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Yahoo Site Match

Is Site Match Right For Your Web Site

Originally Published: March 16, 2004

As mentioned in one of our previous newsletter issues, Yahoo started a new paid inclusion program: Site Match. Does this program work for your site or is it better not to use Site Match for your web site?

What is Site Match?

Site Match is a service that allows advertisers to submit their web pages to Yahoo by an XML feed to be crawled by Yahoo's algorithmic search engine.

Although webmasters pay for inclusion in the Yahoo index, results are still based on relevancy. Site Match listings appear on Yahoo, AltaVista, AlltheWeb and others.

How much does it cost to use Site Match?

If you don't want to submit more than 1,000 URLs, then Yahoo charges an annual review fee, which breaks down as follows:

• First URL: $49
• URLs 2-10: $29 each
• URLs 11-999: $10 each

In addition, subscribers pay a fixed cost-per-click for each customer lead that clicks on their listing. For most content categories, the cost-per-click is US$0.15, while selected categories are priced at US$0.30 per click.

Example: If you submit 3 URLs, you'll have to pay US$107 per year. In addition, you have to pay at least US$0.15 everytime someone clicks on a link to your site in the results.

Basically, this is the same system as the one that has been introduced by LookSmart.com some time ago.

Does Site Match guarantee high rankings?

No. You only pay for inclusion in the Yahoo index. Results are still based on relevancy. That means that you shouldn't use Site Match if your web site is not optimized for good search engine rankings.

Must I use Site Match if I want to be listed on Yahoo?

No. Site Match only guarantees that your web site will be indexed faster and on a regular basis. It's also possible to get in the Yahoo index without paying.

According to Yahoo, "discovering and indexing all of the content on the internet for free is a cornerstone of [Yahoo's] mission to provide the highest quality search experience on the internet".

What can I do to get in the Yahoo index without paying?

1. Make sure that your web site is search engine ready. If the HTML code of your web site is not valid for search engines and if your web site is not optimized for high search engine rankings, then it's pointless to submit your web site to Yahoo.
   
   
2. Make sure that your web site has a good linking structure. Search engines must be able to find all links on your web site through the links on your web pages. If you don't have a sitemap yet, create one now. Use text links to link from one page to the other. Search engines cannot understand JavaScript links yet.
   
   
3. Make sure that your web site has many good incoming links. The more good links point to your web site, the faster the Yahoo search engine spider (and other search engines) can find your web site. If many web sites link to your site, you won't have to submit your site at all.
   
   
4. After optimizing your web pages for search engines, submit your web site to Yahoo with Yahoo's free submission option. Remember that it only makes sense to submit your web site if your web pages are search engine ready.

Yahoo Site Match is a good service if you must have your web pages indexed very fast and if search engines cannot find your web site through other means (for example incoming links).

For small businesses, Site Match can be very expensive. These web sites can get better results by getting good incoming links and the free submission option.

It's important to know that paying for Site Match won't guarantee high rankings in Yahoo. It's still important to make your web pages search engine ready. Further information about Yahoo's new search engine can be found here: The New Yahoo Search Engine And Your Web Site.

Editor's Note: For more on Yahoo's submission options see: Yahoo's New Submission Options

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