Search Engine Submittal Software - useful or waste of $$$?

[Ladyborg]

Hi, I'm new here. This is my first post. I would love input on search engine submitting software. Are they really (still) useful? If so, tell me what your preferred title is.

Thanks in advance for all input.

[Jeff Martin]

Ladyborg, I find submition software to be a waste of reources that could wind up hurting you.

The short answer:
The SEs dont need any help finding your site. You simply need at least one inbound link to allow the SEs to find you.

The long answer:
The SEs dont need any help finding your site. You simply need at least one inbound link to allow the SEs to find you. However, to rank well you will most likely need quite a few permanent inbound links from relevant sites with varying link text in the long run.

[David Wallace]

Waste of $$$.

[Ladyborg]

Thanks guys. From limited use I suspected most of the "new" hits were from those minor sites spidering the submitted URL. One of our sites was #1 on Google on a search for used auto sales in our city, and that without help from any software!

This is a stupid question, I think I know the answer - but to what exactly are you referring when you say "inbound links"?

[David Wallace]

This is a stupid question, I think I know the answer - but to what exactly are you referring when you say "inbound links"?
Links from other sites besides your own and no question is ever stupid. ;)

[Jeff Martin]

inbound link = a link from an external web site to yours.

Heres a good index of SEO/SEM terminology (http://www.webmasterworld.com/glossary/)

[Mikkel deMib Svendsen]

In my opinion submission software is a waste of money too

[jewboy]

A quick press of a button is not going to fool a team of thousands of search engine engineers!

SEO takes time, patience, money, creativity, and touches most areas of your marketing strategy.

[Ladyborg]

Thank you all for your helpful input which verified all I thought about SE software. It shouldn't take too much time to submit to Google! Any other search engines I should submit to? Does anyone ever use any other :p

[David Wallace]

You should really focus on submitting to directories - manually, directories such as JoeAnt, GoGuides, Skaffe, WoW, etc. and search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN will find your site on their own. There is never any need to submit directly to one of the big engines.

[Ladyborg]

Is there a good source for a list of these guides with URLs to click?

Thanks again!!!!!!!!!

[David Wallace]

http://www.strongestlinks.com/directories.php contains a good list of directories with related information about each one.