subject: What is the difference between a Search Engine and a Directory? [print this page] A search engine is a machine, or a robot if you want to call it that. Humans program the algorithm's for search engines, but humans have nothing to do with your website when the search engine spiders visit your website or index your pages into the search engine database. Google is the perfect example as they are by far the most advanced and popualr search engine in the world today.
A directory works in a very different way, when you submit your site to a directory, a human will review it for consideration into their directories. An example of a directory would be Dmoz.org.
Another difference between a search engine and a directory is that search engines have very large databases that contain links to multiple pages of websites, where a directory will only contain a link to the home page of each listings website.
Search engines will also take take a description either from the sentences of your webpage or from the description tag. A Directory uses the text you insert into their submission form.
While it is vitaly essential for the survival of your site to be indexed by the Search Engines through the practise of SEO, it is also recommended that you submit your site to as many Directories as possible. There are hundreds of directories online and submitting can be a tedious task which is why so many people use software to do the submitting. I would not recommend using software for this as the accpetance of your site to direcories are not guaranteed and the software may be unreliable. Submitting your site to these directories by yourself gives you more control and you can keep track of which ones you have submitted to, which ones accepted you and which ones did not.
What is the difference between a Search Engine and a Directory?
