Search Engines

This page is not accessible through the directory indexes. It contains information for members of the directory about their pages and how the directory works.

How do search engines work?
This web site has been submitted to a number of search engines and internet directories.

  1. Search engines:
    Deep Sea has been submitted to a number of search engines. Most search engines only require the entry page of the site to be submitted, then automatically browse the site to index all other pages. Individual members of this site should be indexed automatically as part of this process. Typically they re-scan sites on a 6 week to 8 week cycle, so it could take a couple of months before your boat will be located by searches. An example of a search engine is Google. Some of the less developed search engines do not automatically browse a site to index all pages, but all of the major search engines do browse a site automatically as described above.

  2. Portal sites and directories:
    Portal site staff review submitted sites before indexing them. The most commonly known portal site is Yahoo. This site is now listed by Yahoo.

Where has this site been submitted?

Why does it take so long?
The web is big and growing bigger. The search engines have to investigate each new site to make sure it does not carry any illegal material, work out how a site should be indexed then build the index. Even doing 99% of this automatically takes a big computer a long time, and the 1% or less that requires human judgment takes even longer.

How to check if your boat is on a particular search engine:
First check that the search engine has got round to indexing this site by searching for "Deep Sea Directory". If you get thousands of returns, you may have to add some other keywords to narrow down the results.

If this site has been indexed, try searching for "boat name" and "port" or even "boat name" and "your name" and "port". Note that even though this site appears on the search engine, it may not yet have indexed individual boats.

Even once indexed you may not be on the first page. Many search engines make their money by collecting payment from those who want to appear at the top of any search that is even vaguely related to their site. If there are lots of sites paying for the privilege of being at the top, it will push your page lower in the list.

If you cannot find your boat or business on a particular search engine:

  1. Please allow time for it to be indexed. As noted above, it could take up to 2 months to get fully indexed.

  2. Let us know if it still does not appear and we will check the entry and re-submit to the search engine if necessary.

  3. Please don't make your own submissions to these search engines. Making multiple submissions of a single site can confuse the indexing process and in a worst case end up with the entire site being barred.

We cannot force a search engine to index us:
Search engine indexing is controlled by complex computer programs. Like all such programs they are both incredibly clever and unbelievably stupid. This directory has no direct control over any search engine, so if a search engine blocks our entry all we can do is persevere and submit again, maybe changing a few keywords. The frustrating thing is that there is no feedback. We just have to wait a few weeks and if nothing happens assume we have to try again.

Other search engines and indexes:
If you have a favourite search engine or other index that Deep Sea has not been submitted to, you can always make your own entry. Look for the small print that says "add URL" or "add entry" and click the link. This is usually right at the bottom of the search page. You will need a prepared description and list of keywords.

Please also let us know, we may want to add the entire site to the search engine.

Want to know more about search engines?
If you want to get into the technical details of how search engines work, then visit Search Engine Watch, a site that describes it all in great detail.




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