. Search engines' algorithms weigh various factors, such as a page's design and links, to rank pages in their search results. By constantly refining and improving their algorithms, search engines hope to give their visitors the most relevant results.

Many search engines form partnerships and buy technologies to improve their algorithms. They combine many factors and place different weight on each one.

Webmasters who want their sites to achieve a Top 20 position spend a lot of time studying different algorithms. Even when several search engines rely on similar factors in composing their rankings, they may still rank the same site differently. For example, imagine two search engines both use meta tags and keyword frequency as their only ranking factors. If the first one weights meta tags as 70% of a site's value and keyword frequency as 30%, and the second one does the opposite, their results will be completely different.

Understanding ranking factors

Before you can understand how each search engine scores web sites, you need to understand the various factors they consider. These factors can be divided into two categories: page-related and outside.

Page-related factors are concerned with keywords and their placement in the HTML. These factors include:

Format, placement and content of the title tag

Keyword frequency, weight, prominence and proximity

Use of the meta description tag

Use of ALT tags

Use of comment tags

Use of keywords in URL names

Alphabetical placement

Outside factors are not related to the content of your HTML. They include:

Link popularity

Click popularity

Themes

Overall site design

Achieve results

You can improve most of the above factors to achieve higher rankings. Pay attention to what your competition is doing. Analyze their high-scoring pages and use their techniques.

As you find out more about search engines, start creating doorway pages. Use our tables with exact search engine information and techniques recommended by search engines themselves.

Using the Meta Description tag

What is the meta description tag and why should I use it?

The meta description tag describes your site's content, giving search engines' spiders an accurate summary filled with multiple keywords.

Note: Meta tags are hidden in a document's source, invisible to the reader. Some search engines, however, are able to incorporate the content of meta tags into their algorithms. No engines penalize sites that use meta tags properly, so it's recommended that you always include them.

The meta description tag is especially important because it's the only tag supported by some engines.

Here's an example of a meta description tag:

<html>

<head>

<meta name="description" content="Your site's summary here">

</head>

</html>

The meta description tag and search engines

A meta description tag can boost your rankings on some engines. To see engines that use meta description tags, click here.

Another reason the meta description tag is important is that some engines use it as a site's summary on their results pages. If they do, the reader may actually see this hidden tag. Make sure its contents are enticing to the reader.

Keywords in the meta description tag

The meta description tag should contain multiple keywords organized in a logical sentence. Place the keywords at the beginning of your description and close to each other to achieve the best possible rankings.

The length of the meta description tag

Search engines vary in their preferred size for meta tags. Try to use the smaller number, 150 characters, for your site. Never make your meta tag more than 250 characters long because some results pages will cut it off.

Avoid spam

Avoid repeating keywords more than 3-7 times in your meta description. Some search engines consider it to be spam.

An overview

The meta description tag

Use the meta description tag on all pages

Limit it to 150 characters

Include keywords

Don't repeat keywords more than 7 times

Webmasters:

If you search for the keywords "search engine rankings" you will get hundreds of pages, many containing information on how to improve your rankings in search engines' databases or how to get listed. You probably also get lots of e-mail from companies offering search engine optimization services.

In this chaos of offers and tips, how do you know who to listen to?

It's important to choose your optimization strategy wisely. If you're too reckless, you can be blacklisted for spamming. That's right, your site could be excluded from an engine's index because of inappropriate behavior! And since about 85% of Web users find sites through search engines, being blacklisted can really cost you. How can you avoid this?

Give them what they want!

Listen to what search engines are trying to tell you. By knowing what factors search engines use to rank your pages, you can focus your efforts and achieve rankings without resorting to spam.

Using keywords in the text of your pages

There are many issues to consider when placing keywords in the text of your pages. Most search engines index the full text of each page, so it's vital to place keywords throughout your text. However, each search engine uses different ranking algorithms. Difficult though it may be, you need to keep all of them in mind.

General rules

Make sure your main page is full of keywords. It has a higher chance of being indexed than your other pages, and it will be the only page indexed by some engines.

Some engines rank a page high if it has at least 100 words, so make that your minimum. Directories include pages based on the quality of their content, so make sure your pages aren't simply lists of keywords.

Key concepts

When creating your pages' content, keep the following four concepts in mind: Keyword prominence, proximity, density and frequency.

Keyword Prominence

The best place to place keywords in the text is at the top of each page, preferably the main page. The closer your keywords are to the start of the page or the start of a sentence, the better. This concept is known as "keyword prominence." You'll frequently see it used to describe search engines' algorithms.

Some engines also say the bottom of the page should contain keywords as well.

Beware! Search engines view pages differently than people do. Here's an example:

Home About Us Products

At Widgets International, our business is selling widgets.

You may think you did pretty well by placing the keyword "widgets" at the top of your page. A search engine, however, sees your page this way:

Home About Us Products At Widgets International, our business is selling widgets

Now your keyword placement doesn't look as good as it did before. Try to place keyword-rich text at the very top of your page. If you are using images at the top of your page, make sure to include ALT tags.

Keyword Proximity

Some engines, such as Google, use the concept of "keyword proximity" as part of their ranking formulas. As suggested by the name, "keyword proximity" means the how close keywords are to each other. Put your keywords as close together as possible and make sure your sentences are clear.

Here's an example:

Smith Brothers Inc has been selling puppy food for over 50 years.

Smith Brothers Inc has been selling food for your puppies for over 50 years.

The two keywords used are "puppy" and "food." If a user searches for "puppy food," the first sentence will rank higher because its keywords are closer to each other.

Keyword Density

This concept, also known as keyword weight, measures the relationship of keywords to other text. The higher the percentage of keywords in relationship to other text, the better.

Here's an example of how it's measured. Let's assume the keyword phrase is "puppy food."

Puppy food is our primary business.

Since "is", "our," and other stop words are usually not counted, there are three "words" in the sentence: "puppy food," "primary," and "business." "Puppy food" makes 1/3 of the sentence, or 33%.

Keyword density is almost never this high. The recommended density is 3-7%. This means that your keyword should repeat 3-7 times for every 100 words.

Sound easy? Imagine having 10 keywords and trying to repeat each one 3-7 times per 100 words of text -- it's practically impossible. Instead, pick two or three of your most important keywords and try to use them 3-7 times for every 100 words.

Keyword Frequency

Keyword frequency is a measure of the number of times keywords occur within a page's text. It's tied to the concept of keyword density. Search engines want to see more than one repetition of a keyword in your text to make sure it's not an isolated case. The recommended repetition is 3-7 times.

Avoid spam

Don't be tempted to use tiny or invisible text to put keywords at the beginning of your pages. Search engines define this behavior as spam and can reject your site for it.

An overview

Keywords in page text

Include at least 100 words in page text

Use keywords at the beginning of the page

Place keywords close to each other

Repeat keywords 3-7 times for every 100 words

Using ALT tags

What are ALT tags and why should I use them?

You have a web site. Your designer did an excellent job and it looks great. You have plenty of images, including one containing your business name, logo and slogan.

Though your site may look fine, it's not optimized to score high with search engines. Since search engines don't index images, they won't index any text your web site presents in image format -- in this case the above-mentioned business name and slogan. To fix this problem, there are ALT tags, which are basically images' descriptions.

Always add ALT tags to your images to make sure search engines recognize all the content on your site. ALT tags filled with keywords can also be used to boost your keyword frequency and help you achieve better rankings.

Note: ALT tags also make your site more accessible to visually impaired people using text readers. That's because text readers can't read images, but can detect text in ALT tags. To learn more about making your site accessible to people with disabilities, click here.

Avoiding spam

Search engines don't penalize for using ALT tags or even for packing them with keywords. Still, to be safe you should adhere to the generally accepted rule of not repeating keywords more than 3-7 times.

An Overview

ALT tags:

Describe images

Add keywords to site text

Should be used for each image

Make sites accessible to the visually impaired

Using Comment Tags

What are comment tags and why should I use them?

Comment tags provide a way for webmasters to make notes right on their pages. They're hidden in the HTML code and so are not visible to the site's ordinary users, but some search engines, such as Inktomi, can index them.

That means comment tags are another great way to add keywords to your site, thus increasing keyword frequency, an important factor in many ranking algorithms.

Avoid spam

Search engines don't penalize sites using comment tags to boost keyword frequency. However, the general rule is not to repeat the same keyword more than 3-7 times in a tag. So, to be on the safe side, follow that rule in comment tags.

An Overview

Comment tags:

Should be placed on every single page

Can be used to boost keyword counts

Shouldn't include more than seven repetitions of a keyword

Keywords in the URL name

What is a URL name?

The URL name is the part of the URL that comes between "www" and ".com." It's the name of a site. For example, in the case of the URL http://www.searchengines.com, the URL name is "searchengines."

Why should I have keywords in my URL name?

Recently, search engines began to prioritize the use of keywords in a site's URL in their ranking formulas. Google and Inktomi are two engines that do this. Google is extremely important because Yahoo! uses it to supplement its search results.

Our subscriber section includes more information on how to place keywords in your URL, even if your domain name doesn't contain any. To learn more, click here.

Alphabetical priority and its influence

Some smaller search engines use alphabetical hierarchy in their ranking formulas. Also, directories such as Yahoo! and Open Directory Project list sites in alphabetical order. Click here to learn how alphabetical hierarchy is structured and how it should affect your choice of a URL name.

Avoid spam

Although directories may penalize you for misrepresenting your company's name, neither search engines nor directories will penalize you for inconsistent URL names. This means you can buy any second level domain name you want (as long as you don't infringe on others' trademarks and so on) and search engines will not penalize you for it.

s Some search engines don't index URLs with the character "?" in them. However, major search engines can index URLs containing numbers and characters such as "@."

An overview

URL Keywords

Name files with keywords

Consider alphabetical hierarchy

Look for a URL name containing keywords

Link Popularity

Why should I worry about link popularity?

A growing number of search engines use link popularity in their ranking algorithms. Google uses it as its most important factor in ranking sites. HotBot, AltaVista, MSN, Inktomi, and others also use link popularity in their formulas. Eventually every major engine will use link popularity, so developing and maintaining it are essential to your search engine placement.

Link popularity can do a lot for your site. Not only will many search engines rank you higher, but links from other sites will also drive more traffic to you.

Not just numbers

Link popularity is much more than a measure of how many links point to a site. Search engines use far more sophisticated formulas to gauge how popular sites are. Therefore, developing quality links is more important than ever.

How do I develop quality links?

There are many ways to improve your link popularity. Perhaps the most effective method is a link popularity campaign, but this can be time-consuming and complicated if you don't have a clear plan of action.

An Overview

Link popularity

Most search engines use link popularity

A quality link is relevant, rich with keywords

The measure of a site's link popularity varies from engine to engine

What can I do to increase my link popularity?

The best way to increase link popularity is through a linking campaign. Other tactics of boosting link popularity, such as "Free-for-All" sites and exchange programs, have pros and cons. We outline them below.

Warning: Some search engines, such as Google, say that FFA sites are an artificial and illegitimate way to increase link popularity. Google considers "link farms" spam, and may ban your site for participating in an FFA or link exchange program.

Developing links

FFA sites

"Free-for-All" sites are created to capture your e-mail address and offer you a link in return. You can choose a category for your link. Most of the tools that submit to FFA sites, such as Worldsubmitter.com, submit to more than one, but that doesn't necessarily increase your link popularity.

Although links from "Free-for-All" sites aren't particularly relevant (see our discussion of link relevancy), you can control the link's text. Most FFA sites will use your own description of your site as the text of their links. The descriptions you provide to such sites should contain several keywords. They don't even have to be in the form of a sentence.

One downside to FFA links is that they're temporary. These sites receive new links all the time, and your link will quickly be superseded by new submissions. If you plan on using FFA sites, resubmit often -- daily, if possible. Also consider submitting the URL of the FFA page containing your link to search engines to make sure the new link is indexed.

Another downside to FFA links is their poor quality. Most search engines use sophisticated formulas to evaluate links between sites. For an overview of the factors that determine link popularity, see our article on the subject.

Finally, since FFA sites are in the business of gathering e-mail addresses, whatever address you provide will be deluged with confirmation messages and spam. If this is a price you're willing to pay, create a new e-mail box just for FFA submissions. That way you can delete the contents every morning without having to sort through all the junk.

Note: Some search engines, such as Google, disapprove of FFA sites.

Exchange programs

Exchange programs are comprised of webmasters who agree to link to one another. As a new member, you will be asked to upload pages of links to your server. About once a week or so you will receive new pages with links to new users. Linkstoyou.com and LRSxpress links are two examples of exchange programs.

If you enter an exchange program, pick one that groups its links into categories, thus improving link quality. The more specific the category, the better. Find an exchange program that allows you to place your site in a category related to your business. However, we do not recommend becoming a part of a link exchange program because of a possible ban.

The downside of exchange programs is that they oblige you to link to them on your site. Many will request a link from your home page. This link can be either text or a graphic, but in either case it can make your site look less professional.

If you don't want a link in the middle of your home page, look for a way to hide it. Create an invisible link by using the same color for the link and the rest of the text, or make the link a one-pixel-square image. For specifications, refer to the exchange program's guidelines.

Although exchange programs can be more permanent than FFA sites, they are no longer effective. Search engines consider exchange programs "artificial link popularity" and may even ban your web site for participating in such a program.

Relationships with other webmasters

Many webmasters choose to develop high-quality links through simple arrangements with each other. If you know of a company that is related to your business, contact its webmaster with an offer for a reciprocal link.

When you send another webmaster a link request or reciprocal linking offer, let him know what you would like your link to say. We suggest including a piece of HTML code in your e-mail such as the following:

<a href="http://www.yoursite.com">Your Keywords</a>

Avoid using images as links from other sites. Not all engines index ALT tags, and the use of an image can mean giving up keywords. If you do decide to use an image, ask that a text description be placed at the bottom. For more on ALT tags, click here.

Don't expect every webmaster you contact to link to your site. Be prepared to contact lots of webmasters before you see results.

 
Which method should I use?

Since search engines are now discouraging the use of FFA sites and link exchange programs, we suggest that you focus your efforts on contacting webmasters with link requests. Although FFA sites may have been effective in the past, they are now considered "spam" by some search engines.

Avoid spam

Once again, avoid FFA sites and link exchange programs.

An overview

Increasing link popularity

Don't use FFA sites or exchange programs

Suggest keywords in link's description

Check who links to your competition and contact them

Don't miss DirectHit -- The ins and outs of click popularity and stickiness

Why should I care about DirectHit and other click popularity technologies?

Any webmaster trying to achieve top search engine placement needs to be familiar with DirectHit and other click-tracking technologies. DirectHit's site ranking system, which is based on the concepts of "click popularity" and "stickiness," is currently used by Lycos, Hotbot, MSN, and other search engines. DirectHit is currently owned and incorporated into Ask Jeeves and Teoma.

What are click popularity and stickiness?

With click popularity and stickiness DirectHit claims to allow users, rather than search engines or directory editors, to organize search results.

Click popularity is a measure of the number of clicks received by each site in a search engine's results page.

Example: Let's say 20 users search for "puppy food." If, after scanning the first 10 results, all the users click on the Smith Brothers Dog Food site, a click-tracking technology assumes Smith Brothers' site is more relevant than the other sites in the top 10. Next time someone searches for puppy food, Smith Brothers' site will have a higher ranking in the results.

Stickiness is a measure of the amount of time a user spends at a site. It's calculated according to the time that elapses between each of the user's clicks on the search engine's results page.

Example: Let's say you search for "puppy food." You get a page with 10 sites to visit. You click on the first one and wander off for 20 minutes. Then you come back to the results page and click on the next site. It turns out to be irrelevant, so you go on to the third in about 20 seconds. Click-tracking technologies records the time between your clicks and uses it to determine each site's relevance. The longer the visit, the better for the ranking.

What can I do to score higher on DirectHit?

Since click popularity is based on factors outside a webmaster's control, there's no magic formula to improve your site's placement. Optimizing your meta tags and increasing keyword density won't change where you stand with click-tracking systems. However, there are a few things you can do to encourage users to visit your site more often and stay longer.

Avoid spam

There's been much discussion about ways to spam DirectHit. Some computer gurus have created programs that can search for a certain keyword, find a company's site and click on it. After remaining on the site for a specified amount of time, the program will go back and repeat the process.

DirectHit has pledged to penalize companies caught participating in this type of activity. The giveaway is the IP number, which can be used to identify the spammer. However, with dial-up services a new IP number is created every time the computer dials in. This is also true of most types of DSL and cable services that don't have a static IP number assigned to them. If a spammer is connecting to the Internet in one of these ways, DirectHit can't track him.

SearchEngines.com doesn't recommend using these programs just like any other type of spam.

An Overview

DirectHit technology:

Measures click popularity and stickiness

Gives clicks for low-scoring sites more weight

Allows users, not software or editors, to rank sites

Search engine information

Why you need it

Even if you learned all the factors that influence search engine rankings (which you should do), you still need specific information for every engine. Search engines may share common characteristics, but their applications are different.

Each engine decides what will be the most and the least important factor in ranking sites. Therefore, ranking formulas differ.

In the following tables you will get more specific information on search engines and directories:

Search engine partnerships - Find out what technologies search engines use. Make wiser optimization and submission decisions by learning more about partnerships.

What search engines want - This table was compiled from search engines' Help and FAQ pages. Let search engines tell you what they are looking for and what they don't want.

Webmasters:
If you search for the keywords "search engine rankings" you will get hundreds of pages, many containing information on how to improve your rankings in search engines' databases or how to get listed. You probably also get lots of e-mail from companies offering search engine optimization services.

In this chaos of offers and tips, how do you know who to listen to?
It's important to choose your optimization strategy wisely. If you're too reckless, you can be blacklisted for spamming. That's right, your site could be excluded from an engine's index because of inappropriate behavior! And since about 85% of Web users find sites through search engines, being blacklisted can really cost you. How can you avoid this?

Give them what they want!
Listen to what search engines are trying to tell you. By knowing what factors search engines use to rank your pages, you can focus your efforts and achieve rankings without resorting to spam.

The following table provides a basic guide to some of the factors search engines weigh in ranking pages. It combines official information provided by the listed search engines with our own research. None of the recommendations below are considered to be spam. So learn it and use it... and sleep well tonight.

Here's what the high-traffic search engines and directory sites say influence their relevancy rankings: