Web directories are web sites that include listings of various web sites throughout the Internet. These web directories may contain a wide range of categories that then include subcategories or the web directory may focus on just one broad topic or even geographical region. For example, the web directory may include categories such as games, health, shopping, and sports and, within each of these categories, several additional categories may be listed. Conversely, another web directory may focus on only web sites that serve a certain geographical regions or on one topic, such as art.

By including categories and subcategories, web directories make it easier for those using the web directory to find the information he or she is looking for. Of course, in order for a web directory to be of value, the sites included in the web directory need to be worthwhile and they need to be listed in the proper categories. This is where the human edited web directory comes in.

What is a Human Edited Web Directory?

A human edited web directory is one that is maintained by real humans rather than by software. As such, humans review all of the websites before adding them to the web directory. In this way, the human reviewer can determine if the site is of value and can also make sure it is listed in the most appropriate category.

Who Uses Human Edited Web Directories?

Web surfers that are interested in finding valuable web sites will uses web directories to help them find these sites. Unlike a search engine that finds sites according to certain keywords, web directories help users find information based on an organized system of categories and subcategories.

Web site owners also use human edited web directories. Getting a site placed on a reputable human edited web directory can be of great value to a web site that is attempting to improve its search engine ranking. Whether or not a web directory will actually assist with search engine rankings, however, will depend on whether or not the web directory has no follow attributes that prevent the search engine crawlers from following through to the other site.

Who is Responsible for Editing Human Edited Directories?

The people responsible for editing human edited directories can vary according to the directory. A great many of them, however, are actually maintained by volunteers that are considered to be experts in certain categories. By being an expert in that category, these volunteers are better able to determine the value and accuracy of the information contained on the site. Since these web directories are edited by volunteers, however, it can take a while before updates take place.

In order to expedite the process, some human edited web directories have implemented a wiki format. In this type of format, anyone that can access the web directory is able to make edits to the sites included in the directory. While this speeds up the process, it does run the risk of reducing the quality of the links included.