There are majorly two types of web directories. General directories and niche directories. General directories lists sites in broad categories. Niche directories concentrate in specific topics and usually the number of categories will be less and higly related to that particular niche.

The major purpose of a web directory is to classify web's quality sites in its niche. This is helpful for directory users in way that only quality sites will be listed and visitors can un doubtfully visit these sites. Unfortunately, this important purpose has lost importance lately because of the evolution of search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Msn wi Live with cutting edge technologies that results relevant sites for each search term. Thus the great directories that were once surfer friendly paradise has given way to advanced search engines technologies.

As search engines evolved, webmasters started optimizing websites for these search engines. With current search engine technology, links play an important role in ranking algorithms. This resulted in brand new use for web directories, as a source of one-way links. Now a days directories are given great importance for thier search engine friendliness and the quality of backlinks.

Directories in present form are considered to be an efficient source of quality one-way backlinks. As long as directories classify websites in different topics, one-way links from related pages ( category pages ) are given huge importance by major search engines.

There is also another theory on value of links from directories. Since directories are strictly human reveiwed, they are supposed to list only quality web sites within different categories. Thus search engines may give higher value for the backlinks from directories.

Submitting to directories are not worth unless they give some direct traffic or otherwise a quality backlink. Next time when you submit to a directory check their search engine friendliness and also the possible chances of giving some direct traffic. If you can find any of those properties, don't hesitate to submit your site. You will definitely get something back in return!