There have been several threads here recently where people have discussed how Google and other search engines decide to report your presence. There are quite a number of "tricks" that people use, some of which seem to work and many that don't.

There are several "trade associations" related to the search "industry." A Google search for "search engines" should get you quite a lot of information. I've found some sites with pretty detailed information, but unfortunately didn't save links. The main thing to look for here is a site that is about search engines.

The same search should also get you a number of actual search engines. There are a number of "niche" engines that search only for specialized kinds of information. The major engines won't link you "at your request," but some of the more specialized ones may put you in their index lists if you simply ask them to - if you have something appropriate to offer.

One of the common things that is done is to "trade links." Many sites will agree to place a link to you if you agree to include a link to them. Many search engines do "count links" to decide whether a page is "listable," so their link to you increases your likelihood of being indexed, and your link to them does the same for their site. You should be careful about looking for sites where your stuff actually relates to their purpose for this (although many sites are not too selective). Look on the sites that interest you, and see if they have a "trade links" button somewhere. (You'll find them obviously displayed most often on smaller business or personal sites.)

John