Search Engines are the main way people on the world wide web find web sites / pages for relevant subjects. Search Engines are large online databases of websites that allow you to search for specific queries. For example if you were looking for "computer game cheat codes" you would type this into the search box on a search engine and press the search button. Then a list of web sites about "computer game cheat codes" would be listed. Of course different search engines use different databases of web sites, and some produce more relevant results than others. This is because of factors like a larger database of websites or a better search engine algorithm (mathematical programming system used to determine which web pages are displayed in search results).

The majority of search engines have free submission (they do not promise to list your website). There are search result providers like Overture who do charge money for an express or superior listing. These search engines generally use Pay Per Click, where a search engine charges for every click to a website.

Currently there is a search war between Google, Yahoo and MSN. Both Yahoo and MSN have launched new search technology in 2004 to take Google's crown as the kind of search engines. The main search index is still free for Google, Yahoo and MSN. However Google's Adsense program has shown there are massive profits to be made from the advertisements displayed above and to the side of the main search index. This is the market Yahoo and MSN want to tap into.

• Alta Vista
• AskJeeves - Teoma
• Fast Alltheweb.com
• Google
• MSN

PPC (pay per click) search engines -

• Espotting
• Overture

Directories -

• Looksmart
• ODP (The Open Directory Project)
• Yahoo
• ukdir.org

Metasearch (searches multiple search engine results and displays them on the same page)

• Dogpile

The difference between a search engine and a directory is that a search engine lists pages, whereas a Directory such as Looksmart or The Open Directory Project lists websites. Submitting a web site to a search engine is extremely simple, in that all you need to do is follow the "submit a site" link on search engine web sites and fill in the relevant information about your web site. The amount of time it takes to get a free listing in a search engine varies greatly, with google usually taking a month for example.