There was a time when you would click the 'submit site' icon on a search engine form and that was the extent of your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy.
After all, you let the search engine know you existed that had to be enough.
You'd show up in their search engine soon enough.
You even went to the search engine a few days later and typed in your business name.
Sure enough your site showed up in the top ten - probably number one.
So where are all the customers? When search engine users conduct searches they are rarely looking simply for a business name.
They are seeking information or a product name.
Search engines are looking for a clear way to identify your site and help individuals find the most trusted and promising information.
If your content is viewed as lacking focus the search engines can't rank you as strongly as you may want.
The truth is you don't even need to hit the 'submit site' icon to find your site listed on a search engine.
Yes, taking the time to submit your site can put you on the fast track to discovery, but is not essential to ultimately getting your site indexed.
Essentially there are only a relative few search engines that you need to be concerned with because the majority of search sites use similar strategies for rankings.
Google, Yahoo and MSN are ones that should be at the top of your list for site submission.
The others will find you soon enough.
Beyond rankings you should be concerned about the potential for success using website advertising.
This could be in the form of Pay Per Click (PPC) or Banner ads, but is not limited to these common forms of targeted advertising.
Some businesses work at video streaming.
They create an effective and shareable video that works to establish a buzz about your business idea.
Did you know that website advertising can also be accomplished through effective blog creation as well as article marketing.
Blogs can be a positive way to advance the advertising cause of your online store by effectively using information to direct consumers to your business website.
Article marketing allows you to share information that others can use, but has the added benefit of directing potential customers from multiple sites who use the content back to your business site.
Let me elaborate a bit on article marketing.
This strategy allows you to share your knowledge.
When you submit the material to a free article directory others can use your information at no cost.
The benefit is that the end user must include your mini-biography as a condition of use.
That bio should include links back to your primary site.
Search engines like to find deep backlinks that take them to your site.
This strategy improves your visibility to search engines.
The more your article is freely used the more backlinks you will acquire.
You should never simply settle for submitting your site to a search engine and hoping for the best.
You need to be proactive and constant in your push to be visible to both search engines and the consuming public.
Web marketing can take on multiple forms and the use of a qualified marketing firm can assist you in developing advertising strategies that are focused and successful.