Introduction

"#1 on Yahoo" is one of those well-worn mantras some web site owners believe should be their primary objective for their web site.  At Call Centers 24x7, we do not agree with this approach.  This page explains our philosophy about search engines, our opinion on how you should integrate them into your overall strategy, and some of the tools we have available to help you accomplish this.

First off, I'd like to clarify with some definitions.  Technically, "search engine" includes not just the famous search engines like Google and Yahoo, but also internal search engines which are built into your web site.  For example, Call Centers 24x7 has its own "search engine":  on every page of our site, you can type in a keyphrase into the search window in the top-right corner of our site, and obtain a listing of pages on our site containing that keyphrase.  That's a great navigational tool for sites with more than a few dozen pages.  Many of our web site hosting packages include the ability for you to have a search engine like this built into your site.  However, that's not what we're talking about here.  For purposes of this discussion, by "search engine" we mean external search engines --- not those which are part of your site, but other search engines "out there" on the Internet which search through many sites, such as Google and many lesser-known alternatives.

Secondly, for purposes of this discussion, when I write "search engines" actually I mean to include both search engines and directories.  Many people don't know the difference, or even that there is a difference.  A directory listing is generally a categorical breakdown of resources (such as web sites).  An example of a directory is the Open Directory Project, also known as DMOZ.  A very familiar example of a directory is the classic, printed Yellow Pages.  The main reason users often don't realize there is a difference is because directories on the web are usually keyword-searchable, and most people who go to the directories do a keyword search rather than browse through the directory.  Because they are using directories and search engines in the same way, the user perceives them as synonymous.  For purposes of this discussion, when I write "search engines" I mean to include directories as well.

Thirdly, throughout this discussion I refer to "consumers", "customers" and "buyers" synonymously.  In these cases, I don't just mean buyers at an ecommerce web site.  I use the term in a more comprehensive manner.  When I write "customer", "consumer", or "buyer", I mean anyone who has visited your web site and is a candidate to change their behavior in the manner you intended, as a result of their visit.  That could mean they subscribe to your site, in which case even if the subscription is free, by subscribing they have become "buyers".  If you have a personal web site with no professional objective, your "customers" and "buyers" might simply be visitors to your web site.  "Consumers" of information could simply be visiting your web site and absorbing the content you provide.  And of course, with an ecommerce site your "buyers" are probably people who have completed one or more purchases at your web site. 

Continue to Page 2:  The Value