Sites such as Yahoo and Inktomi have gone the pay-per-inclusion route: “Pay us and we will review your site, and possibly list you. Don't pay us and take your chances.”

As Ken says:

- - -

... the pay-per-inclusion model has floundered dismally. And now, it's about to die off altogether.

By refusing to adopt a pay-per-inclusion program of its own, Google built THE largest database of sites, allowing it to more accurately address the queries of its visitors. It just makes sense -- if you give away free listings via an easy-to-use, free submission page, you'll have a whole heck of a lot more Web pages than if you charge for listing.

Google's competitors were unable to deliver results of the same caliber, partly because they simply had less to choose from. Obviously, when you charge for entry into a database, you eliminate 99% of the Web sites on the Net which cannot
justify paying such a fee - and not just great little small business sites - hobby sites, not-for-profit sites, pure information sites, etc. All excluded.

Not good ... not if you're a Search Engine.

What the advocates for the pay-per-inclusion model didn't understand, and what Google DID, was that their real customer is the advertiser, not the searcher. Nor are Web sites the customers of the engines. To "get" who the customer is, all you have to do is follow the money trail.

Advertisers pay engines.

Advertisers are, therefore, the customers.

So, Google thinks, "We will make the ADVERTISERS happy."

Good idea!

That means a big database of zillions of Web sites and great technology to deliver highly relevant sites. Yes, of course, great search results are CRITICAL to keep those
searchers coming back. That's how you make your money through advertising... advertisers LOVE targeted eyeballs.

That means you encourage sites to submit... for free.

- - -

Ken compares this to the model of television – give away the content and charge for advertising. How else could a network charge a million dollars for 30 seconds of the Superbowl?

This is the best kind of news for the small business owner. If money is the sole basis of inclusion, we're in trouble because we can't possibly outspend the big companies. But we can out-think and out-maneuver them. That's where the free search engine visibility pays off.

As Ken says, “You ain't seen nothing yet!”