McClatchy Washington Bureau

As many marketing specialists said, having your website sent to a gazillion of "free web directories" is close to worthless.

It is way better to be listed in 20 authoritative business directories than in 2k obscure ones. There are so many options out there... but hey - the most important thing to remember is that even on the Internet, just like in real life, quality is way better than quantity.

You have to see the whole picture, and you'll realize that the success of a business or website comes from many sources, including web directories.

Some of these common sources include proper legal work, SEO, getting listed in quality business directories, social media, internet marketing, offline advertising, no BBB negative review and so on. It's like putting together the pieces of a puzzle!