Directories are different to search engines. Search engines use software called spiders to trawl the web and rate websites. Directories are managed by humans.
The world''s largest directory site is Yahoo. Yahoo is also a search engine but has the directory part works very differently. Instead of using software or ''spiders'' to rate and discover websites and information, directories use humans who visit every site when first submitted to see if it is suitable.
First you must choose a category for your website. We might choose this category - Directory > Computers and Internet > Internet > World Wide Web > Site Announcement and Promotion Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Once this has been chosen we must submit it to the Editors. They will look to see if they think your site will add to the quality of the directory. If they think it wont then they wont include it. Thus you must try to find a category that is not too full and to see if it is exactly the right category. Also if you can be specific with your geography to make your listing more likely.
It is important to be in the Directories because the search engines start their crawl across the web at sites like this and also trust the editors. Thus your popularity can be boosted on the search engines if the directories have accepted you.
I am now not sure of the future of directories like Yahoo. Yahoo themselves seem to scaling back the importance of their directory and focussing more on the search engine side through Overture. I still think it is important to be in the directories but see their significance diminishing. Other more specialised or company directories like Yell.com and thomsondirectories.com could become the more dominant directories. Although if they go too far to paid inclusion they may well die away as well.