“Site Promotion” is an old term from the 1990’s Web for getting your website listed in as many search engines and directories as possible so that no matter where a person was searching, they ran across your website.  Back then there were a lot of search engines and directories, both large and small and you had to submit your website’s URL in order to be listed.

Who is This For?

This is basically a URL submission guide to promote your website to a wider audience.  It is intended only for non-commercial, personal HTML type sites.  Think Neocites type sites and the like and you would be right.  It is NOT intended for submitting blogs, those need to be submitted to different resources.  See the guide for blogs.

I have purposely omitted directories that require you to pay a fee when you submit your site for inclusion.

If you have a Neocities site this guide is intended for site promotion in addition to whatever is provided or is customary among Neocities sites.  So, first do what webmasters normally do within the Neocities community and then do this guide.  You may already know about these lisitng places but beginners might not so you can pass this along to them.

(All links open in a new tab.)

The Big Search Engines

There are only 4 large English language search engines that have their own crawler and index.  Google, Bing, Yandex and Mojeek.  You cannot submit to them, there is nothing for you to do. But rest assured, they will eventually find you by following links to you from other websites and then crawl your website.

Search Engines for Non-Commercial Sites

(Check to see if you are already listed.)

1. Wiby.me – this search engine was built to index HTML type websites.  They need you to submit your URL.  They will then crawl your site.
2. Searchmysite.net – for non-commercial sites.  They do not crawl the web the way the big search engines do.  The only way they will find you is if you submit your site.

Small Search Engines

I’d never heard of these but they have “Add URL” so go ahead and submit if you want.

1. Bloopish – new to me.  Free submit so might as well.
2. Crawlson – Ditto.
3. Yessle – it looks like you can only submit one page.
4. Yioop –
5. Infotiger – this may be the most important to submit to of this group.
6. Anoox –

Larger Non-Commercial Directories

(Check to see if you are already listed first.)

1. Indieseek.xyz Directory – drill down to the category that best fits your site and add URL from there. Tip: The “Personal Homepage” category fits most non-topical personal homepages.
2. Yesterweb Directory – submit as per the rules.

Link Back Directories

(These smaller directories all require a link back to them before you submit and you have to stay linked to them to remain in the directory.  See each directory for submission and linking instructions.)

Linklane –

List-Me –

Moonshot –

NerdListings –

Smooth Sailing –

Pretend Listing –

Webrings

• Retroweb Ring – you can apply to join our webring.
• Webring Directory – browse through the webrings, visit, and pick those that you like, seem well managed and that you qualify for and apply. Follow the webring’s rules.  Join 3 – 4.  Webrings bring traffic.

Disclaimers

• Resources listed in this guide should not be considered an endorsement.
• I have not listed resources that charge a fee for listing, no matter how small.
• If you know of a resource that should be included, please let me know in a comment below.  No promises though.
• If your resource is listed and you would like it removed, please let me know in a comment.
• Do Not use this guide for submitting blogs.  I will be making a separate guide for blogs.
• Do Not Spam these indexes. Submit once and wait to see if you are accepted or rejected.  It may take weeks
• The directories listed are human reviewed. They each have different standards. Submitting does not guarantee inclusion.

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