On Why Certain Web Directories Are Still Important to Google

December 30th, 2009 at 12:27 am (Web)

Everybody is familiar with browsing the net with search engines in 2009, since they allow us to find websites so speedily. This is essential, nonetheless search engine results aren’t calculated by actual people, instead it’s done by an algorithmic rule. Why is that remarkable? Well, imagine you’re searching for a pub in Leeds as an example. One would type this keyphrase into Bing (for example), then a list of search results would appear. How can one know if these results are reliable if they haven’t been been filtered by a human editor? Here’s the answer: search engines employ human-edited website directories as a basic filter.

Directories still play a part on the web, and the most discriminating directories are inevitably edited by people. A human may realise that (for instance) : “that restaurant has been awarded a michelin star, that’s a really encouraging signal”. A good online directory will receive a number of submissions everyday. An administrator will investigate these entries, and if the official is content that the quality of the entry is of a set standard, it is added to the online directory. This is why Google still loves internet directories. Both the Yahoo! directory and dmoz.org are looked up by search engines as filters to observe the veracity of a website – whether it’s included in dmoz.org / Yahoo! directory or not, as they’re edited by people and have stern rules-for-entry.

So do not understate the significance of website directories just because almost everyone uses search engines to discover things. A directory with stern guidelines can act as a great yardstick as to how trusted a website is. If you are a website owner, seek to get your site included in a niche directory, like a construction directory, a self-catering directory, or a beauty directory.

While humanity is requiring signs of trust, the web will invariably rely on individuals to present their stamp of approval, and thus directories will always play a part.

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