An Entrepreneur’s Trilogy

Stereotype Threat: Web Directories vs. Search Engines

Web directories and search engines are commonly associated with each other. Although they both serve similar purposes in the Search Industry they also have completely unlike features. For instance, a search engine sends a program called a “Spider” or “Robot”, to crawl the internet, and index websites into its database. Web directories usually require editors to manually seek out websites to include into their index.

Search engines drive traffic to websites, while most of today’s web directories provide back links to help increase search engine rankings. Evidently, web directories assist search engines with their own business. This behavior helps override the competition factor which web directories as an industry induce. This stereotype threat brings fear to directory owners while easing the worry of the search engines.

Once becoming a web directory owner you are faced with many choices. A lot of decisions must be made which will evidently lead to the destiny of your directory. Are you one to support this stereotype threat? Do you want to be independent in your business, or are you depending on search engines to give you a high ranking in their index; so you can pass the juice off to others? Do you want to be an authority in the industry, or just another web directory getting closer to the stereotype threat it’s associated with? These are the questions you must ask.

My advice when dealing with your own web directory is to face all aspects with a business mindset, to have good morals going forward with any judgments, and to think about the future along with the present. Once, you’ve put effort towards your vision you can distinguish your directory from the classic stereotype.

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