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File and Search Engine Discussion
Editor: David Troxell of Encourager Software (updated September 28, 2007)
The complexities of getting your software and site known are growing daily.
This is a collection of advice to help you focus on marketing techniques for search engine optimization and placement (software author advice also).
In today's Internet world, there is still a certain amount of "legwork" you can accomplish yourself (with enough research), but more and more, it's taking a certain amount of capital to get the work done.
A number of Search Engine Optimization companies are available that can help you ready your web site for better SE placement (both initial and follow-up work to keep your ratings high)
NOTE: There is a lot of activity on the Internet making money for certain vendors in Search Engine placement/consulting/etc. and doing little in the process of true promotion - be Wary!
Search Engine Profile Exchange - Online and Down-loadable data versions available.
A number of references listed below are in the Search Engine Profile Exchange Online version.
However, Search Engine - Web Update version (data version) - can be displayed in a software program - Product Scope 7 - and it contains a special enhanced category utilizing links and short memo descriptions from this document.
Search Engine PE - Web Update - Category - Certain references throughout this document will refer to the Search Engine - Web Update version of the Search Engine Profile Exchange. A specific Product Scope 7 window and query will be cited to help you focus on the records that contain information about a topic.
File and Search Engine Discussion
Search Engine PE - Web Update - Category:
Window - Browse Products - Memo | File Downloads, Category - File & Search Engine Discussion
File Search Engine Issues (Software Authors)
Professional Organizations to consider joining:
AISIP - Association of Independent Software Industry Professionals
AISIP is a professional association for people who work in the independent software industry. Most AISIP members sell software and services from their websites,
and strive to offer valuable, worthwhile products while creating income.
ASP - Association of Shareware Professionals
Since 1987, the ASP has been dedicated to the advancement of shareware, also known as try-before-you-buy software,
as an alternative to conventional retail software. Today the ASP is a vibrant organization with hundreds of members
around the world working together to improve their businesses and making it easier for computer users to find quality
software at reasonable prices.
BSA - Business Software Alliance
The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is the foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world.
BSA is the voice of the world's commercial software industry before governments and in the international marketplace.
Its members represent one of the fastest growing industries in the world. BSA educates consumers on software management
and copyright protection, cyber security, trade, e-commerce and other Internet-related issues. Established in 1988, BSA
has programs in more than 80 countries worldwide.
ISDEF - Independent Software Developer Forum
It is not easy for a small company or individual developer to stay abreast of all the latest developments. Software
developers have therefore banded together into a non-commercial association known as the Independent Software Developers
Forum (ISDEF). ISDEF represents and protects the interests of software developers and others active in the software industry. The primary function of ISDEF is to support and improve the processes of software development and market introduction and promotion.
SIIA - Software Information Industry Association
The Software & Information Industry Association is the principal trade association for the software and digital
content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education
and intellectual property protection to the leading companies that are setting the pace for the digital age.
Annual Shareware Conference:
Shareware Industry Conference
European ShareWare Conference
Simtel and Winsite
There are at least two major upload sites that will "host" a file for you, available for downloading from THEIR site. You will need to invest some time to follow the instructions to post, but it will be worth the effort.
SimTel - Software Author Login
WinSite - Submit File Information
Major Internet File Information sites to consider - Upload.com and Tucows
Upload.com (CNET Networks) - Download.com, ZDNet Downloads
Upload.com Listing Options
"Upload.com features a number of promotional packages to expose your software to more than a million unique visitors each day. These packages offer varying levels of support, reporting, and marketing opportunities for your product within the CNET Downloads library, with customized packages that cater to the needs of individual publishers."
If listed on CNET (Download.com, ZDNet)
Referencing the Download.com or ZDNet URL for your software has some advantages - it increases the CNET download count, thus increasing interest and popularity.
Tucows - Author Resource Center
Study the Ratings Guide carefully before initial submit or subsequent submittals for maximum "cow" ratings. Tucows - Rating Guide is available in the Author Resource Center
File Naming
Naming of download file - Depends on where the file is being placed for download. Using a generic download name rather than a specific version naming scheme will help
with sites that require the same filename, no matter the version - Keeps a constant reference for when someone downloads an updated version without changing the URL reference.
However, sometimes it's more convenient to your customer to see what specific versioned download they have on their local storage drive. So we
suggest for the developer web site, use a versioned filename - you can maintain two filename versions where you host the file for download, providing the best of both File Naming conventions.
Software Marketing
A number of marketing newsletters exist to help you increase your sales. Some examples are:
Al Harberg's Software Marketing
Shareware Marketing - Dave Collins
File Download Sites
Actually file information sites with possibly reviews, promotional advantages, etc. Being listed in these sites increases your Search Engine index visibility (this is related to Link Popularity)
Basically you post your "software program information" to them, either using their information submittal forms or using the PAD format (great time saver, and gaining in popularity) or using a file submission tool. The file download sites reference your program download location (either your web-site, or Simtel or Winsite).
I would concentrate on the PAD Submittal sites and the major File Download sites in the beginning to maximize exposure. The Association of Shareware Professionals has a listing of PAD acceptance sites file download sites and products supporting PAD.
Search Engine PE - Web Update - Category:
Window - Browse Vendors - Views, Category - File - PAD Submittal
File Submission Tools - If you want to get more exposure by posting to a LOT of download sites, consider using a good file submission tool, and making more efficient use of your time.
Software Marketing Resource Submissions Tools List
Search Engine PE - Web Update - Category:
Window - Browse Products - Memo | File Downloads, Category - File Submission Tools
Check out the major search engines - What are the major file download sites that get listed? - THEY are the ones who know how to get the Search Engine's attention for their download site, thus increasing your software's exposure as well.
Here is a major listing of file download sites for posting your software product information.
Software Marketing Resource Software Sites Listings
Software Author Resources
Special Note: Sharon Housley has created an enormous amount of references for software authors:
Vendor Name - Software Marketing Resource, Contact - Sharon Housley
Primary ID - Extensive Listings for Software Authors
Search Engine PE - Web Update - Category:
Window - Browse Vendors - Views, Category - Software Author Resources
PAD Files and PADGen - Freeware Program to generate PAD Files
PADGen - Freeware Program to generate PAD Files
The PAD format is an extremely important tool for those who create software products.
Q: What is PAD?
A: PAD is the next generation dataset that will allow Authors to communicate specific and most often requested information regarding their products to the Online Communities and Vendors abroad. PAD was designed with the future in mind.
Search Engine Optimization
Hand submit to the major search engines - some will require payment (refer to the Search Engine Submission Budget topic for suggestions)
Search Engine PE - Web Update - Category:
Window - Browse Vendors - Views, Category - Search Engines - Major - Submit Web Site
Search engines newsgroups for search engine optimization discussions
alt.internet.search-engines
Here are some articles, issues, and tools to consider for search engine optimization
Link Popularity
Measuring Link Popularity by Danny Sullivan, Editor, SearchEngineWatch.com Updated: Oct. 26, 2001
Discussion includes how measure link popularity at popular crawler-based search engines, link popularity tools, etc.
Some Link popularity tools:
Marketleap Link Popularity Analysis
Widexl link popularity tool
Search Engine Submission Budget
Your Search Engine Submission Budget - Part 2 of Essentials Of Search Engine Submission
By Danny Sullivan, Editor, SearchEngineWatch.com Updated: October 14, 2002
Search Engine budget considerations discussed include Yahoo, crawler-based search engines, and paid listing programs. Those with software programs need to consider in their budget the promotional listings by CNET Networks (Upload.com), Tucows and others.
Search Engine Optimization
Bruce Clay, LLC - URL Ranking Methodology and Promotion Tools
This web page includes a number of Search Engine Optimization suggestions including a very useful Search Engine Relationship Chart (this can be downloaded as a PDF). This chart has links to other web pages that provide a wealth of information about submitting to each search engine.
This web page also contains a step by step process for search engine optimization to help you prepare your site (s) and follow up work for maximizing your search engine submission efforts.
Keywords for Search Engine Optimization
Another major concept is keywords - used with and/or in good page titles and content (real text, not just images, scripting, etc.) and inbound links.
Wordtracker is one of the most popular subscription services to create keywords
Product Description - Wordtracker, MFG - Rivergold Associates Ltd
Internet Link - http://www.wordtracker.com/
"We compile a database of terms that people search for. You enter some keywords, and we tell you how often people search for them, and also tell you how many competing sites use those keywords.
Wordtracker helps you find all keyword combinations that bear any relation to your business or service - many of which you might never have considered.
Once you have found all the words that relate to your business, you can check these words in our popularity database.
Find the balance between the total number of competing web pages for each search engine, and popularity of the search term."
Keywords Articles
Importance of Keywords - By Yelena Shapiro with Etelka Lehoczky
"Keywords
Choose appropriate keywords -- it's critical
Include variations of keywords, such as misspelled versions
Avoid stop words
Place keywords throughout your site"
Topics include effective keyword placement in: HTML Title, Text of the page, Meta description, Meta keywords, ALT tags, Comment tags, URL name
Optimizing Keywords for Search Engines by Laura Thieme, Guest Writer
SearchDay June 11, 2002 - Number 287
"The foundation of the SEO strategy, according to the panelists, includes:
* Keyword phrase popularity
* Competition for the keyword phrase
* Marketing relevance
* Site content support"
What People Search For - By Danny Sullivan, Editor, SearchEngineWatch.com
Page updated: April 8, 2002
"You spent hours fine-tuning your pages to improve your search engine position. Did you make certain to misspell a few of those crucial words? The people searching certainly will. Misspellings, along with X-rated search requests, are common. Below, a glimpse at some of the searches the great Internet public is making."
Google Toolbar
Google is the dominant search engine today (according to research by Jupiter Media Metrix and Nielsen//NetRatings in Search Hours ratings) and this toolbar has such useful features as Google Search, Search Site, PageRank, Page Info.
Google Toolbar - Power of Google anywhere on the web
Internet Explorer Version
Googlebar for FireFox
Google Ranking Tips
Search Engines/Google Ranking tips
Article by David Callan - admin@akamarketing.com
David is the webmaster of http://www.akamarketing.com.
Visit his site for free Internet marketing articles, advice, ebooks, news and lots more.
Some tips for increasing Google ranking include:
Title tag when searching for keywords, keyword density in the body of a page, keywords in heading tags, bolding keywords, linking text contain your keywords, Google's PageRank system and how it works and more.
Internet Order Fulfillment Services - Listing of registration services
Software Marketing Resource Registration Services Page, Contact - Sharon Housley
Comparison of Registration Services, Contact - Chris Smolinski
Search Engine PE - Web Update - Category:
Window - Browse Vendors - Views, Category - Internet Order Fulfillment Service
Consider major order services that offer Buy Now buttons for the major download sites such as:
RegNow.com
Web Design
26 steps to 15k a Day By Brett Tabke, Feb 2, 2002
Originally posted as Successful Site in 12 months with Google Alone
"The following will build a successful site in 1 years time via Google alone. It can be done faster if you are a real go getter, or everyones favorite: a self starter.
A) Prep Work
B) Domain name
C) Site Design
D) Page Size
E) Content
F) Density, position, yada, yada, yada...
G) Outbound Links
H) Cross links
I) Put it Online
J) Submit
K) Logging and Tracking
L) Spiderlings
M) Topic directories
N) Links
O) Content
P) Gimmicks
Q) Link backs
R) Rounding out the offerings
S) Beware of Flyer and Brochure Syndrome
T) Build one page of content per day
U) Study those logs
V) Timely Topics
W) Friends and Family
X) Notes, Notes, Notes
Y) Submission check at six months
Z) Build one page of quality content per day
Do those 26 things, and I guarantee you that in ones years time you will call your site a success. It will be drawing between 500 and 2000 referrals a day from search engines. If you build a good site with an average of 4 to 5 pages per user, you should be in the 10-15k page views per day range in one years time. What you do with that traffic is up to you, but that is more than enough to "do something" with."
Lessons in Failure - The Top 10 Ways to Ensure Your Search Marketing Strategy Sucks
by Keith Boswell - The Marketleap Report - Volume III, Issue #7, July 24, 2003
"Marketleap is always amazed at the amount of effort people spend trying to trick or manipulate their positioning in search engines. People love to focus on the shortcuts to success and not on their website or the value their content provides to their audience.
In the spirit of educating marketers about best practices, we present this list of ten things you can do to sabotage your search engine marketing project in no time at all."
Well Designed Web Sites
After you gain the attention of your public through Search Engine technology - create interest for return trips with a well designed web site that is attractive and easy to navigate!
Consider the web design of 1st Icon Design - Easy to navigate, you see at all times - the main components - Products - Solutions - Contact, but even more important, the product descriptions are elegantly laid out - drawing attention to the major features - and of course, first class graphics to gaze at! (1st Icon Design web design by 1st Logo Design)
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