Directories Are Not Search Engines

A search engine searches the World Wide Web for Web sites and pages and extracts information from them. It files links to all the sites it scans in a single, huge database, based on key words it sees on those sites. Readers then use search words or phrases to tell the search engine what sites in the database they want to view.

A directory cuts its database into sections. Instead of finding sites by search word match, users are given category selections, then subcategory selections, and possibly sub-sub-category selections.

There are major differences between these two creatures. A search engine is the best tool to use when you know what you want to find. If you know you are looking for "Bill's Garage in Peoria," a search engine that does a good job of keeping its listings up to date will come up with Bill's Web page, if he has one, or a directory listing of some sort that will give you Bill's phone number and address. But if you have a broken Volkswagen and want to get it fixed but have no particular garage in mind, you might be better off browsing than searching, and directories offer better browsability than search engines. For example, you might go to a directory that is organized by geography and find its "Peoria" section, then look for an "automotive repair" subsection. Once you're at that point, you can select which garages you want to check out including Bill's, if his is listed in that particular directory.

The biggest problem with online directories is that all of them are incomplete. The best ones are compiled by humans, and that makes them expensive to maintain. Directories tend to be more reliant than search engines on submissions to keep their databases current, and this opens another window where human uncertainty can creep in, especially when it comes to culling outdated links. Hardly anyone ever bothers to email all the directories where his or her site is listed to say, "We're going broke and taking our Web site down, so please remove all our listings, thank you."