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Building up good quality inbound links to your web site or blog is still the best long term strategy to ensure your site will be found by your target audience. Below is a set of instructions to help you set up a link building campaign for your own site, or for a client’s site, using Microsoft Excel. You will need to create 5 or 6 worksheets (tabs) within the spreadsheet, to keep track of the various aspects of the link building campaign. The first five worksheets will need eight columns each (A – H), with the following headings:

Column A – Number
Column B – Search Engine Name
Column C – Search Engine URL
Column D – Link Page (address of the category page you want your site listed on)
Column E – Submission Page (address of the page where you submit your site)
Column F – Date Submitted
Column G – Date Added
Column H – Submission Comments

The sixth worksheet (tab) will contain all the web site or blog information required for submitting your site to search engines or directories.

Submissions Tab:

The first task is to add the details of your web site or blog into the submissions tab. You will use this information for each submission. Submission information includes: 

• Web site/blog name,
• Web site/blog url,
• In the case of a blog, it is helpful to list the rss or atom feed address as well as the standard url,
• Short description (150 words or less),
• Long description (250 words or less),
• Anchor text (the short sentence of text you wish to have listed with your link),
• Keywords,
• Your name and email address (for tracking submissions only).

Please note: When writing your web site or blog descriptions, do not use overly promotional language and do not repeat the name of your web site or blog within the description. Most directories do not accept submissions which breach these two rules.  

Tab 1: Major Search Engines

The first tab will contain a list of the major search engines and directories. For a comprehensive list of major search engines to include, visit: http://www.searchenginewiki.com/CategorySearchEnginesMajor  Once you have your list imported into the excel spreadsheet:

• Check each one on the list to see if your site is already listed.
• If your site is displayed in the search results, write ‘already listed’ in the comments field.
• Once you have checked through the list, begin submitting - record the date in the ‘date submitted’ column.
• Always submit your website/blog to the most appropriate category.
• Note in the comments column any directories or search engines that require payment. Depending on your budget, examine the directory to determine if it is worth paying to get your site listed with them or not.
• Some sites will require you to sign up as an editor or member in order to be eligible to submit to them. Record all relevant membership data in the comments column.

Tab 2: Minor Search Engines

The second tab is to contain a list of minor search engines and directories. To view a comprehensive list of minor search engines to include, visit: http://www.searchenginewiki.com/CategorySearchEnginesMinor

Submit your site/blog as per the instructions for the major search engine tab.

Tab 3: Niche Search Engines and DirectoriesThe third tab is designed to contain a list of niche search engines or directories which may be relevant for your site/blog. The search engine or directory itself may be targeted towards your niche area or it may contain a category which is directly related to the subject of your site/blog. To view a comprehensive list of Niche search engines to include, visit: http://www.searchenginewiki.com/CategorySearchEnginesNiche  

Submit your site/blog as per the instructions for the major search engine tab.

Tab 4: Regional Search Engines and Directories

The fourth tab is to contain a list of search engines or directories from a particular region of the world. You may not wish to have a regional focus in regards to your link building campaign, but if you want to target a particular region, you will need to submit your site to directories and search engines from that region. For a comprehensive list of regional search engines or directories to include, visit: http://www.searchenginewiki.com/CategorySearchEnginesRegional 

Submit your site/blog as per the instructions for the major search engine tab.

Tab 5: Blog Directories

This tab is only relevant if you are conducting a link building campaign for a blog. The fifth tab is to contain a list of blog directories. Sometimes the submissions page will ask for the rss address instead or as well as the standard url. (This is the address people use to subscribe to your feed). For a comprehensive list of blog directories to include, visit: http://www.searchenginewiki.com/CategoryBlogDirectories  

Submit your blog as per the instructions for the major search engine tab.

Follow Up:

After you have made your submissions, wait about six weeks and check to see if your site/blog is listed yet. If it is listed, write the date in the ‘date added’ column. Keep checking about once a month until all submissions are finalized. Some may take quite a long time to get around to listing your site/blog. If a directory or search engine does not intend to accept your submission you may receive an email indicating the reason. Sometimes however they will not notify you of the outcome either way.

Some search engines and directories require payment for submissions. Sometimes paid listings are worthwhile if the directory is very popular with a high page rank (5 or over) or contains focused relevant categories. Feel free to skip them and stick to free submissions only if you are working with little or no budget.

Happy submitting!

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