Instead, they send out spiders or robots to visit your site. Popular engines like AltaVista and Infoseek aggressively search cyberspace for HTML implants called META tags that provide accurate, on-page descriptions of your site. They are accurate because you put them there deliberately. META tags are one way you can control how your site is indexed with the use of keywords and brief descriptions. If you are not already using them you should start now.
Search engines scour pages for HTML text.
Some may pick up the ALT descriptions nestled in graphic or hidden comment text. But for the most part, it's descriptive HTML text that generates true META search satisfaction. Picking the most search-friendly keywords is one of the greatest challenges you'll face as you try and gain exposure for your page. Fortunately, you don't have to reinvent the descriptive META-phoric wheel. Instead, use search engines like Yahoo and Lycos and run a search for sites similar to yours.