Search Engines, Search Sites and Search Directories

Before we go into depth about search engines and how they work, there is an important distinction to be made between search engines search sites and search directories. Search engines have a proprietary way of indexing and catagorizing Web pages that they keep confidential. They build an index or directory you search through at a search site. These search sites are AOL.com, Netscape, EarthLink.com, and DogPile.com, to name a few.

Search directories are the third form of Web Page organizationon the Internet. Search directories use information that is provided by Web page owners and do not use indexes. There are a number of directories on the Internet. Examples are dir.yahoo.com, dmoz.org (Open Directory Project), and Aviva.com. Web Page owners submit their URL, listing and description to search directories, organizing the information within sub-directories. These submissions are edited by human editors who may shorten or reject a submission. Search engines sometimes use the data provided by search directories to help improve their search results, but directory listings can also provide valuable links to your Web page that can improve your page’s ranking. They are an important part of your search engine strategy.