I apologise in advance for my ignorance :!: - but if robots from Google for example are visiting your site then does that mean it has been 'indexed'?

I ask because I read that if you want to be 'indexed' into Google within a short space of time then it would be a good idea to link to a high PR site of say 7. Even if that means buying the link for a month

thanks guys!

Most likely yes.

The best way to check if your domain and pages are indexed in google is by typing in:

site:www.mywebsite.com

site:www.mywebsite.com/page.htm

If Google returns a match, you are indexed. The same procedure works for all major engines.

I would not link to a PR7 for the purpose of being indexed. Looks very unnatural. Best way to get indexed is by posting your URL in your signature on Daniweb. Wait a while before linking to power sites with high pagerank.

Don't be in a hurry with Google. Most new sites get stuck in Google's Sandbox for 5 to 8 months, which means that the site probably won't rank well in G for most competitive terms for quite some time.

A well-designed site with good content should rank well in MSN and Yahoo within a month or two. Getting some links pointed to your site does help. Most forum signatures and links from free directories work well. Here's a starter list of directories.

<URL SNIPPED>

There are literally hundreds of thousands of free directories on the Web. Just search for "free directory".

Being indexed by Google and ranking for a keyword are two separate issues. Some peopel observe a sandbox effect - in which it can take almost a year to rank for a particular keyword.

A few words about directories. I would avoid free directories or directories that want recip links. In my opinion, and that of many top search marketers is they are a waste of time. There are many good directories out there (ie. Yahoo), however the PageRank passed to your site will most likely be weak due to the many outgoing links on the page. Do list your site in top tier authorative and topical niche directories. Avoid free directories by all means - the only free directory I know of that has value is DMOZ.