So how did WebUndies and Niagra Castings do it? They followed one of three basic models to getting - and staying - listed on search engines:

1. Do it all yourself: You can familiarize yourself with the major search engines, and submit your site to them yourself. This is the least expensive option, but it can be time consuming. You not only need to make sure you get listed the first time, but to monitor your position on the search engines weekly or monthly to be certain you don't get bumped down the list or knocked off completely. (Paul R. Ellis, showroom manager for Niagara Castings, says he spends about six hours each week checking his company's listings on the major search engines and submitting Niagara to a broader set of search engines.) You'll also need to learn a lot about the ins and outs of search engines and directories. A good place to start is at SearchEngineWatch, a very useful font of information about various search engines.

2. Use an automated submission service: You might call this "do it yourself, with a bit of help." Several online services will submit your Web site to search engines for you. They can save you a lot of time and teach you things as well. They've already done the work of gathering forms from dozens or hundreds of different engines, and have them all in one place. One of the most popular search submission services is bCentral's SubmitIt!

   Through this service, your site's name will get submitted for listing on up to 400 search engines, including all of the major ones. It will also resubmit your site automatically every month to reduce the chance that you will fall off the listings. And it allows you to check that you are still listed and where you are listed on an ongoing basis. The service runs $60 per year, or is included in a broader online marketing package for $19.95 per month. Other submission services include Submission Pro! and Get Submitted! Many hosting companies also offer a tool to list your site with search engines. You'll need to learn about search engine jargon and how search engines work, but many of these services are rich with tips and suggestions. You'll also need to be vigilant about checking your listings and making sure of your listing on an ongoing basis.

3. Hire someone to manage the process for you: If you want to avoid the time and hassle altogether, there are firms that will manage the entire process for you for a fee. Some will even guarantee a certain level of placement. Bissinger French Confections, a St. Louis maker of fine, handmade chocolates, hired Webster Group International (WGI) to handle its search engine listings. WGI managed to get Bissinger among Yahoo!'s top listings for "chocolates." WGI offers a money-back guarantee to clients, promising to get them a predetermined number of top 20 listings in the major search engines. It charges $1,999 for an initial three-month campaign to list clients on the major engines and then about $600 per month to maintain listings. For those fees, WGI personally submits your site to the 12 top search engines and directories and stays abreast of how the engines work to optimize page views for its customers. You'll have a project manager give you weekly updates about your site's search listings and rankings. If you can afford to outsource, you can leverage expertise and save considerable time working with a company such as WGI. There are literally hundreds of firms offering this service. I would ask for a list of clients, then go search for those clients in the major engines when choosing a company.

Worth the trouble