Newsletter ArchiveSUBJECT: Search Engine VS. Directory Welcome to The Internet 800 Directory Newsletter. Last weeks newsletter created some confusion about the difference between search engines and directories. This I believe came about because George mixed these two groups together for his article, using search engines as a generic term. Based on the objective of his article, I didn't see this as a problem and still don't. Because the interface for requesting information is the same, most of the public doesn't know that search engines and directory are two very different animals. With a directory, you chose how and what is contained in that listing about your company. Most directories will not add your listing without a request from you. Yahoo is a directory, as is The Internet 800 Directory, we both publish listing as the companies gave them to us. Yahoo is a directory of web pages and we are a directory of toll free numbers, but still both directories. However, Yahoo is also a PORTAL, which adds another terminology to this discussion, but is not that confusing. A portal is nothing more than what it means in real English language. It’s a door one goes through to get someplace else. By definiton, a portal is: “A Web site or service that offers a broad array of resources and services, such as e-mail, forums, search engines, and on-line shopping malls. The first Web portals were online services, such as AOL, that provided access to the Web, but by now most of the traditional search engines have transformed themselves into Web portals to attract and keep a larger audience.” (Thanks to webopedia.internet.com – Note: However, they left out directories within their examples.) What is a search engine, as it relates to directories or portals? When one submits their information to a search engine, it sends out a spider to scan and index their web site. Every search engine has a different method for compiling information to be returned at their site. Some use Meta headers, other find key words from your site. One search engine uses the words that others use in their links that point to your site. This can be a problem because you never know just how your site will be listed. If you have time, read the story at link below. http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,41401,00.html Both have their place on the Internet, when looking for a person, place or thing use a directory, when searching for general information use a search engine. List your company in both. All Contents Copyright ©1995-2001 The Internet 800 Directory Subscribe To The Newsletter: |