# meta tags, google and yahoo



## Perseus (Jan 28, 2005)

I am trying to get my page to show up in google and yahoo searches, and have used meta content, meta description etc....and my site never shows up anywhere...what are the best tricks to getting yoursel fhigh on the list?


----------



## Cat (Jan 28, 2005)

Well, it depends. If you simply want your site to pop up as number one item for a narcisistic search (i.e. your name) it shouldn't be so difficult. Use your name or other keyword you choose in the title, the h1, the link titles back to your site and in the first 100 or so words of the site. Submit your site to the search engines, make sure you are linked to as much as possible and wait a week. You'll be sure to show up on top for the searches involving your name or other keyword.


----------



## Nummi_G4 (Jan 28, 2005)

First, use web standards like xhtml for markup and css for layout. From what I've heard, the less bloat in the markup the happier Google is.

If you want your name to show up on google, make sure it is in the <title> tags. And like Cat said, get as many people to link to you as possible.


----------



## Arden (Jan 29, 2005)

Time for the Captain Obvious question: You have submitted them to the search engines, right?

Assuming you're at least that competent , the best way to rise in ranks is to use smart design like meta keywords and to promote the hell out of your site.  Get people to link to it, post links on sites like this and Slashdot, advertise it if it's a commercial site and you have the budget, etc.  The key is to get enough links and enough traffic that your site will be recognized based on keywords, instead of just typing in the title of the site.


----------



## Perseus (Jan 29, 2005)

Yes, I knew I could submit sites, just didn't do it until very recently!  Maybe I could get some friends to put some links on their sites.... muahah


----------



## TommyWillB (Jan 29, 2005)

Best I can tell Google only gets around to crawling my site every other month... So don't expect things to happen instantly.


----------



## RonaldMacDonald (Feb 1, 2005)

TommyWillB said:
			
		

> Best I can tell Google only gets around to crawling my site every other month... So don't expect things to happen instantly.



Oh really?  Google crawls my site everyday.  But perhaps that is because I have over 140,000 inbound links.  I usually rank in the top three for several competitive keyword searches beating over 30 million sites on some keywords. 

Perseus, take the advise of an old pro, don't try to use "tricks."  Make your site relevant to the keywords you wish to rank on but don't overdo it.  Design the site for visitors and not serch engines.  But on the other hand, if you want to rank high for "blue widgets" and you only have that keyphrase on your site in one or two places, don't expect to be seen if "blue widgets" is a competitive keypharse with millions of sites coming up in the SERP's.

You are right to think that Google and Yahoo will find your site easier with inbound links.  But don't count on your friends to boost your rankings if their sites do not have content relevant to yours. Some webmasters feel that it is better not to submit your site to bot type engines like Google, etc. That is better to let them find you.  It is not hard once you have a few links. Submitting to the so called 2,000 search engines is non-sense.  Most of the hits will come from the big three anyway and they do not need submitting to.  

My sites always rank high.  I do not use spam or tricks.  I have seen many a competitor come and go who think they have to "fool" the search engines.  The best way to get to the top is to produce good content that other webmasters will want to link to.  With some honest hard work promoting your site as well, you will soon see you site "flying high."

Good luck!

Ron


----------



## Darkshadow (Feb 2, 2005)

Yeah, I'll second that.  I come up as fourth and ninth if you search for "Darkshadow" on Google - fourth place is my old poetry page which hasn't been updated since Oct 2000 - mainly because it's on Yahoo/Geocities (though it still seems to get people in...), and the ninth place one is my "About Darkshadow" page on my software site.  That one's only been up for a year, and I really haven't done much promoting for it.  

I didn't submit either one to Google.

I have some meta tags on my old poetry site, but not a single one on my new site.


----------



## olreb (Feb 4, 2005)

The fastest way is with incoming links to your site. Find a few friends or sites that are already in the search engines and get your link on them. A hundred links coming to you is worth more than meta tags etc.

Just my thoughts


----------

