3.2. Search Results Are Blended

If you've spent much time searching, you have probably noticed that the search engines are not displaying a homogeneous set of results. Most search engines take the "chef's salad" approach, displaying a mix of robot-sourced listings, directory listings, image and video, and paid ads. Knowing what each type of listing looks like and where they come from is the first step in being able to influence your own listings in a positive way. You learned about robot results earlier; here are the other types of results that are commonly available to searchers.

3.2.1. Directories

Unlike those robot search engines, directory listings are often compiled by humans. Whether these humans are editors who work for the search engines ...

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