How To Maximize Your Exposure In Google

It’s been a while since I’ve looked at Google’s page titled How to submit your content to Google. On first glance, it would be easy to assume this page represents all your options for submission and link seeking. The page includes the sections:

• Add your URL to Google’s index The basic and best known submission option for your web site’s pages.
• Google Base Submit everything from a recipe database to a job offer to collection of photographs.
• Google Books Partner Program For book publishers of any size, the Google Books Partner Program and help users discover your books on Google.
• Google Video Uploader Program If you create video content either professionally or as a hobby, Google Video provides a free platform for people to search, preview, and play your video. Your video will be linked to in search results.

Given that this page is designed to explain how to submit content to Google, it’s easy to see why most folks assume this must be all there is that can be submitted; however, take a look at the bottom right of the above page, where you’ll see another lonely link that looks like this:

About Google

Click that link, then click the link you see that says:

Google Services & Tools

Here’s the real mother lode. The Google Services & Tools page lists many other obvious and not so obvious ways you can obtain even more links from Google properties to your content. Note the second link down in the left column. It reads:

Blog Search

I’ll go out on a limb and assume you have a blog. If so, then go to About Google Blog Search, and then click FAQ item #5, How do I get my blog listed? How easy was that? Remember that original How to submit your content to Google page? It never mentioned blog content at all. You’d only find that if you took some time and clicked around the Google site.

This one exercise should have you curious, and asking what other types of submissions and links are out there waiting for you at Google. And whether you are a new or seasoned link builder, remember that link opportunities can only be maximized if you know they exist in the first place. Here are several other Google link opportunities you may be able to pursue.

Finance. See all that excellent finance related news? The publishers of those news stories have some really sweet links within the Google Finance pages. I wonder what other publishers ought to be here but haven’t noticed?

Images. Your site has images, so why not make sure that can be found via a Google image search. Look how it helps me.

Maps. Add or edit your business, and Google will link to it. Here’s mine.

News. – Search thousands of news stories. If you produce news, get it included.

Product Search. Formerly known as Froogle. Still free, and still links right to your products. Christmas is six weeks away, so what are you waiting for?

Scholar. Publish scholarly information or journals? Your links await.

University Search. Several hundred university specific databases. This is just one of many specialty searches Google offers. If you have content that is appropriate, there are links to be had, so click and see if a Google specialty database fits your content.

There are several other linking opportunities throughout the many Google properties, and while some people know about some of them, my guess is most people don’t know a thing about any more than one or two of them, and few if any people know about all of them. I do my best to keep up with the variety of linking opportunities Google offers, and as I learn of others I’ll share them. If you know of others, do the same over at Sphinn.

Eric Ward has been in the link building and content publicity game since 1994, providing services ranking from linking strategy to a monthly private newsletters on linking for subscribers. The Link Week column appears on Mondays at Search Engine Land.