10 replies to this topic

[timbers]

I've heard from an SEO agency that if you submit a URL to Google your are penalised and your search rankings would be lower than if the site were found "organically" (presumably via links from other sites)?

Any truth in this?

[qwerty]

Nope.

As I understand it, Google pretty much ignores manual submissions. They find pages by following the links on other pages. But that doesn't mean you'll be penalized for manually submitting. I just don't think it will accomplish anything.

[deborah2002]

Hi, Timbers!
As qwerty said, manually submitting is not needed. Matter of fact, you "over submit' to them and they'll label you a spammer and throw you out. Just leave them alone, more or less, and you'll be found through links

deb

[dimok]

It's very popular myth. Lots of people believe that Google ranks site better if he found it by the link on some site. I think it's not true.

But do not forget that "links rule the ranks"

[Think Web]

There's nothing wrong with submitting, although it's not necessary if you have some links pointing to your site. Spiders will always do their job and add new sites to their indices as they find them (through links).

I'm not so sure that over submitting your site would get it penalized, because if would, your competition could do great harm by over submitting on your behalf.

Edited by Think Web, 08 August 2003 - 10:06 AM.

[Jill]

Hey Timber, welcome!

Where are you hearing stuff like that? I suggest that you stop reading or listening to those people as they obivously don't know what they're talking about.

Jill

[Scottie]

Just to clarify for anyone who may be confused:

You certainly can submit your site to Google. As many times as you like. They won't penalize you for oversubmitting- they say that in their FAQ's.

Googlebot probably will stop by eventually based on a submission. Your site may get into the index, but likely will not be ranked for anything.

You have to have at least one good link (from a page already in the index) for Google to keep you in their index and rank you for anything. You can get a link by submitting to DMOZ, GoGuides, JoeAnt, and other respected directories. Your web designer may also link to your site from their portfolio page- often that's enough to get you started.

Welcome to the forum, timbers!

[timbers]

thanks for all the help everyone - glad we didn't pay for the advice from the SEO agency in question - it sounded unlikely so I thought I'd get a second opinion - and I've got a third, fourth, fifth...... !
timbers

[Mel]

Well Google at least won't penalize you for "oversubmitting" according to their webmaster pages:

Fiction: A website will be removed from Google's index if it's 'over-submitted'.
Fact: We do not require submission nor do we penalize sites for 'over-submission'. You are free to submit as often as you wish. However, given the nature of our inclusion process, your time is better spent improving the content and links of your site.

:robot:

[Vermont]

Hi, Timbers!
  As qwerty said, manually submitting is not needed.  Matter of fact, you "over submit' to them and they'll label you a spammer and throw you out.  Just leave them alone, more or less, and you'll be found through links

deb

It seems to me that if this were true, one could "over submit" his competitors website and get them delisted or penalized!

[Jill]

You are correct, Vermont. They do not penalize for oversubmitting for that very reason.

Jill