Search Engines Can Be the Online Writer's
Best Friend
BY CHERIE DAVIDSON
It's an exciting time for online writers,
with a wide array of options. With desire and well-directed effort, a good
writer can end up with a variety of work. However, as we know, there is much
more to the writing biz than the meat and potatoes of the actual writing.
Research, record-keeping, finding markets, composing and sending queries,
dealing with rejections and self-promotion all factor in, and it all takes
up a great deal of time. But the actual money, and the greatest
satisfaction, comes from the writing itself and seeing your by-line posted
on some well-trafficked site.
So, the question becomes, "How do I
make more time for writing and spend less time on the "other stuff'"?
That "other stuff" is vital to being a successful writer, so the trick
is to find the easiest and most simplified ways to accomplish the "not
writing stuff."
I have given it much thought - and
spent a great deal of time - and as a cyber-writing veteran I have
discovered there is timesaving value in search engines. Eight years ago
I would not have believed that the time- consuming search engine could
be my friend. But now I know better!
The trick is to be selective, precise,
and not allow yourself to get distracted. Another trick is to get to
know the particular benefits and shortcuts of your favorite search
engines and directories, because they all have different aspects to
them, some more than others. Use their strengths and avoid their
weaknesses.
Relevant Searches
The greatest weakness is irrelevant
search results, so for general or topical searches stick with those
sites that make an effort to give relevant results. A tip from my own
experiences: use either specialty search directories dedicated to the
particular field you are researching, or a major engine that uses
popularity results.
One drawback to large search portals is
they usually bring back a huge amount of results (often in the thousands
and hundreds of thousands), so I don't go any deeper than the first
three to five pages of results. If I can not find what I am looking for
in those results, my search term/keywords are getting derivative results
and this translates to losing valuable time. So I do a new search using
different and more specific keywords or phrases to get better results
faster.
Reference Help
When you are working online, why take
the time to pull a dictionary, thesaurus, or other reference book from
your shelf, when you can type what you want and have it pop up on your
screen? As you may have discovered, the major search engines don't
really offer reference information, except to give you lists of sites
that specialize. By using a reference-specific directory you have access
to a list of helpful tools at your mouse-tip.
Toot Your Own Horn - AKA
List Your Writing Site
The third best way search sites can be
a very good friend is when you list your writing site with them. More
and more off and online writers are finding an advantage to having their
own online presence, a site for posting their virtual portfolio, links
to their published online work, "clips" available for download or
reading on site, references, bios, even resumes or client/publishing
lists. You can have a site for little or no money by using a free site
service like
Geocities, or my personal favorite,
QuickSites. Now more than ever, it is important - actually, it is
essential - for today's writers to have a website or at least a blog.
Someplace where editors, publishers and potential contacts (and even
fans!) can visit and learn more about the writer, their work and who
they are.
Once you have a site, you obviously
want people to find it, and listing with search engines and directories
is one of the ways to do this. You can pay to have a service list your
site, or you can take the time to do it yourself. How far you want to
take it depends on your needs, but for the shoestring-budget writer, I
have found the best way is to go to the search engine and directory
sites, and fill out the (usually) short forms found on their "Add a
Site" or "Submit URL" pages on your own.
There are some free services that claim
to "mass submit" your site address to hundreds of search engines, but
you may pay for these with your time, because your email inbox will be
flooded with "Make Money" and promotional offers, so be careful and know
what you are getting into. One notable and outstanding exception is
SelfPromotion.com. I have used that site for a few years and I never
get spammed or bothered. I always begin my client site promotions at
SelfPromotion.com.
When submitting your site, use the
search directories that do not charge a listing fee. This will not give
you thousands of visitors your first month (and neither will paying for
being listed!), but it will cost you very little time, no money, and get
you a good start. Then you can include your site address in the
signature of all your emails, add it to business cards, stationary, your
yellow pages ad or anywhere you put your name or business name.
Search engine and directory sites are
very helpful tools with great potential for benefit when used
efficiently. With a little practice, and being aware of the positive
features available at your favorite portals, you will be able to spend
more time on the real issue at hand - getting that article or story
written and published.
Cherie Davidson is a freelance
writer and Web content developer who lives in the Pacific Northwest with
her toy poodle, Auggie Dog, her "energy muse." During her "day job" she
runs her own freelance writing business,
Suitable Words Publications, where she writes and promotes Website
content, designs and develops ebooks, hires out as a copywriter and
writes a wide variety of articles and essays. She has finally caved in
and started a
blog for helpful and humorous comments and articles for and about
writing.
 |
