Virtual Assistant Forums

#1 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008

Let me preface this by saying that I have no idea what I am doing!

I have my hosting through Host-Gator and used their website builder to build my website. I am very happy with the way it turned out. Now I can't figure out how to get it to come up on Yahoo and Google, etc. It doesn't come up even if I put the exact name in the search box.

I have read about the code that a site needs, but because I used the site builder I can't see the code at all.

Anyone use the site builder with HostGator? Does anyone have any advice?

#2 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008

Hi Sarah,
I'm a newbie at this but the only way to do that is to do SEO on your site. Check our part of the forum under Search Engine Optimization. I used a site builder as well on another hosting provider but I can still put key words so that it would come up. It takes a while after you submit your websites to the top search engines for them to crawl it and add it to their list. This is something you do regularly as well about once a month. Hope this helps!

#3 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008

Hi Sarah,

Maybe if you post your site's URL we can take a look and see what the problem is. I suspect your site is still new and that's why it isn't showing up yet. However, Janice is right, you do need to optimize it properly for search engines if you want to be found.

Please post the link and we'll take a look.

#4 (**permalink**) 09-14-2008

You have to submit your site to the search engines (i.e., yahoo, google, msn, aol, ask jeeves). The search engines have their own "Add URL" page. Anyone, however, can access your site from the Address bar on Internet Explorer or whatever they use. I think it takes a few weeks or more for the bot crawlers to search your site and get it out to the search engines after you submit your request.

Hope this helps.

Sue

#5 (**permalink**) 02-14-2009

Hi Sarah, I was wondering if you were finding that your site is now turning up in search results?

It does take a while to show up in search engines, and the only way they can find you is if you submit your site to them (as mentioned above) or your site is linked to from another site that is already indexed (like VAF or our directory).

Site builders are notoriously difficult to get a good index with - it's just a sympton of the sloppy and inconsistent code. Concentrate on your textual content and optimize every little thing you DO have access to (image tags, page titles, lots of internal navigation, etc.) to help boost the results a bit.

Good luck!

#6 (**permalink**) 02-15-2009

I'm having the same problem. Please help!

www.virtual-mygirlfriday.net

#7 (**permalink**) 02-15-2009

As Tess stated trakbacks are very important for instance you need to be blogging both your own blog and on other peoples blogs which brings back traffic to your site. Directory submissions is very important also.

Start blogging on a daily basis and MAKE SURE your comments are worth the read so that people will come back to your site.

Keep yourself very active on the internet and get your site out there. Stick too Social Networking, Blogging, Article Marketing is a must for seo (make sure a copy of the article is on your site first before you post it on the directories), directory submission, keyword rich content, ensuring all you images on your site have titles, no broken links, titled pages and no duplicate content on other websites or pages (do not have 2 websites with the same content).

If you do all of the above you will succeed in the search engines. There is no promse that you will be on the first page because there are many sites out there that have been doing this for a very long time. Committ to it and one day you will reach your success.

Good luck

#8 (**permalink**) 02-16-2009

Thanks for the great advice. I'll start looking for a blogging program right now.

Thanks!

#9 (**permalink**) 02-17-2009

I suggest wordpress handsdown!! Self hosted is the best way to go. I have a article about blogsites on my site if you are interested. You should really selfhost it so that 1 you can't lose all the contect and 2 looks much mor eproffesional etc. Let me know if you need help or info on it.

Not sure if I should be posting the link to my article on here or not so if I am just let me know!!

Thx

#10 (**permalink**) 02-17-2009

Have you signed up for a google webmaster's account? Submitting an XML map is supposed to help with organic searching. Although, I haven't really tried it out myself, as I am not quite sure what an XML Sitemap is.

Good luck, though!