Computer Center-Search Engines-Penn State Erie

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Helping Search Engines Find Your Web Page

Helpful Tips

There are several ways to help search engines catalog (or index) your web page. One way is to register your URL with a search site. The other way is to use the META tag.

Register Your URL

Many search engine sites allow users to register their web pages.
To register your URL, go to a search engine's main page and click the Add URL button/link. Then follow the on-screen instructions.
After you complete the registration process, it may take several days to several months before your URL is actually registered with the search engine.

Using the Meta Tag

The META tag is used to provide additional information about your web page to a search engine. You can specify keywords and a summary of the page's content.
The META tag must be placed somewhere between the opening and closing HEAD tags.
The format of the META tag for adding keywords is shown below. (Note: You can have more than 3 keywords.)
<META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="keyword-1, keyword-2, keyword-3">
The format of the META tag for adding a descriptive summary is shown below.

<META NAME="description" CONTENT="brief description of web page">

Example:

<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="Penn State, Penn State Erie, Behrend, Behrend College, Penn State Behrend">
<META NAME="description" CONTENT="Penn State Erie is a four-year and graduate college of The Pennsylvania State University. The College offers a broad range of academic programs that allow students to complete a Penn State degree.">
<TITLE>An Example of Using the Meta Tag to Help Users Find Your Page</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
The Meta tag can be very useful when you would like to provide search engines with more information.
</BODY>
</HTML>