Categories
FAQ (Development)

What is a “Web Directory”?

Web Directories are sometimes confused with ‘search engines’ – and vice versa, but they are not the same thing. The biggest difference is probably that a Web directory is maintained by humans (in most cases) instead of software and the Web sites are organized by subject.

The searcher looks at sites organized in a series of categories and menus. ‘Web directories’ are usually much smaller than search engines’ databases, since the sites are looked at by human eyes instead of by ‘spiders’.

Web directories are usually dedicated to specific niches/subjects, however there are many which are quite general – they list pretty much anything.

There are also paid directories and free directories. In paid directories, it costs a fee to have a web site included in that directory. In free web directories it doesn’t cost anything to have a web site included.

Below are some examples of web directories:

  • Yahoo: Yahoo has one of the best Web directories on the Web, along with its own search engine listings and many other search services.
  • PhotographersDB is a dedicated directory listing photographers’ websites, portfolios and social pages. It is organized by locations and is free to submit links.
  • The Open Directory also known as DMOZ has been around since 1999, and is a human-edited directory. The Open Directory Project purports to be the “largest on the Web”, constructed and maintained by a “vast, global community of volunteer editors.”
Categories
FAQ (Development)

What are “SERPs”?

SERPs is short for “Search Engine Result Pages”. These are the pages that appear with listings when searching for something on the Internet.

If someone goes to a ‘search engine’ (lets say google.com for example) and he/she searches for “domain names” – he/she will be shown a number of results based on that search term. That particular search would probably return millions of results – but the search engine would display them 10 results per page with the most relevant (best matched) results first.

The web site that shows up on as the first result for the search “domain names” can be said to have the “#1 SERP for the ‘keywords’ domain names“.

Better SERP placements means more traffic from search engines. To ensure better SERP’s for your website and keywords – you would need to have good ‘SEO’ (‘search engine optimization’) done to your site.

Better SEO = Better SERP placements = MORE TRAFFIC!

Check out the related content below for information and tips on how to get better rankings on search engines – check out the SEO articles.

Categories
FAQ (Development)

What is “Social Networking”?

Social networking is generally referred to the structuring of individuals into specific groups – like small communities. Individuals are able to communicate within a social network, make friends and meet like minded people. Basically, a social network allows individuals or organisations to connect with each other based on their interests and similarities.

Although ‘social networking’ is possible in person, especially in schools or in the workplace, it is most popular online. This is because unlike most high schools, colleges, or workplaces, the internet is filled with millions of individuals who are looking to meet other internet users and develop friendships and business relationships too.

Social Networking has become a booming industry over the last few years. There has always been sites that allowed people to network, however the popularity has really increased in the past few years. One of the reasons for this could be the wide availablity of broadband internet – but there are obviously many other factors.

Below are some popular social networking sites:

  • Myspace.com
  • Facebook.com
  • Friendster.com
  • Bebo.com
  • Wayn.com
Categories
FAQ (Development)

What is “SEO”?

SEO is short for ‘Search Engine Optimization’. It is the active practice of optimizing a web site by improving internal and external aspects in order to increase the traffic the site receives organically from ‘search engines’ such as google.com – yahoo.com – or others.

The higher a Web site ranks in the results of a search, the greater the chance that the site will be visited by a user. It is very rare for someone who is searching for something to browse through millions of pages of results. It is more likely that he/she will end up visiting one of the links of the first 2-3 pages. Therefore, where a site ranks in a search is essential for directing more traffic toward the site.

A well optimized site – “SEO’d” site… helps to ensure that it is accessible to search engines and improves the quantity of traffic (visitors) to the site.

Basic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can be performed by just about anyone who is willing to learn. It isn’t as hard as it may sound. In fact, there’s plenty of articles/tutorials right here on Demonised.com that you can try out. You can also search around for SEO forums – ask questions and get advice there.

However, if you don’t have the time to do all that then there are also many companies who can provide SEO services. It would be wise to understand what SEO is, what it involves, what it can do for you and then weigh up the costs of having professional SEO; before going ahead with something like this. I would also recommend researching a bit on the SEO company before making the plunge – not everyone can do what they claim.

Make sure you read the related content below for more information

Categories
FAQ (Development)

What is a “Search Engine”?

A search engine is an information retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system. However, in most cases; when we speak of “search engines” we are actually referring to a “web search engine” – which is a public search engine designed to search for information on the World Wide Web.

Search engines help to minimize the time required to find information and the amount of information which must be consulted, akin to other techniques for managing information overload.

The information searched and retrieved may consist of web pages, images and other types of files. Some search engines also mine data available in newsbooks, databases, or open directories. Unlike Web directories, which are maintained by human editors, search engines operate algorithmically or are a mixture of algorithmic and human input.

There are various types of search engines, the most commonly used (popular) ones are listed below:

  • Google.com
  • Yahoo.com
  • AltaVista.com
  • Live.com (MSN)

These search engines are used for pretty much anything. However, there are also dedicated search engines which can find more specific information/resources – some examples listed below:

Forum

  • Omgili

Blog

  • Amatomu
  • Bloglines
  • BlogScope
  • IceRocket
  • Sphere
  • Technorati

Multimedia

  • blinkx
  • FindSounds
  • Picsearch
  • Podscope
  • SeeqPod
  • Veveo
  • YouTube
  • Pixsta

Source code

  • Google Code Search
  • JExamples
  • Koders
  • Krugle


BitTorrent

  • Btjunkie
  • Demonoid
  • FlixFlux
  • Isohunt
  • Mininova
  • The Pirate Bay
  • TorrentSpy

Email

  • Nicado
  • TEK

Maps

  • Géoportail
  • Google Maps
  • MapQuest
  • Live Search Maps
  • Yahoo! Maps

Price

  • Google Product Search (formerly Froogle)
  • Kelkoo
  • MSN Shopping
  • MySimon
  • PriceGrabber
  • PriceRunner
  • Shopping.com
  • ShopWiki
  • Shopzilla (also operates Bizrate)
  • TheFind.com

Question and answer

  • Answers.com
  • AskMeNow
  • BrainBoost
  • eHow
  • hakia
  • Lexxe
  • Lycos iQ
  • Powerset
  • Live Search QnA
  • Yahoo! Answers