IT.COM

Google Removes Domains From Search

Spaceship Spaceship
Watch

Internet.Domains

Account Closed (Requested)
Impact
6,717
According to SearchEngineJournal.com Google is continuing to test search results without showing the entire domain. The website name (keywords) is shown, but not the extension. By doing so this could possibly create new trends in the domain investing niche. The article goes on to quote a Reddit user saying:

“I don’t think this is going to change much in terms of SEO, it just removes one factor that separated good content from good ranking. This is going to normalize the perception of users between traditional tld’s and modern tld’s because they cant subconsciously decide whether or not to click on something based on the perceived trustworthiness of the URL.

I think that fundamentally it is a good thing for new domains trying to get into a niche. this is going to devalue the perceived “vanity” of any particular url, which is good in a climate where basically any URL is taken.”



https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-is-testing-search-results-without-urls/329465/
 
11
•••
The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
giggle, for now, is on top. No business, entity or organization in the history of man has remained on top forever...they are simply trying to remain relevant in the face of overwhelming competition on the distant horizon.

What does this mean? Invest in quality .com domains like they are limited...because they are.
 
6
•••
I can't imagine this becoming the norm because it's just so dumb. It's less information/transparency. I like seeing the url when I search for something.
 
12
•••
This will take power away from the user so I hope they never do this. The url offers alot of useful info for searching and avoiding undesirable sites and viruses.
 
9
•••
This is really bad news for the NewG's.
Google will only be showing the keyword so a targeted extension becomes irrelevant.

Home.Loans = Home
Vacation.Rentals = Vacation
 
10
•••
I think the idea they are apparently testing is flawed. I might add that it also seems contrary to other initiatives at Google. Why is Google delegating TLDs like .app and promoting secure extension spaces if the viewer will have no idea if the site is on .org, .top, .app or .com?
 
4
•••
I think the idea they are apparently testing is flawed. I might add that it also seems contrary to other initiatives at Google. Why is Google delegating TLDs like .app and promoting secure extension spaces if the viewer will have no idea if the site is on .org, .top, .app or .com?
Yes, Google continues with conflicting messages. I would argue not showing the extension is a security issue.
 
1
•••
I don't believe they are thinking about this possibility, it would be the end for them, and a gift for Duck, Bing or whatever is ready to take the first place, thanks to this epic mistake. Unless you like the risk after a click without knowing where are you going to end.
 
1
•••
I can't imagine this becoming the norm because it's just so dumb. It's less information/transparency. I like seeing the url when I search for something.

If Google goes this route, I won't be using them, as I don't want to get phished on some whacky scammer site that is now stealth-cloaked by Google.

This is insane and is truly a hacker's paradise.
 
2
•••
If I am reading this right.
My domains (sportsbook.pub & sportsbook.best) will show up the same as Sportsbook.com?
Time to start working on my fake logo.
 
2
•••
I believe it is far more likely than not Google will implement this soon on desktop searches. It's similar to what G already did with mobile searches where entire URL (not just tld) is often not being shown.

This can be a big blow to the value of .com and .org when people are more likely to click on com or org vs many other tlds due to either recognition or trust, especially involving dot-org's high trust perception in some categories. It may damage dot-org ext values even more than dot-com.

It can mean a name like stocks.best will be clicked on about as much a stocks.com or forex.best as many search clicks as forex.com etc and assuming the meta title and descriptions are good. A big plus for all newer tlds making me now wish I had invested in them when the good ones were still available.
 
Last edited:
3
•••
I recall reading (but some time ago and my memory is far from perfect :xf.sick:) some research done (I vaguely recall at Microsoft) about a decade or more ago that indicated that people did take into account both the extension and how elegant a domain name was when they decided whether to click - i.e. Name.com would get clicked more than Name.biz for example and Name.org would get clicked more than Name4It.org, as I recall. By hiding information, Google is further taking away this choice from the user.

I also recall reading research that on social media people were more apt to click on links that they found attractive. For example they would be more apt to click on Perfect(.)life than they would perfectlifeeverywhere.com.

How important the change is will depend I guess on whether Google really do it, and not just on the trial basis, and if they do on how dominant Google will stay in search and how important search will be in how we are served with content.

That they are even trying it is disconcerting, though. Both to domain investors and to those who are opposed to large data companies making too many decisions for us.

Bob
 
5
•••
I recall reading (but some time ago and my memory is far from perfect :xf.sick:) some research done (I vaguely recall at Microsoft) about a decade or more ago that indicated that people did take into account both the extension and how elegant a domain name was when they decided whether to click - i.e. Name.com would get clicked more than Name.biz for example...Bob

Agree for sure on that Bob. If fully implemented by search engines (real likely it will, imo) it can be a devastating negative to many domainers with lots of com's and org's possibly also country-codes and the domain business itself.
 
Last edited:
3
•••
Google just shoot itself in the foot and became un-useable.

I think this will increase the "type-in traffic / direct-traffic" to .COM-domains, which is actually a good thing for domainers.

This will also increase the price for good .COM-domains, as it becomes imperative to own a brand-match domain-name.
 
Last edited:
2
•••
Nah, I'll just use Duck from now on, as this will turn out to be a scammer's paradise.

It's bad enough right now where I have to look at the URL and extension to keep safe, but now Google wants to hide everything from us like some retarded parent.
 
2
•••
This is BIG BREAKING NEWS and seems to be a real plus for other tlds, not just newer ones but biz info net and others.(but maybe not CCs).

If you do very good SEO work on minsites your name may appear on same page as large portal sites in search and search traffic to the established well known sites could decline, with a commensurate increase to lesser known tlds, IMO.
 
Last edited:
1
•••
This is BIG BREAKING NEWS and seems to be a real plus for other tlds, not just newer ones but biz info net and others.(but maybe not CCs).

If you do very good SEO work on minsites your name may appear on same page as large portal sites in search and search traffic to the established well known sites could decline, with a commensurate increase to lesser known tlds, IMO.

Not really big news, don't think it'll even go mainstream. They're always testing stuff.

I just tried the example, mortgages, uk vs. us

uk
https://www.google.co.uk/search?ei=...&ved=0ahUKEwjP3tLvtI7lAhXiYd8KHQs1CVEQ4dUDCAo

us
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=mortgages

uk with no url:
equityprimeorlando.com - you have the url on top now if you want, so you can still have it there
Equity Prime Mortgage Orlando - Find the best loan for the ...

us with url
Equity Prime Mortgage Orlando - Find the best loan for the ...
equityprimeorlando.com

The url in the UK is just on top now, so you can still get it there, you can still see the names of the sites.


------
"We may be looking at the beginning of the end for URLs in search results."

I hate click baiters. Over half the search results the URLS are now on top, the other half, the brand name. He took a small screenshot showing only 3 results of companies using their brand name. If he took a shot showing more names, you would have seen the others using urls.
 
Last edited:
1
•••
Opens up lots of possibilities for abuse. Most companies cannot afford global trademark and protection. Now imagine someone using the same name and ranking on the same page or higher than your business, but people were looking for you and assuming they are visiting you...
 
1
•••
It's possible that Google might just limit this experiment to those credible sites that are already showing on the first and second page of the results. I doubt that a big company like Google would do something like this without first thoroughly thinking it through. IMO
 
Last edited:
1
•••
Horrible idea - when I google I want to make sure I'm going to the site I was looking for and not a spoof or competitors site

they get rid of showing the URL and google loses is trust and integrity overnight... and my searches

i don't trust what i cant see
 
1
•••
Why spoil a perfectly good recipe?
 
0
•••
Last edited:
1
•••
On my phone I have apps but on my Amazon Fire tablet I use browsers to access bank account, credit card, registrar, etc sites. I want to see that .com at the end and not assume the first result is the the correct one So when Google started playing games, I switched to using Amazon's browser rather than Google.
 
2
•••
I did not even know Amazon had a browser. What is the URL?
 
0
•••
This is happen when companies like google have too much power
But no one do nothing to stop them!
Basic from now is not important if is .com , .net , ccTLD or new TLD - i guess price's will go down for any extensions...maybe is time to quit ( at least for me )
So deal with this!
 
Last edited:
2
•••
Back