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In the days of old there were multiple search engines. There were a few big ones that most people browsing the web would visit. Each of these engines were separate and you could find different sites using the same terms on different engines. While paying a fee could guarantee your site's timely placement and a better ranking, the search engines offered free site submissions that would still get a site in the database eventually.

Unfortunately, that is no longer true.

First, free submissions won't necessarily get you in the database. Many search engines don't even do free submissions anymore. Why?

ALL of the major search engines use the exact same technology now. Each of these search engines uses Yahoo!'s database:

1. Yahoo!
2. Altavista
3. AllTheWeb
4. About, InfoSpace
5. Excite
6. Overture
7. MSN
8. CNN.com
9. many other major search engines

A search on Yahoo! is a search on Altavista is a search on...well, you get the idea. There really isn't a reason to use one search engine over the other. What has happened is a monopoly in major search engines. You have to use Overture to get submitted to the search engines and there is no free option if you want to be sure your site will be in the database. But that isn't even the worst part.

The worst part is that Overture is designed to keep out personal websites. Don't believe me? Here are some of their "content guidelines" exactly as they are written on their website:

Pages Overture Does not Want Included in Its Site Match Index:
Some, but not all, examples of the more common types of pages that Overture does not want included:

1. Pages that have substantially the same content as other pages on the web
2. Excessively cross-linking to inflate a site's apparent popularity, including participation in link exchanges or "link farms"
3. Pages that rely heavily on content or links to content created for another web site, such as affiliate content
4. Pages that use excessive pop-ups, interfering with user navigation*
   I can see their point but most free hosting services have pop-ups.

How many fansites have basically the same content? How many nonbusiness sites, even the big sites, use link exchanges and affiliate content? To the people at Overture, the Internet exists strictly for large business.

You pay $49 a year to stay in the database and pay for every click a person makes on a link to your site on one of the search engines. Excuse me, but if I'm already paying to be in the database why am I paying money every time someone goes to my website through the search engine? Isn't that what's supposed to happen?

In short, the small personal site looking to grow will get no help from the major search engines.

There are some alternatives which I will list in Links under "Useful Sites for Webmasters".

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