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With the internet an integrated part of many people’s lives it might surprise some of our readers to learn that search engines are still the preferred choice of navigation for many online users. A recent study conducted by Experian Hitwise has found that a large number of people still search for popular web portables by typing their name or full URL into search engines such as Yahoo and Google.
The company found that the top searched single word for 2011 was “Facebook” which was then followed by “YouTube”, “Facebook Login”, “Craigslist”, “Facebook.com”, “Yahoo“, “Ebay”, “www.Facebook.com”, “Mapquest” and “Yahoo.com”.
It’s likely not just unsavvy internet users taking to the search engine method of finding websites, as many users already using those platforms may simply find it easier to type in Facebook and click on the first link.
I recall reading an article last year in which big domain names such as “Pizza.com” and “Sex.com” have managed to sell for $1 million and $13 million respectively because many people type Pizza.com when they want to order pizza and look up Sex.com when they want to view pornography. Whether the same type of uneducated searching is occurring is not still understood.
As Google’s Zeitgeist report points out, the Experian Hitwise list is far more zoned in on website addresses then multiple word searches which were dominated by the likes of Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Star Wars.
Have you found yourself typing “Facebook” into Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines because you knew the first result would lead you to your final destination?
