The worldwide web offers you a great chance to showcase your music to anyone in the world without the expensive marketing strategies that major bands have at their disposal. But there are plenty of other bands out there that try to do the same thing. Having a great band website is a start, but don't stop once it is ready. To build an audience through the web, you need visitors. And that is only possible if people can find your website.

Be found via the search engines

If you have a good and unique band name, chances are that your website will rank well in the search engines if people type in the band name. But don't forget that only people who know you will ever attempt to search for your band name. If you are a band from Barcelona playing symphonic rock music, it would be great if your band website appears in the search results for the combined terms symphonic + rock + Barcelona. The more competition there is for these terms, the more difficult it becomes to get a good position in the results and the more difficult it is to receive visitors.

How to improve search engine ranking

Most search engines nowadays look at the keywords on your website to decide for which terms it will be found. The actual ranking in the results list largely depends on how many other websites are linking to yours, and links from important web pages count heavier than links from less important pages. The search engines also take a detailed look at the keywords present on the pages linking to your site. How to use this to your advantage? Spend enough time to get some links from other websites, preferentially in a listing accompanied by a description of your band. With a bit of patience, it will benefit your ranking.

Where can I get my band website listed?

There are many places on the web to promote your band website. You can exchange links with the website of a friend band. You can put a link in your signature if you participate in certain forums. On the other hand there are some dedicated directory websites available where you can post information about your band, including a link to your band website. The way they are organised makes it easy for people to find you, for example based on certain keywords or location. A great example is the European Music Band List ( http://bandlist.eu ), in which European Music Bands can create a free band profile page.