Search engines are the means by which potential customer randomly find your web site or web page by defining a subject query. This is required when you have not advertised your site address by other means. There are many search engines being used on the internet but the main ones are; Google, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, AOL, HotBot, Teoma, Alta Vista and MSN.

There are two main ways in which a search engine operates. The first is a crawler-based index and the second is human powered directories.

Crawler Based Search Engine

The search engine uses specific software called a "spider" or "robot" that continually moves through all the various links on the internet collecting information. This information is then stored in an index or database. This data base is then accessed when a person submits a query into the search engine and a result is then given.

Spiders mainly gather information from the main headings used, solid descriptive information, Meta tags, and “alt” descriptions. There are no hardened rules or cheating mechanism such as repetitive hidden text that can be used to short cut the spiders capabilities as the algorithms used are continually changing and are discerning.

The general consensus is to use informative content with strong use of adverbs and adjectives with good page links. It is also recommended to have at least one main link to another existing web site.

Google is the prime user of spiders.

The Spider crawling process

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	The spider starts crawling from known sites. Finds a link to your site and begins going through all the web page links defined within your web site.
	The spider then collects all relevant and discernible information. The information gathered is determined by a code or algorithm designed and created by the search engine. This is continually changing so sites do not cheat and are accountable for the sites real purpose. This also helps to self regulate illegal or adverse information such as spaming.
	Information is added to the search engines indexed database according to importance and relevance for various topics.
	The data base is then encoded so the size is reduced before it is stored on the search engines servers hard drive.
	The information is now available for use by your potential customers searching the internet. This is retrieved by using key words for the service, product or information required.

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Human powered Directories

Some search engines rely on a site being submitted by way of a short description of your entire web site. This description is then ranked among the existing search engine list.

Editors can also write one as a review.

Cost varies from search engine to search engine. Some may even reduce their cost if you have a good quality web site.

Yahoo is a strong user of human submitted directories.