Search engines are usually categorized into the following groups:

1. Search engines
2. Directories
3. PPC-engines - pay per click search engines Search engines use computer programs ("spider") to browse through the entire Internet, read pages, and automatically index the content into large searchable databases.

Directories are human powered hierarchical structures of links to websites. The largest directories are Yahoo, LookSmart, and ODP.

PPC-engines have greater similarities to other online advertising products than traditional search engines. The biggest PPC engines are Google, Overture, eSpotting, FindWhat, and Kanoodle. Lycos offers a PPC-engine called InSite AdBuyer for bidding for placement throughout the Terra Lycos Network on sites including Lycos.com, HotBot, Terra.com, Tripod/Angelfire, and more. In PPC-engines, users bid for the position they want in the search results. The highest bidder receives the top result, the next highest bidder receives the second result, and so on. You can learn more about PPC-engines at Pay Per Click Search Engines and Search Engine Watch.

The rest of this tutorial will focus on search engines and how to optimize your web sites to become more visible and to attract more relevant, interested visitors. We hope you find this is a valuable tutorial on how to build a search engine-friendly website.

Work out a long term strategy
Generally speaking search engine optimization is a long-term strategic tool rather than a tool for short-term campaigns.

There are many ways to increase the number of targeted visitors your website receives from searches. You can optimize your website, use inclusion programs, pay for business express reviews in directories, purchase sponsor links or bid for positions in PPC-search engines.

For each of these options there are even more options. What optimization strategy do you implement? What PPC-engines can benefit your business and what tools do you choose to use?

This tutorial will focus on search engine optimization. However, we encourage you to look at other available methods of acquiring qualified targeted visitors from search engines.

Three steps on the way to success

The following will detail three key steps involved in effective search engine optimization:

1. Optimizing your website
2. Submit and index pages
3. Monitor and analyze results After the tutorial we have included a FAQ of search engine optimization problems.