Keywords in Address Bar? *question*

[jawn_tech]

Here's something that eludes me, probably because for whatever reason I haven't thought too much about until a recent discovery for me. And I'm on a quest to see if Google is the power-that-be that controls this perplexing phenomenon.

Though I don't have the numbers, I do know a significant amount of people type keywords in the address bar of their browser, intentionally or not, instead of in Google (or their preferred search engine).

The result is that sometimes the browser automatically takes you directly to a website. The rest of the time, it shows search engine results -- coming from what I believed to be the browser's default search engine (found in the browser's search settings).

So why does it work in some instances, and not others?

Easy examples would be keywords like Dell, Adobe, and even Web Pro World. Those are all brand names, and are also the .com domain names of those sites.

But here's a few not-so-easy ones.

poker = search results
food club = an About.com page
gourmet food = search results
fact frenzy = a 3rd-level directory of a website called "readwritethink.org"
erie playhouse = the website of the Erie Playhouse (where yours truly is a veteran actor)

The list goes on, for just about any keyword/phrase. Sometimes it's a website, sometimes it's search results.

I should mention in all instances of when it's a website, those are all the first listing in Google. I'm seeing this in both Firefox and IE7.

On a side note however, I tried switching my default search engine in IE7 to Yahoo, and deleted Google from the list, but if I type in gibberish in the address bar it still brings up Google results. That's another issue I realize, perhaps. Either way, I'm stumped.

Any thoughts? Answers? Links?

Thanks!

[cz]

Wow!

I just did it and it went straight to Google search results for the same two word, search term. It has to be the Google toolbar or the infamous Google cookie that I've read about.

My new Dell PC came with all of the Google Desktop stuff - which I had removed immediately, but when I downloaded "just the toolbar" Google is back in my system again with it's own little folder.

Pretty nifty discovery!

[jawn_tech]

Thanks...

I've tried Googling the subject, but to no avail.

But imagine the implications -- primarily for branding purposes.

I do have the Google toolbar on both browsers, I'll tweak more and see what I come up with.

For now, the question remains -- why for some sites but not for others. And I'm sure any webmaster who sees this can wonder, 'why isn't it MY site?'...

[jawn_tech]

Ok... I just deactivated the toolbar (but not uninstalled it) from IE7.

Typing anything in the address bar gives search results only -- that is, since I had Yahoo as the default search engine (not by preference, but just for testing purposes).

But with FireFox, I deactivated the Google Toolbar, but with Google as the default search provider, the "phenomenon" happens.

So it definitely has something to do with Google, with or without the toolbar.

The hunt for the answer continues....

[inertia]

This has similarities to a conversation which i was having on here the other day relating to why Google some times displays a list of other site pages under a standard link - Google Results Are we Special?

We decided that Google did this when the keyword used was such a close match to the top ranking site Google realised this and gives you more options. Maybe something similar could be happening in this case. Keywords like "dell" are such a close match to a particular site that Google is directing straight to the site.

I think what we are dealing with here is a predictive search feature.

Do you think i might have a point?

[jawn_tech]

You betcha -- I think you have a great point.

It has a similar effect of the "I'm feeling lucky" button. But the catch is, it only does it for SOME sites and not others.

I'm having difficulty understanding why it's happening to something like "fact frenzy" keywords. The site doesn't match those words -- they have "fact fragment frenzy" -- and it's a flash-based splash page as well.

Now for that instance, the next logical step would be to see if it's an anchor text strength, which an allinanchor search shows it to be currently the first listing.

But that doesn't account for poker.com, which meets all of the criteria.

(I don't have any affiliation with either site, just using them as examples)

[inertia]

I read this - Google Sitelinks and think he makes some valid comments about what factors might determine whether you are awarded site links and by the same logic awarded an "im feeling lucky" decision automatically.

Most people dont seam to know how to perfectly optimise for these extra features to appear. As time goes on though it is getting easier to figure out and i reckon the answer is just to be so prolific for the keyword used that it triggers google to do this.

I dont really have an answer to why some sites dont really justify the award, there MUST be a factor thats bein over looked?

[incrediblehelp]

Jawn tech dont the result you get with type in traffic boil down to what browser your using and what plugins are installed in that browser? So essentially any one of us can be experiencing different actions when doing this.

When typing in poker I get G search results in IE and FF because that is my home page and I have the google toolbar installed.

[jawn_tech]

Hey Jaan how's my favorite green monster doin', bro!

What you said is what I mean -- typing the word "poker" in the address bar gives me search results.

Typing "fact frenzy" in the address bar gives me a site.

My question is, what's the difference?

The only difference I can see points to the former site being the logical contender to get the "magic". But the opposite is true.

But it is definitely a Google issue, as I tested it with disassociating Google from my IE browser, in which case it just went to search results (tested with Yahoo).

inertia - I checked out the link, thanks for the info. Even though it's still a mystery, one thing I think would happen is a site would loose its 'magic trick' (for lack of a better term) if it were not in the number 1 spot.

[incrediblehelp]

yup you are right jawn. Weird not sure either.

[RichAtVNS]

Originally Posted by incrediblehelp

the result you get with type in traffic boil down to what browser your using and what plugins are installed in that browser

Look there is a simple piece of code sitting there that on an invalid domain name (which by the W3 standards) is a failure for .com version of a domain without an extenison. This has been hijacked by the browser manufacturers for the client side failure. Google and other search providers have relized this as an advertising opportunity and by working with the browser manufacturers are able to write plugins that deal with this.

If you type a domain without the extension, the W3 standards used to say that it defaults to .com, then try .net, .org, and .gov (thus the original premium on the domains with that extension)

So if you type IBM it should end up at IBM.com......

Guess what on Netscape 7.2 (powered by Netscape and Google search) it now comes up with a search on Netscape instead of going to the site.

I am actually furious with this, another case of the browser manufactures and search engine manufacturers being very greedy. And the people it prays on are the elderly and neophytes when it comes to the Web.

It's the same thing as the pop up message which keeps asking me to upgrade to another browser on Netscape 9.x because AOL has decided to not do anymore updates. The browser works why should I upgrade 30 machines I use in my offices to a browser which is version 1.0. And we should not have to see this ADVERTISING message constantly coming up with no way to turn it off.

SIMPLY PUT I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT THE RESULTS ARE COMING UP ON EACH BROWSER FROM A URL ENTRY. I WANT THEM ALL TO MATCH THE STANDARDS! Please note I'm not against a search just put in another box on a toolbar I can hide!

[deepsand]

There are several factors at play here.

Locally, there is the issue of which SE is selected as the default, through your OS and/or Browser settings. MS, of course, sets the original default to their SE, while FF resets it to Google.

Next is the matter of toolbars, which override the OS setting. And, dualing toolbars can yield weird results.

Than there are the issues related to your ISP and their default DNS servers. These also compete with the above for control of directing the results returned when the data entered is not a valid URL.

In short, everyone wants to control what you see, with little care given for what you might want to see.

[cz]

In short, everyone wants to control what you see, with little care given for what you might want to see.

Well said! Reminds me of the last Matrix movie - one system of control over another system of control etc. - "control"!

[jawn_tech]

There are some really, really good points being made in this thread.

Just to recap what we can confirm so far...

- It's Google. If you have the google toolbar installed, or if your browser is set to Google search by default. That's where it's coming from.

- All the sites (seen so far) it seems to be happening for are in first place for that keyword. They also all have strong anchor text links, as an allinanchor search reveals.

- It's not just brand names, or domain names. I'm seeing anomalies where the keyword is no where in the domain. Second and even third-level directories maybe, but not the domain itself.

It seems to be a Google feature that maybe isn't documented yet? If anyone finds Google's statement on this please let me know so I can know whether to take the blue pill or the red pill to get out of this 'Matrix'

[noel_x99]

I'm in IE7 and google is my default search engine. I do not have the Google toolbar installed (and never have on this computer.) I do use a personalized home page so I am always signed in.

I get search results for typing in any of these phrases:

• poker
• food club (the about page Jawn Tech was pointed to isn't even on the three pages.)
• gourmet food
• fact frenzy (readwritethink.org is the first result).
• erie playhouse (Erie Playouhs is first result)

I have FF2.0. No Google toolbar. I do use a personalized home page so I am always signed in.

In FF , I get the exact results that Jawn Tech gets.

I had never noticed this as I don't usually type into the address bar. But I work with many lower level users and they all do that. It would be good to know what's happening here.

It sort of reminds me of AOL's keyword concept. If there was a keyword it would take you right to the AOL page. I don't remember what would happen if you typed in something that wasn't a keyword. My guess is they would have done a search.

[inertia]

Originally Posted by noel_x99

It sort of reminds me of AOL's keyword concept. If there was a keyword it would take you right to the AOL page. I don't remember what would happen if you typed in something that wasn't a keyword. My guess is they would have done a search.

Does anyone remember those "Internet keyword" things that appeared in about 2000/2001? Is this what you're talking about Noel?

They were keywords which you could buy - when typed into the address bar took you straight to the registrants site. My memory of these is a little sketchy though.

[incrediblehelp]

Originally Posted by inertia

Does anyone remember those "Internet keyword" things that appeared in about 2000/2001? Is this what you're talking about Noel?

They were keywords which you could buy - when typed into the address bar took you straight to the registrants site. My memory of these is a little sketchy though.

Yeah I remember this quite well. Do you also remember real names? Typing a keyword into the web address bar and getting a paid per click placement., not through scumware toolbars or some other maliciously downloaded software, but by the search engines themselves. Well back in the day that is what Real Names did. The way this needed to work properly is if Real Names had a huge inventory of buyers to supplement the most searched keywords. As better solutions came about this technology eventually died off. What really killed Real Names was MSN deciding not to renew a contract with them in 2002