| "I mean...after all, I use Google when I need to find | | | | do for him/her. |
| something. Doesn't everyone?" | | | | You may argue that that's the fault of the webmaster. |
| Well, it certainly seems that way sometimes, yes. And | | | | "If they'd only used titles and tags...". True, but they |
| could the internet survive with just the search engines? | | | | didn't. Maybe they didn't know how to. Maybe they just |
| Most likely. But...don't you find it interesting that Google | | | | didn't want to. Artsy people can be that way |
| has a directory in addition to their search engine | | | | sometimes, ya know.;-) |
| function? And Yahoo does, too. In fact, Yahoo was | | | | Or what about someone who has an absolutely |
| just a big directory long before they ever had a | | | | GREAT site dealing with skateboarding tips and tricks? |
| search function. | | | | There are probably about a million good skateboarding |
| It might well be argued that search engines are better | | | | sites out there. This poor guy might end up getting |
| at getting you to what you need than directories can | | | | ranked around #250 on Google, especially if it's a |
| ever be. Search engine spiders can find and gobble up | | | | smaller site. How many skateboard enthusiasts are |
| pretty much all the content on the web. They do an | | | | going to search 25 pages deep in Google's search |
| amazing job. Honestly. It's simply mind-boggling. But | | | | results? |
| they have limitations as well. | | | | And yet, he has a decent chance of sitting on equal |
| Were you aware that, if a webmaster build a site in | | | | footing in a web directory with all the other sites...and |
| Flash, but neglects to properly label the site with titles | | | | many skateboarding site webmasters may not have |
| and tags...the search engine spiders have NO CLUE | | | | submitted to that directory. After all, they are probably |
| what's on that site? So, how can we expect them to | | | | busy testing out that new halfpipe at the skate park! |
| properly categorize and rank it? They can't...unless they | | | | So, directories can have a lot of value. Especially to |
| have a human come take a look. | | | | webmasters with smaller sites and no advertising |
| Or what about a site filled with pictures or digital art | | | | budget. Finding a good directory (or a few) to submit |
| images that are titled only whatever the photographer | | | | your site to can help bring in traffic, as well as those |
| artist wanted to call them, rather than properly tagging | | | | inbound links that can help your site rank higher in the |
| them? What do you suppose a search engine is going | | | | search engines as well. |
| to do with a bunch of images with titles like "Skirmish", | | | | Take note the next time you come across a |
| "Dusk" or "Legs"? That's right...not too much! | | | | decent-looking, human-edited web directory. Take a |
| And yet, if the webmaster comes to a directory and | | | | few minutes to poke around and see what they have |
| submit his site with a description like "Pictures of war, | | | | to offer in categories that interest you. You're almost |
| sunsets and beautiful women...", at the very least, he | | | | sure to discover some cool sites you've never seen |
| she gets categorized alongside other photography | | | | before! |
| web sites. That's more than the search engines can | | | | |