Yahoo!'s Web Search vs. Directory Search

[peterinwa]

I'm confused about something.

I have a not-for-profit site which has been listed in Yahoo!'s directory for years. Searching for a popular search term it comes up #5 in a Yahoo! Web search and #54 in a Yahoo! Directory search.

I am going to try some ads on my site and possibly become a for-profit site which means that I will no get a free listing but have to pay $300/year.

I don't really care about showing up in the Directory search because no one will every find me as #54 anyway. It's certainly not worth paying $300 a year for.

But here is my question: If I become for-profit and they take me out of their directory, will I still show up #5 in the Web search? Or do you have to be in their directory to show up in a Web search? (I suspect just about eveyone does the default Web search rather than a Directory search.)

Another way to ask this is what does the $300 a year get me? Just a place in their Directory search? Or is it required to show up in a Web search, too.

Thanks, Peter

[soapystar]

you do not have to be in the directory to show up for a web search.

[peterinwa]

Thanks, that's valuable info. No reason I can see to pay $300 to be #54.

Peter

[soapystar]

especially since you will lose control of your title and decription.

[peterinwa]

Well now that's a VERY interesting point.

Are you saying that if I'd get taken OUT of the directory (my listing is okay but not perfect) it would then show up in web searches like it does at Google where I control the title?

I was curious about that because I noticed that in a Yahoo! web search my site shows up as it appears in the Yahoo! directory. Wondered what would happen if I wasn't in the directory.

Thanks. This is good stuff to know.

[steveb]

There are plenty of good reasons to be in the Directory more important than where you appear in the directory search.