The term “search engine” has become the predominant term for “search system” or “search site”, but these terms mean different things.
Search Engines
Big search-index companies (Google) own tens of thousands of computers that use software ( spiders, robots) to grab web pages and analyze the information stored in them. They use complex algorithms to index that information and rank it in order based on relevance of a given search term. This is what’s called the “search results”.
A search directory is a categorized collection of information about web sites instead of containing information from web pages.
The biggest directories are owned by Yahoo! (dir.yahoo.com) and the Open Directory Project (www.dmoz.org). Search directories do not use spiders to index pages on the web sites in the directory; instead, for each site, the directory contains information such as a title and description submitted by the owner of the site. (Submitting your website URL should be one of your SEO tactics; as discussed in earlier posts on AkosFintor.com)
Bigger directories have staff members who overview your site ( making sure your web site is legit and submitted in the right catergory). Smaller directories often accept sites based on the owner’s submission with little verification.
Search Sites
These sites let you search through some kind of indexes or directory of web sites or both. A search site may not actually own a search index. For instance Google is a search site and a search engine. However AOL.com or EarthLink.com are search sites but powered by Google’s search index.
Open Directory Project is a search directory that partnered up with AOL’s search site which is powered by Google’s search engine.
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