The Primary Starting Point
The vast majority of Internet users find new web sites by using a search engine.
A position within the top 30 listings of a major search engine tremendously increases traffic to a web site.
Portal Power
In recent years many search sites have capitalized on the portal trend, positioning them as starting points for all of a user's online explorations. The main page at Netscape.com, for example, features customizable options such as stock quotes, horoscopes, news, shopping and more. This trend has leveled off a bit with the emergence of portals and specific destination sites. However, major portals will remain a popular gateway for many web surfers.
Because the top 8 most-visited search sites combine portal features with a search engine or directory , a good listing on one of these sites provides terrific exposure.
It's low-cost!
Online advertising , such as banner campaigns , can be quite expensive. Search engine placement , on the other hand, can be a low-cost process. Although some search engines have " pay-per-click " programs, paid submissions and many companies optimize sites for paying clients, there's no reason why you can't significantly increase your site's traffic by simply understanding and applying optimization strategy . Any Webmaster can learn more about search engine optimization tips and submission procedures .
High search engine rankings can be more effective publicity tools than paid ads . A top position on a major search engine such as AltaVista can increase traffic far more than an expensive banner ad . Plus, the traffic you get will be more targeted -- it will consist of people who set out to find exactly what your site has to offer.
In this section you'll learn how to:
 
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