information Google has started to hide URL's in the search results

This is probably contrary to what a lot here would like to believe, but I think actually bodes well for .com

I have developed nTLD with exacting 'span' the dot domains and get 15-25% CTR from the BOTTOM of page 1. Now that the domains are hidden, those premium nTLD won't preform as well, I believe.

Honestly, I have developed .coms and 3-10% CTR was usual...some of the nTLD EASILY outrank .com in whatever 'newish' algo google is running.

Now that google owns many of their own NTLD, you won't know if it's a google site you are going to or not, IMO. Google owns nTLD to rank their own sites 'legitimately' IMO!

An absolutely terrible idea by Google (worse than their G+ and AMP ideas). For me, and I assume many others, the URL is essential information and something I always check before clicking a result. If Google removes that, then I would (reluctantly) switch to another search engine. I'm not sure what their rationale is for hiding the domain-name from users. It uniquely identifies the site and takes up very little space.

I'd like to add and expand on my post above. What I am getting at, I think google has plans to make the URL a BIGGER ranking factor than before. Domains that 'span the dot' WILL have and advantage. They trying to hide this assumed change, while they DEVELOP and RANK their own new sites, built on nTLD.

While the new ranking might not be in full-effect yet, hiding the URL is preparation for that. A few years from now, once people are 'eased into' encountering the newTLD, and familiar with them, only then they will show the URL again.

The reason I said 'bodes well for .com' is because under the assumed new ranking factors, nTLD would absolute DESTROY .com sites in a hurry...too much, too fast. The way they are doing is going to be like boiling the frogs.

Again, while the URL is hidden, the words within the domains will again be a more powerful ranking factor. Hiding the URL will disguise that fact on the surface.

Google is plain stupid.
They even use .xyz
Enough said.

I'm glad their Circles failed.

I use DuckDuckGo and Brave browser.

Actually I didn't experience this from my own end here as at the time of writing this. The only difference I see is that, the root domain is displayed on top of the title which is quite different from the norm,

Who uses Google anymore..?

PJ Baldwin said:

An absolutely terrible idea by Google (worse than their G+ and AMP ideas). For me, and I assume many others, the URL is essential information and something I always check before clicking a result. If Google removes that, then I would (reluctantly) switch to another search engine. I'm not sure what their rationale is for hiding the domain-name from users. It uniquely identifies the site and takes up very little space.

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Also for security reasons, this is a very, very bad idea ...

Welberch said:

Who uses Google anymore..?

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According to this smart insights article published in 2018 Google had a net share of 74.54% at the time.

In other words, the majority.

Google will fail.

The domain name is still key. Both from the Business offering point of view and for getting into that rank position for the text in the first place. It reads as an experiment rather than a long term change by Google . But yes I also noticed the dropping of the URL when searching for restaurant reviews over the last few days. I also don't think big businesses will like it, those that rely on their branding etc - It could well have a negative impact on Googles own income - it will be an interesting development to watch.

There's no doubt savvy developers etc will soon learn how to 'Game' it for placement/ranking and that too may impact on Googles standing. They are already pushing search results down below their own (Google advertising placements) pretty soon it's going to be a useless search engine anyway

They are just playing showing some results in this format, for some users and for short time.

The most disturbing of this is not that we have to worry about this, because this clearly won't go anywhere. The most disturbing is the fact that they are thinking about this option.

It never fails, every company, even the bigger ones, have their expiration date.

There have been a number of threads on this important topic, such as this one started about a month ago. Not sure if feasible, but it would be preferred to have all of the discussion in a single thread.
https://www.namepros.com/threads/google-removes-domains-from-search.1157803/#post-7431632

Sutruk said:

They are just playing showing some results in this format, for some users and for a short time.

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It's true and I don't see it again. It's for a short time but completely messy. Google wanted us to believe it blindly without URL's. Spoof/spam sites will get more clicks if no URL's displayed!

Bob Hawkes said:

There have been a number of threads on this important topic, such as this one started about a month ago. Not sure if feasible, but it would be preferred to have all of the discussion in a single thread.
https://www.namepros.com/threads/google-removes-domains-from-search.1157803/#post-7431632

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Those were related to the news but I have seen those changes in live so captured few images and attached here. Yeah, it's a good idea if we get all the information on a single thread.

From what I see, this only seems to be so (hiding urls) in Google Chrome. If you use Google in FireFox and IE, the urls show.

everything is okay with opera browser

BuyBrandWeb.com said:

It's true and I don't see it again. It's for a short time but completely messy. Google wanted us to believe it blindly without URL's. Spoof/spam sites will get more clicks if no URL's displayed!

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That's why I say that it won't go anywhere. And in the event they apply that update in future, that would be their end. Unless the most of the people like to click on hidden links without knowing where they are going to end.

URLs back showing in my results - FF + Chrome - also Serps look like a clone of last November.

BuyBrandWeb.com said:

You might hear that Google was testing to show search results without URL's but it seems they are rolling these changes to live to some users.

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I guess this move will impact on domaining and I would like to hear fellow domainer thoughts on it!

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I must say it's smart move. Good, strong and memorable names always got sold and will be sold no one going to stop them.

Changing the image of search engine and making it's more user-friendly is another thing. We must not need to worry about it.

i wouldn't trust the site I'm looking for is the site i googled - without the URL as verification who knows what crap you may walk into

there have been lots of times i googled a specific site i wanted and the first 3 or 4 were competitors to the site i wanted

bad news for the consumer

Why is this such a big deal? It doesn't affect me.
On the contrary, it is better, because it will help you and you will gain organic traffic. If someone is seeing a title that they searched for and really like, they will click on it, no matter if it is .com or .crap

im talking from a user perspective

Great register some crap names if it will never matter. Content has always given best results want to be found build huge site. Makes no difference to domains business I feel.

cipcip said:

Why is this such a big deal? It doesn't affect me.
On the contrary, it is better, because it will help you and you will gain organic traffic. If someone is seeing a title that they searched for and really like, they will click on it, no matter if it is .com or .crap

Click to expand...

Will you trust Google blindly?
If so, it will be another movie concept like Wall-E! Google thinks better than you and Google shows what you want and you just sit and follow Google for everything.

Welberch said:

Google will fail.

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Sure... But as for now they only seem to be getting bigger.

Any empire will fall eventually. The US is in trouble, the EU is in trouble. Not a reason to move to Africa yet now is it?