At a minimum, search engine submission involves adding the URL of the site or page that will be under consideration. Search engines sometimes ask for additional contact information, including name and/or email address. Policies for adding URLs vary among various search engines. Some search engines only ask for the main URL of a site, claiming that the rest of the site will be spidered; others require the submission of individual pages. Variation also exists with regard to how often URLs may be added, as some engines have tried to discourage bulk submissions in an attempt to minimize spamming. You can submit sites/pages manually or in an automated manner. Manual submission involves going to each of the "Add URL" pages and filling out the form fields individually. Automatic web site submission involves filling out information only one time; the necessary information is then used by a search engine submitter software or search engine submission script to submit to many search engines at the same time. Confusing search engine submission with search engine optimization is a common mistake. The mere act of submitting does nothing to optimize the pages in question and hence achieve higher rankings.