But if no one knows you are there - what does it matter?

James Derk is a columnist syndicated nationally by the Scripps Howard News Service. He writes this in a recent article:

"One trouble with smaller stores is that I need to know they are out there. That means marketing, promotion, using Meta Keys in search engines and registering the sites with Yahoo! and other search sites".

Mr. Derk summed up everything in one sentence - the issue (traffic) and the answer (search engines).

If you want traffic to your site to soar, you simply must master the use of Search Engines. Here is why.

1. The dollar cost to use them is zero.

2. The traffic from search engines is TARGETED. Meaning people arriving at your site from search engines are ALREADY INTERESTED in your product or service.

3. They arrive in a good mood - they are interested plus they feel in control (THEY found you).

4. Proper use of Search Engines is not only powerful but ethical and inexpensive.

5. And the bottom line - a high ranking on a first page will cause traffic to your site to sky-rocket like never before!

Here are a few tips and links that will help you in your "hunt for the top".

KEY WORDS determine how your site will rank. Be cautious about choosing a single keyword that 50,000 other sites are using. You will get lost. Instead narrow your choice of a keyword into something that is less general and more targeted. Did you know that you can get the Search Engines to help you without cost?

Another site will help you generate your key words:
     http://www.bruceclay.com/web_rank.htm

Here is an idea rather than a link. Go to any major Search Engine and perform a search using a key word that suits you. Find a competitor who is at or near the top and link to his page. If you are using Internet Explorer, click "View" on the toolbar and then "source". Now you can see what he is doing with his meta tags and key words that got him there! Use this as a valuable learning exercise only - do NOT copy!

My suggestion is to avoid the automatic submission services and programs that are out there - the ones that will submit your site to 500 Search Engines with one click of the mouse. There are various reasons for this, but you will not get a high ranking. Plus - only the top 8 really matter anyway.

A site called WebPosition Analyzer will show you how effective your present keywords are:
     http://webposition.com/

Here is a free online tool to help you determine your ranking on different keywords in 10 of the major search engines including Yahoo, Excite, Infoseek, AltaVista and others.
      http://www.rankthis.com

This link is not free, but for about $18 bucks you can have access to one of the most comprehensive Marketing and Search Engine how-to books that we have seen:
      http://www.sitesell.com/IBM

Want a one-stop source for everything having to do with search engines? Try Search Engine Watch at      
      http://www.searchenginewatch.com/

This article will certainly not make you an expert at Search Engines. But perhaps it will give you a start or at least an idea or two. Search Engines are very powerful - so begin now to master them!