On Why Google Still Relies on Directories
Most people are confident with using search engines in 2009, since they allow us to find things rather quickly. This is great, but search engine results aren’t moderated by actual people, but by an algorithmic rule. So why would that be significant? Imagine you’re looking for a pub in Northampton for example. You would enter these keywords into Google (for example), then a list of search results would be shown. How do you know whether these results are reliable if they haven’t been been filtered by a human editor? Here’s the solution: search engines employ human-administered website directories as a basic filter.
Directories still play a fundamental part online, and the top-quality directories will be necessarily edited by humans. A person may discover that (for instance) : “hmm, that restaurant has a particular rating for cleanliness and having certain standards, that’s a really encouraging sign”. A renowned website directory will receive many entries daily. An administrator will investigate these entries, and if the editor is satisfied that the level of the entry is of a particular standard, it is included in to the online directory. And this is why Google still loves website directories. Both the Yahoo! directory and dmoz.org are utilized by search engines as filters to determine the trustworthiness of a website – whether it’s included in dmoz.org / Yahoo! directory or not, as they’re edited by humans and have strict guidelines.
Thus do not minimise the importance of internet directories because most individuals use search engines to discover things. A human-edited directory can be a crucial measuring device as to how trusted a website is. If you own a website, also look to get your site added in a niche directory, like a builders directory, a motel directory, or a beauty directory.
While humanity is needing to act upon signals of trustiworthiness, the net will invariably require people to present their seal of approval, and therefore directories will forever play a part.
Filed under: World Wide Web Resources