While submission to search engines used to be beneficial to getting your website indexed, and even necessary, five and ten years ago, submitting to search engines no longer has value. Major search engines wanted more comprehensive and independent data, and developed their own technology in the form spiders and crawlers. All major search engines now have the capacity to effectively search the web continuously and find new websites, plus evaluate the content and value. All major search engines now rely completely on their own technology. So, submission to a major search engine has either no impact, or even possibly a negative impact.

However, minor search engines do still accept website submissions, but not to build their data base, as you might think. The blunt truth is that minor search engines get increased traffic to their own site in the form of site submissions. You might spend your time and effort, but for what result? No one really uses smaller search engines for searching.

Then we get to the topic of search engine submission services. A few may provide a service of value, but many of these know that their service is a waste of time and money. But as long as people are willing to sign up, submission services will exist. These services will tell the inexperienced marketer that frequent submission is essential. And since most of the services do charge a small fee, this can provide a nice income for them, from your money. And while your website might get submitted to the minor search engines, but smaller search engines do not get used for searching. So there may be limited or even no real search index benefit.

Also, many new marketers are not aware that email harvesting is a major business for many small or minor search engines and also many search engine submission services. In fact, some small search engines only exist to collect data to sell as high quality email leads. Data bases contain your name, email, IP address, etc., and your information is sold as quality leads, over and over. After all, the new marketer is obviously interested in online marketing, and considered a high quality lead. So you eagerly provided, or even paid, to have your information sold repeatedly and provide them with a good source of revenue. But your website traffic does not increase. However, now your email account gets bombarded with online offers claiming you opted in to receive their information, and you do not know how your information was shared or released.

Some people are even aware of all these facts, but mistakenly believe that because the practice of submitting to search engines creates an inbound link to their website, this method is effective. Any links created are very low value, and major search engines recognize this fact. Quality links have always been the most important factor, and that will never change. To believe otherwise is just rationalization, or wishful thinking.

Finally, consider the long term efforts of your investments, whether as time, effort or money. Focus your efforts and energies on quality development and promotion methods, which will provide quality links, and quality traffic. There are no short cut methods to long term success. Start now to make your efforts reflect your true goal