[IxDA Discuss] SEO and Usability

[Alexander Baxevanis]

Take a look at:

http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/zeitgeist2007/

where Google gives an indication of popular queries for 2007. Among
the top ones you will see queries such as "myspace", "facebook",
"youtube", "tmz", "dailymotion", "badoo" etc. (I have even heard of a
sizable amount of queries for the word "google").

All the above are names of website which would have been accessed by
typing for example www.tmz.com.
So there is strong indication that people are using google a
"shortcut" engine as well as a search engine. Not sure if all these
queries come from people typing in the browser search box or if they
have google as their home page and type it in the standard google text
box.

But I definitely think there's scope for a better shortcut/history
mechanism in browsers.

Cheers,
Alex

On Feb 1, 2008 3:43 AM, Dr. Peter J. Meyers <peter at usereffect.com> wrote:
> I think you're probably right about that. I've also noticed a tendency for
> users to get stuck in a pattern. They visit a site the first time by going
> through a certain chain of actions on Google, and from then on out they
> continue to visit the site via that chain. Sometimes, this borders on the
> bizarre, including browsing through multiple pages of search results and/or
> clicking on PPC ads (very annoying if you're the one paying for those ad
> clicks).
>
> People are strange, but I guess that's what keeps us employed :)
>
> - Pete
>
> On Jan 31, 2008 9:20 PM, Christine Boese <christine.boese at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > It also may belie user dissatisfaction with the navigation systems of
> > sites they really want to use, in spite of getting lost or not finding what
> > they may even know is there.
> >
>
> --
> Dr. Peter J. Meyers
> President
> User Effect
> http://www.usereffect.com
> (847) 708-6007
>
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