Web Directory

Topic: Searching the Internet

Difference between search engine and web directory

Web directory

Definition

Organized, categorized listings of Web sites.       

Search Engine

Definition

A program that searches documents for specified keywords and returns a list of the documents where the keywords were found. Although search engine is really a general class of programs, the term is often used to specifically describe systems like Google,  Alta Vista and Excite that enable users to search for documents on the World Wide Web.

Difference between web directory and search engine

 Web directories are organized Web site listings put together by human reviewers, whereas search engine listings are put together by automated systems and lack a navigable structure. Much of the confusion stems from the fact that search engines have incorporated directory features to assist with issues such as categorization and site quality.

Advantages to using web directories

There are advantages and drawbacks to using a Web directory as opposed to a search engine.

·      One vehicle may be better suited to certain types of searches than the other.

·      Directories place an emphasis on linking to site home pages and try to minimize deep linking. This makes directories more useful for finding sites instead of individual pages.

·      Some directories attempt to solve this shortcoming by partnering with a search engine for supplemental listings.