Why does everyone strive to be the number one listing in search indexes like Yahoo!? Because ranking high is everything. Plain and simple—top rankings in search engines and indexes yield higher clickthrough rates. In marketing terms, search engine traffic represents the most highly targeted audience one can get from the Internet. After all, the customer just typed in YOUR keywords. They are asking for YOUR products and services.

So, that being said, how do we do it? How do we get to the top of these search engines? Unfortunately, the answer is not that simple. Below are some EFFECTIVE tips regarding search engine strategy.

Conduct exhaustive research on what key phrases and words will give you maximum bang for the buck.
The biggest mistake we see when clients submit their own listings to the engines is that they have invested little or no thought into who's searching for what when it comes to their product or service. There are software programs available to help you submit your site properly the first time. Effective Online Marketing recommends Web Position Gold™. The software is detailed and helps you perform this involved, but crucial marketing tactic properly.
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Optimize your pages for your selected key phrases.
There are plenty of resources on the Internet about how to do this. If you understand basic HTML, you should know that search engines crawl site tags like, [title], [alt] and [h1]. Also, include key phrases in your [body]. Remember that you may know what your site is about, but search robots and spiders can only draw conclusions based on what you put in these tags. Lastly, your URL (or web address) scores huge points in ranking. A URL containing your key words is golden.

Know the difference between search engines and search indexes.
There are big differences in how these companies query your listing. Submitting improperly guarantees you will be shoved into the pile with the masses.

Understand the fees associated with submissions and what they mean.
Times have changed. You can easily buy your way to the top, but it comes with a price.

Make sure your site works.
Did you know that if you submit a site with broken links to search indexes like Yahoo! and LookSmart, you will be rejected without a refund? That's right. At $299 a pop, that hurts. Make sure your site has links that work and images that show up.

Try to trick or spam search engines.
Most companies have complex methods of determining your trickery. Do it and you'll be blacklisted. Enough said.

Over do it with your key phrases.
If there are too many instances of your key terms on your page, search engines may determine that you are trying to spam them and will actually drop you down the search listings dramatically. The key is balance with your key words.

Try to submit a broken or substandard site.
Most companies are moving toward using human editors. If your site is aesthetically inferior and/or contains broken links, you'll be rejected without a refund.

Expect immediate results.
Submitting to search engines via free methods can take up to six weeks for your site to appear. Be patient. If you want immediate action, pony up your credit card to pay-per-click systems. You'll be up and running in 3-5 business days.

Fall for offers that are too good to be true.
Have you heard this one, 'Your site submitted to 300,000 search engines for only $40?' It's not true. Beware!