'Web positioning' - the latest online industry

Web search engines – the likes of Excite, AltaVista, HotBot, Yahoo, Google and Looksmart – used to be the most exciting things on the Web. That was in the days of ‘surfing’, when the Internet’s novelty was enormous and people wanted to explore the World Wild West.

But as the Net has matured, search engines have seen their profile considerably lowered, making way for chat forums, e-commerce operations, portals and content-rich sites.

This is a natural progression, but now may be the time to revisit search engines and reconsider the role they play. The fact is that many people are still newcomers to the Web and even relatively experienced users need guidance through the ever-expanding online world. There are approximately 8 million websites today, comprising a billion individual pages of information, with about 2000 new pages created daily.

Search engines, therefore, have a critical role to play in any website’s marketing activity. Several surveys have shown that the biggest hurdle websites face is getting people to know about their existence. And although an estimated 80 to 85 per cent of Web users use search engines as a tool of first resort, most only look at the initial search results. So getting a prominent position is crucial.

The problem is each search engine has its own peculiar criteria for listing sites – criteria which often change. It can take months to get yourself listed and once you are, you need to monitor the search engine carefully to make sure you stay listed.

All of which has thrown up a new web industry – Web positioning: companies acting as a go-between for search engines and websites.

Also see:
Over 75% of UK business websites fail to optimise for search engines
Get a high ranking on search engines
Buying your way onto search engines
Get listed at online shopping malls