Search engines are very much useful for research purposes using the Internet. As you all know, the online media is a vast collection of open and exclusive resources. Everything that is posted on the Internet can be easily retrieved if right and appropriate words will be used in the search engine search.

There are numerous search engines that are actively operating currently. The two top and competing search engines are Google and Yahoo. The former is the current leader it the segment, while the latter holds the record of being the more pioneer in the search engine business. Both have different sets of features but there functioning is almost the same.

On the other hand, a Web directory is different from a search engine. A Web directory, unlike the search engine, is an organized listing of Web sites. The listing is organized through categorizations of included and listed Web pages. Thus, a user/ searcher would easily find a Web site that is being sought.
Is there a link between the search engine and the Web directory? The two are different in nature and operations but are functioning independently from each other. Web directories are not formally linked to search engines but the two can be inter-operational.

Because search engines cover just anything that can be found within the Internet, Web directories are included in those sites that those search portals can penetrate. Thus, if you type the proper and general keywords or keyword phrases, you surely would get a listing providing links to different directories.

Major search engines are starting to offer special services that would distinct Web directories. Thus, Google now has its special operational service that lists exiting Web directories online. The business also starts up its own directories. Thus, you would find that Google has its own wide and comprehensive list of Web sites.

So how is the behavior of search engines towards Web directories? Search engines are classifying Web directories are just ordinary Web sites. Based on the operational classification, Web directories are no different than ordinary Web pages. Web directories are included in pages that are similar to Web sites. The listings and classifications of listed pages can be found in the Web directories’ official cover pages.

However, there are instances when searches at search engines would yield special listing of Web directories. That would happen if the keywords typed in the search box of search engines are fit and customized to lead to the listing containing the Web directories.

Like search engines, most Web directories are also principally businesses in nature. The operations are reliant on capital and there are investments from investors involved. There are free Web directories. These are directories that are compiled and developed without soliciting money from the companies and sites that want to be included in the listing. Also, these directories almost always seek the sites to be listed in their directory, instead of the sites seeking the directory.

Paid Web directories are operating like normal advertising businesses. These sites solicit money in exchange for inclusion of a Web page in the paid directory. Web sites, on their part, are very eager to render submissions to such directories because such listings really lead to successful links with transactions from online consumers.

In terms of comparison, free and paid Web directories have their own and respective advantages and disadvantages. But based on experiences and confidence of online consumers, paid directories are more effective because consumers are more confident and assured of the details, contact information and links provided by such services. Whereas in free Web directories, there are times when a Web site is a wrong address or is just a mirror site of another unrelated Web site.

Search engines would take you to such Web directories depending on the search terms you are using in your search activity. Indeed, search engines are Web directories can be linked directly to each other.