Today, people expect instant gratification. There's IM,
instead of slow postal service. Instant video downloads,
for those spur-of the moment entertainment needs. There are
"instant noodles" when taking a few minutes to cook
something just won't do. And, of course, instant coffee for
people who aren't willing to brew a real cup.
So, when it's time to get your website listed on the search
engines, it's only natural for you to want to be up on
Google right away. I can't tell you how many emails I've
gotten from clients right after I've let them know that
their site is launched, saying "But, I Googled myself, and
I'm not there! Why not?"
There is no instant gratification when it comes to the
search engines.
Even though it would be ideal for your site to be picked up
by the search engines the instant that it's launched,
that's just not how it works in the real world. There are
two major roadblocks to your site showing up on the search
engines:
1. There are a lot of stops on the search engines'
itinerary. The search engines don't just find out about
your site through some sort of Internet magic. They have a
list of sites that their robots have to stop by and
"index." Which means the robots have to read the content on
these sites, figure out what it all means, and then decide
how to rank them.
It doesn't take that long to index an average site, but
there are a lot of sites out there to visit. The sheer
numbers mean that it will take a while for them to get
around to visiting your new site.
2. Google has a built-in waiting period. Recently, we
talked about Google's trust issues, which come from
unethical website developers trying to cheat and get better
rankings where they didn't deserve them. The waiting period
is another consequence of that lack of trust.
Some website developers were trying to take advantage of
the search engines by constantly starting up new sites and
artificially improving their ranking through links and
other strategies. Google figured this out and created a
waiting area it calls the "Sandbox." Think of it as a place
for the baby websites to play while they grow up.
This is bad news for anyone just launching a website—Google
won't let you into its results for the duration of the
waiting period, which seems to last anywhere from 6 months
to a full year at this point. For a small business, waiting
that long to get noticed can really hurt!
You don't just have to kick back and wait, though.
Yes, while being patient will certainly get you listed on
the search engines eventually, there are a few things you
can do in the mean time to get things started.
To get the robots to come and visit faster:
Tell the search engines that you're there. I've said it a
million times, but here it goes again: just telling the
search engines that your site is out there can go a long
way toward getting you listed quicker. Get links coming in
to your site from other quality sites. Perhaps you have
business associates who will do you a favor by linking
their site to yours. Or, you may be able to find blogs that
you can contribute an article to. Even submitting your link
to organizations that you belong to—like the Chamber of
Commerce or a professional organization—can help you get
noticed. To avoid getting stuck in the sandbox trap:
Don't get a new domain name if you don't have to. The
sandbox seems to only apply to websites with new domain
names. So, if you're launching a new site for a service or
product, consider launching it within an existing site.
Launch a temporary site ASAP instead of waiting for
perfection. If you have a new domain name, or if this is
your first website, get something up right away. Having
anything available at your URL is better than nothing. Find
a template that's not too terrible, or have your designer
create a simple one-page site to post at your domain while
your real site is under development. This gives Google
something to stick in the sandbox while you're creating
your grown-up site. Even if your website design goes
quickly, you'll still have at least a few weeks of sandbox
time behind you before you launch. Better yet, get a domain
name and put up a temporary site as soon as you know that
you're going to eventually want a website. That way, while
you're searching for the right designer, writing your web
copy, and designing your site, you'll also be reducing the
time that you'll have to wait to show up in the search
results.
Pair your website with a blog. There's some evidence that
blogs are picked up by Google much faster than a website
alone and that they don't have to sit in the sand. Even if
a blog doesn't help your "real" site get noticed more
quickly, it will give you a presence in the search engine
results and will increase your chances of getting found.
While you still won't get instant gratification from the
search engines, these tips will help you get your site
listed on the search engines more quickly.
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Erin Ferree is a brand identity designer who creates big
visibility for small businesses. As the owner of elf
design, Erin is passionate about helping her clients stand
out in front of their competition and attract more clients.
One of the best ways to do that is with Search Engine
Optimization, which you can learn about in her eLearning
product, Raise Your Ranking, which is available at
http://www.howtoraiseyourranking.com .
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