Promote Your Insurance Agency Website

• 25Aug

  Adding your Insurance Agency Web Site to Search Engines

  Insurance Agency Websites, Local Search, Online Directory, Search Engines, SEO 1 Comment

  Over the past 4 weeks I have talked about search engines and why it is important to take the time and make sure your insurance website is submitted to all of the major search engines & directories. Google, Yahoo, MSN Live & DMOZ.

  Those are not the only search engines out there, there are others; they may not be as popular as Google or Yahoo but they do have web users searching on them. So how important is it to submit your insurance website to the major search engines? Extremely! Take a look at the list below and see how many search engines (This is only a partial list) scan Google, Yahoo or DMOZ for their own search results.

  Google	www.google.com	http://www.google.com/local/add/lookup?hl=en-US&gl=US
  Yahoo	www.yahoo.com	http://listings.local.yahoo.com/csubmit/index.php
  MSN	www.live.com	http://maps.live.com/localsearch/YPDefault.aspx
  DMOZ	www.dmoz.org	http://www.dmoz.org/add.html
  AltaVista	www.altavista.com	(Powered by Yahoo) http://www.altavista.com/addurl/default
  Ask.com	www.ask.com	Uses DMOZ
  AllTheWeb	www.alltheweb.com	(Powered by Yahoo)
  AOL	www.aol.com	(Powered by Google)
  Netscape	www.netscape.com	(Powered by Google)
  Excite	www.excite.com	(Scans major search engines)
  Lycos	www.lycos.com	Not available
  WebCrawler	www.webcrawler.com	(Scans major search engines)
  Dogpile	www.dogpile.com	(Scans major search engines)
  Mamma	www.mamma.com	(Scans major search engines)
  Gigablast	www.giggablast.com	Submit site

  Tags: altavista, aol, ask.com, excite, Google, Insurance Website, MSN, Search Engine, Search Engines, Yahoo

• 18Aug

  DMOZ & and your insurance agency website

  Insurance Agency Websites, Local Search, Online Directory, Search Engine Registration, Search Engines No Comments

  Over the last couple of weeks we have discussed more traditional types of search engines;
  Google, Yahoo & MSN Live. This week we are going to talk about a not so traditional buy still very powerful online directory called DMOZ.

  DMOZ (Owned by Netscape which is owned by AOL) is more of an online directory than a search engine. DMOZ is indexed by real people and not computer robots. Making the search results much more reliable.

  The Open Directory Project is the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web. It is constructed and maintained by a vast, global community of volunteer editors. Source.

  DMOZ has its benefits and it has its disadvantages. Since each site is reviewed by an editor (living, breathing human being) the quality of the search index is better than any other search engine.

  The biggest disadvantage that I have noticed is it takes a long time (anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of months) to get a site added to their search index and sometimes your site submissions will be rejected for no apparent reason. I have also seen sites rejected due to poor website layout or invalid categorization.

  Nonetheless, DMOZ can be a powerful search tool that separates your insurance agency website from the competition.

  Have your insurance web site added to: http://www.dmoz.org/add.html

  Tags: DMOZ, Insurance Website, Online Directory, Search Engine, Search Engine Registration

• 11Aug

  Local Search – MSN (Live.com)

  Insurance Agency Websites, Local Search, Search Engine Registration, Search Engines No Comments

  Just like Google and Yahoo, Microsoft has a live search where you can go and claim your business and enter in your own information.

  To claim your business through Microsoft’s Live Search go to: http://maps.live.com/localsearch/YPDefault.aspx

  Enter (search for) your insurance agency name and city.

  Once you find your insurance agency name in the search results: (If you are unable to locate your insurance agency web site in the search results than you will need to submit your domain to MSN Live Search first.)

  Select your agency from the list. (While you are there be sure to give yourself 5 stars!)

  On the bottom right of the page under the map there is a link that reads: “Business owners edit listing” (The link may also read: “Change your business listing”)

  Select that link and follow the instructions to update your information.

  See also:

  Google Local Search
  Yahoo Local Search

  Next week: DMOZ

  Tags: Insurance Websites, Live Search, Local Search, MSN, Search Engine Registration, Search Engines

• 04Aug

  Local Search – Yahoo Local

  Insurance Agency Websites, Local Search, Search Engine Registration, Search Engines No Comments

  Much like Google Local, Yahoo also has a very impressive and important local search. Signing up for Yahoo Local search is simple.

  Go to: http://listings.local.yahoo.com/csubmit/index.php and complete the necessary information. It is important to complete the information to the best of your ability, use descriptive words that include your location or a major metropolitan area near your agency.

  See also:

  Google Local Search
  Local Search – MSN (Live.com)

  Next week: MSN Live local search

  Tags: Insurance Agency Websites, Local Search, Search Engine Registration, Yahoo

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