There was a point in history where just having a website meant you’d get instant attention. It was easy to be the only pizza place in town with a website, for example. However, times have changed. Anyone with an online presence these days faces a lot of competition. It’s important to find a way to stand out from the crowd. One of the best ways to do so is by use of web directories.

When many people begin working to promote their website, they wind up passing by web directories. The reason for this is a general confusion among much of the population about the differences between web directories and search engines. Search engines tend to be a grab bag. It relies to a heavy extent on automated processes to find sites and data.

In general it’s very useful, but at the same time they face the general limitations of any semi-automated process. Computers just aren’t as good as humans at determining the worth of various content. As such, you might have the best site in the world and face a listing in the abyss of the tenth page of a search engine.

Web directories, on the other hand, are usually managed by human beings. There’s a huge advantage here for anyone who really has faith in their site’s content. One can present it for consideration, listing, and ranking within a web directory. If it’s a great site, the chances of it ranking high are good.

Additionally, there are usually payment options which can allow one greater visibility in a variety of different ways. Additionally, high ranking in a web directory will also push up a site’s visibility within search engines. This is where the automated nature of search engines actually works to one’s advantage.

However, not all web directories are created equally. Some directories are more popular, some are easier to get into, and some will offer greater propagation to search engines. There are a number of features which one should consider when evaluating what the best web directory choices are.