poll GOOGLE WANTS TO KILL THE URL!!

[teper]

So i was just going through some tech new and found this one.
Definitely a big one for domaining.

https://www.wired.com/story/google-wants-to-kill-the-url/

What do you think? Will Google or any other company down the line replace the entire concept of URL or Domain Names?

 

[Kate]

At the same time G invested heavily in new extensions.
URL != domain name

 

[topdom]

Asia doesn't need to obey, can introduce its own separate internet anytime, and Asia is bigger than Atlantic in economy and military and everything else, and getting bigger everyday. So domains won't die, unless Asia follows the same path.

Forcing Ssl is bad, because it doesn't mean any real security, and it means paid securtiy with backdoors. If you use your self-signed certificates for your site, they will be considered less secure than non-ssl sites.

 

[xynames]

What do you think? Will Google or any other company down the line replace the entire concept of URL or Domain Names?

*Yawn.

 

[Eric Lyon]

It's possible I am wrong in thinking the opposite.

So can you please explain why you say that?

I was talking about the browser's address bar. You're talking about search engines. Google already changed URL's significantly in many search results (By showing only the site's name and category of the page sometimes), and I haven't seen any reports of that negatively impacting sites' SEO.

The URL in the browser is where if Google changes it, that will likely bring the domain name to the forefront even more so than it is today.

For instance, you might only see "Secure | NamePros.com" in the address bar. In that case, domains become more noticeable and important because more visitors will have their attention drawn to the domain of each site they visit. That seems to be Google's objective: to bring more attention to each site's identity so that users know they are interacting with who they think they are interacting with, and that requires that users know who they should be interacting with (e.g., NamePros.com).

That would increase attention and focus on domain names.

Hope that helps,

 

[toughdomains]

think this part of the article sums it up
"If you're having a tough time thinking of what could possibly be used in place of URLs, you're not alone. Academics have considered options over the years, but the problem doesn't have an easy answer. Porter Felt and her colleague Justin Schuh, Chrome's principal engineer, say that even the Chrome team itself is still divided on the best solution to propose. And the group won't offer any examples at this point of the types of schemes they are considering."

 

[BaileyUK]

This same story raises it's head every year since I can remember, Yep even before Google came into being. Back in Pre 2001 It was Microsoft who were scheming to get rid of the URL.

I can imagine the Editorial desks, back after their summer breaks, YEAH, there nothing to print, Ok then same as last year, The URL is dead .....again

 

[namemarket]

I was talking about the browser's address bar. You're talking about search engines. Google already changed URL's significantly in many search results (By showing only the site's name and category of the page sometimes), and I haven't seen any reports of that negatively impacting sites' SEO.

The URL in the browser is where if Google changes it, that will likely bring the domain name to the forefront even more so than it is today.

For instance, you might only see "Secure | NamePros.com" in the address bar. In that case, domains become more noticeable and important because more visitors will have their attention drawn to the domain of each site they visit. That seems to be Google's objective: to bring more attention to each site's identity so that users know they are interacting with who they think they are interacting with, and that requires that users know who they should be interacting with (e.g., NamePros.com).

That would increase attention and focus on domain names.

Hope that helps,

Thanks. The feedback makes sense. However, that seems applicable on websites which meet criteria to indexing well by G. It's predicted Chrome will in fact remove the url address bar at some point in time (I estimate soon or within a year) so if they do that you will NOT be able to typein namepros.com but can only enter namepros.com in a search box. So if that happens and it's a quality site with SSL security and ranks well in the search index namepros.com will be there in the search results.

The problem is if it is NOT a quality site, has NO SSL (like parked pages, most mini-sites and others lack), and is LOW down in search index, or worse yet NOT indexed by G at all and not a quality website, such as landing pages, small mini-sites and parked pages, it's very unlikely the domain and URL are going to be visible in the G search results, imo.

If you typein the name and extension to the search box (and address window is gone) I don't see how it can go to its webpage if the url is not in the search index, especially without SSL which is becoming more and more negative with possible SE penalties. THAT"S THE PROBLEM and a reason I see most all domains dropping a lot in value and the domaining business fading away, if that happens.

 

[nicedomains]

Google wants to kill URL = get more quality URLs

 

[poweredbyme]

If you typein the name and extension to the search box (and address window is gone) I don't see how it can go to its webpage if the url is not in the search index, especially without SSL which is becoming more and more negative with possible SE penalties. THAT"S THE PROBLEM and a reason I see most all domains dropping a lot in value and the domaining business fading away, if that happens.

It has been already happening since 15+ years, since the altavista days. Domains with no content and backlinks never get indexed.

I think G wants to make their browser users more dependent to their search engine by removing address bar -and possibly bookmarking- functionality. Such a move will likely backfire for 2 reasons:

1- Unhappy users can move to firefox and other open source alternatives. For decades privacy conscious people stick to open source software everywhere. Number of these people can raise. This is a nightmare for corporates.

2- G might face with lawsuits for destroying fair competition, creating monopoly. Reason: Making a modification on an existing product merely to force users to use another product of the same producer. Providing the users all the other search engines options might solve this to some extent. But adding thousands of search engines to a browser can make it slower or completely useless for devices with low computing resources.

 

[tomcarl]

Yeah, I can't see how they can eliminate the domain entirely from the address bar, but I can see 'www.' and the '/' path being hidden/snipped.

Instead of showing https://www.domain.com/sjklsjslksj/wjkljklwjk-skjksj/link
Maybe it'll just show: https://domain.com, which isn't bad

Otherwise if they think just displaying the website name in the address bar like they do in mobile searches, instead of the actual address (why is it even an address bar then?), then it's obvious they take the world for a bunch of idiots if they think they can try selling that as being beneficial to anyone other than them.

 

[brazilyancao]

i remember the days google used to promote how better its search results compared to altavista and aol on irc chat rooms. G first became popular amongst internet geeks mostly webmasters ,programmers and web designers (Ad sense, ad words) people who made a living from computers and know the internet world, now G acting like a market seeking corporate(mostly dumb smart phone users), by trying to convert internet to its own comfort ,its abonding its main supporters and imo g will only loose its popularity amongst webmasters and geeks which will eventually end up with someone else replacing G s place if only someone can create an economic system such as G has created in the old days.
G's strategy of being nice to non computer related businesses will only destory natural order on internet.
Those who have quality content should also hire quality seo people to rank up. Those who are unfamilliar with internet business should also have the budget to go online. G is tring to be nice to end users but at the end web sites are designed by web designers or programmers.
Right now not many people have the resources to create search engines capable as G has , but by droping domain values and adding new tlds every year ppl will be forced to see the need to create their own search engines to be independent from G. since they dont benefit from G why they should be on the mercy of G 's new ranking policies every year. i am not saying that it should always stay the same but major changes efecting so many people would backfire. so imo G is trying to destroy natural selection order on internet. while tring to create new market for its own, G is instead presenting opportunities for other companies ( bing,yandex,mobile phone manufacturers,samsung,iphone,sony,huwaaee) or even goverments to develop search engines even in municipality level who would happly try to exclude G from the market and nobody would care if not support it. İt will happen sooner or later and when it happens only thing that matters will be popularity amongst users and dumb mobile phone users can be easliy manipulated by more experinced users just as new dumb computer users were manipulated in aol and altavista times

 

[ncinsure90]

This discussion is very helpful and informative.

 

[namemarket]

I can't see how they can eliminate the domain entirely from the address bar..

Very simple, all they need to do is remove the browser address bar entirely and force searching only, which I predict is extremely likely they will do soon. If G does that bing, firefox, edge, etc will likely do the same, not that it matters a lot since Chrome now gets more than 60% of total search traffic anyway.

 

[Kate]

What they are trying to do is what they have always done: control Internet traffic. G has a near monopoly on searches and their own browser is the icing on the cake.

But there are alternatives.
Clickbait as usual.

 

[Media King]

google will use in SERP dot .google gTLD redirect links for website URLs like as twitter's t(.)co in their eco system

 

[maya-zir]

I give IT support and a lot of time have to explain or help to users.
I hate them all!!!!!!
You have no idea how I hate all idiots who type "google" inside google search area!!!!
Sometimes I have to count until 20 to calm down and not to punch them.

 

[ch_dom]

I donnot think this will ever be possible. It has been tried in the past but at the end of the day it is impractical. I think that the tlds will get even more arbitrary in the future sure, but getting rid of them is the opposite direction, it doesn't seem like this is were we are heading.

 

[MapleDots]

For instance, you might only see "Secure | NamePros.com"

I have blogged about this extensively in the past and it won't be NamePros.com that shows, eventually it will only be NamePros LLC

With voice commands coming to the forefront the URL's will inevitably move to the background.

Hey Google, www namepros and bam I will be there no extension mentioned or needed to be mentioned.

The keyboard is eventually going to be relegated to minor use as voice commands come to the foreground. I see the next Google Pixel Mesh Routers having Hey Google incorporated with a screen to give you visual feedback. So a screen/router/speaker on every floor of the house to activate lights, web searches etc. The command might be www or whatever in front of the name to go to the website but it almost certainly will not revolve around any extension thereof.

That said the URL is not going away because it is like a phone number or house address and on your business card and for email it is required.

So yes Google is KILLING the url in the address bar but the function of the URL is still and will be as is.

 

[MapleDots]

I give IT support and a lot of time have to explain or help to users.
I hate them all!!!!!!
You have no idea how I hate all idiots who type "google" inside google search area!!!!
Sometimes I have to count until 20 to calm down and not to punch them.

80% of all computer problems are sitting behind the screen

I do some IT as well and it drives me crazy

 

[maya-zir]

80% of all computer problems are sitting behind the screen

I do some IT as well and it drives me crazy

Some of them more than idiots.
I know a lot who make 800x600 screen resolution instead of put thier glasses on.

 

[Hakluyt]

it looks like Google is trying to create a new market.. We will live and see..

 

[Kate]

Not everybody is happy about their decisions, that frankly look like trying to fix what ain't broken:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...d-m-subdomains-from-the-browsers-address-bar/

 

[MapleDots]

My chrome browser updated to 69.0.34 today and now the http & www are showing back in the address bar.

So it looks like google changed their minds on removing the https and www from the url

 

[3sixty]

Google want to eliminate everything out of their ecosystem. So of course they do not want domain names. They want website's to be to them what a Facebook Page is within Facebook. Where you reach everything within Google.

 

[larryscott2559]

Many including myself believe Google has way too much say in how the web runs. Everything from enforcing https and mobile friendliness. I dont think urls are going anyhwere. If you have a great domain name and a great website you do not need Google. I found Domaining.com and DomainInvesting.com by direct type in, not Google and its because they have great domains and are great websites.