What is Search Google or Type a URL?

Netizens often debate whether they should search Google or type a URL. The fact is, while people often choose to search on Google, they also sometimes prefer to type a URL to get directed to a particular website.

But which method serves the best and when? In this article, we will dig deep into the advantages and disadvantages of both methods to help you improve your search experience.

What is an Omnibox? In Depth Explanation

Google Chrome presents Omnibox, one of its unique features. It works as an address bar where one can type a URL. And, it’s also a search engine that allows you to conduct searches.

Omnibox is perfectly designed to perform mathematical calculations. It can answer questions as well which enables internet users to quickly access information.

As Omnibox allows users to ‘search Google or type a URL’, internet users can flexibly pick the way that best caters to their needs to access information. Finding the right content becomes easy with it. So, be it typing a particular web address or using keywords to find results, Omnibox provides a quick and effective way to navigate the internet.

Search Google or Type Web Address

Though usually, the above-mentioned prompt appears, an alternative version also may pop up in Omnibox. However, the purpose remains the same. Whether to search Google or type a URL, finally depends upon users’ search intention, and what they aspire to achieve from the search.

Undeniably, there are multiple ways to find information on the internet. One can look into social media, apps, and multiple other websites. But when we need to put our finger on a specific website for the right content, or we want content under a set of keywords – searching Google or entering a URL are the most commonly used methods.

So, how to know which is a better choice? Here we have discussed the advantages and disadvantages of both these methods. It can help you make better searches, enabling you to find content that fulfills your requirements.

Searching on Google – Search Google or Type a URL

The Internet is an inseparable part of our lives. While we use it every other second, finding the right piece of information from countless options that exactly answers our specific queries can often be tricky. Especially, we need to access information fast. And that’s where Google enters.

The easiest way to find information is to type the keyword you want to explore. As you type the keyword in the search bar, the search engine displays the websites which contain the information aligned with your keywords.

This is an effective way to search the internet. Think of a situation when you are not sure of the website address that contains your desired content. Or simply you don’t know where to enter to find that. It means you have to sift through search engine result pages to finally find a website that caters for your needs. Sometimes users also load multiple websites to get hold of what they are looking for.

Sure, this can be a time-consuming process. But, if you don’t know the right site or you are unsure of the address of a site, this is the best-proven way to find what you are looking for.

Typing a URL

But, what if you know the site where you can find your desired information? You can simply type the unique identity of the site you are looking for to get directed to that site.

You have to enter the entire URL in the address bar. And once you press enter, you can directly find your desired site. You don’t have to sift through search engine result pages. Nor do you have to enter anywhere else.

Sometimes you may need specific information on a website, the address of which is known to you. You can enter the URL, followed by the relevant keywords which best express your intention to search the specific information. And, you can find exactly the right webpage that contains your desired information.

‘Type a URL’ is a straight gateway. It saves you a lot of time. You can bookmark a website or copy the URL from somewhere else to directly enter a specific website, even a webpage.

Searching for a specific keyword or phrase

As mentioned before, searching for a specific keyword or phrase can be time consuming. Is there a way that cuts down the time to look into every site that pops up?

Fortunately, there is. You can use your keyword or phrase in quotes. For instance, when you look for the best ASO company, you can simply use “best ASO company”. This will help Google know that you are looking for this particular sequence of words. You will get more relevant search results by this method.

You can also use Google advanced search features. On clicking the ‘Settings” button, you have to select ‘Advanced search”. And, now you can put the exact keywords, eliminate certain terms, and you also can search for information on a particular website or in a predetermined time frame.

Searching a specific site

Users often search for specific information on particular websites. If you know the URL of a site, you can use the “site:” operator to search for an exact phrase or keyword on a particular website.

For example, if you intend to search for information regarding “ASO services” on the Nextgrowthlabs website, you can simply type “site:nextgrowthlabs.com ASO service” into the Google search bar. Google will fetch all the webpages from the Nextgrowthlabs website which contains the “ASO services”.

“Site:” operator is a tremendously useful feature to quickly find an exact webpage from a particular website with several web pages. You don’t have to navigate through the site, and on top of that, you also can eliminate other websites which contain similar keywords.

Google autocomplete

Google autocomplete predicts search keywords or phrases based on their search volume. However, some autocomplete suggestions may not appear due to their novelty, lack of popularity, or violation of Google policies. But, with the help of Google’s autocomplete feature, users get quick access to keywords which other people also search for. If that matches your requirements, you can skip typing the entire keyword or key phase.

Voice search

If you want to completely skip typing, you can use voice search. Along with searching Google or typing in a URL, this is also a feasible option for finding content. Now available on both mobile devices and computers, voice search can be used by clicking on the microphone icon in the search bar.

Once you allow Google to use the microphone of your device, you can simply click the microphone later on to articulate the search phrase into the microphone. When your hands are occupied or you don’t want to type the entire keyword, it’s a really convenient option to perform the search.

Check for Yourself With a Quick Experiment

According to the previous methods, you can use Google search or type web address to find out the information you are looking for. To evaluate which method is the best, you can experiment:

Step 1: Choose a topic of your choice. Open a new tab in your browser and go to the Google URL search bar. Start typing in the bar but make sure to not use any keywords.

Step 2: Open a new tab in your browser and enter a URL of the site where you expect to find your chosen topic. You should always type URL (main link) unless you know the specific page.

Compare the results: Conduct this experiment by opening the tabs side by side. From step 1, you will get a search results page with lots of links pointing to the best answer the Google Search Engine thinks you are looking for. From step 2, you will get a search results page that displays the URL you specified.

Therefore, by understanding search Google or type URL, website owners, admins as well and content creators can determine their user base and their habits more properly. You can also search or type URL to plan how you can optimize your search engines to get the best results for your website.

Maximizing Your Internet Search Experience: Search Google or Type a URL

With countless search results, often you can be confused. You can face trouble to find the right information you are looking for. However, with search Google or type a URL feature, you can streamline your search experience, finding more accurate results to your queries.

To quickly access relevant information regarding a broad topic or a narrow search phrase, these processes are extremely useful and timely. On top of that, they are available both on mobile and computer devices.

Noteworthily, there’s no ultimate guide to using Google. Precisely because Google is constantly updating its search algorithms and key features. Most likely, you will receive useful tips about using the methods while using the search engine on a regular basis.

Search Google or Type URL Hacks

Now that you know how you can leverage URL or Google search, let’s see some of the tricks or hacks you can use:

Find Websites that Linked Your Website or a Particular Website

This is essentially a useful hack for bloggers. When running a website, knowing which websites have liked your websites can help you find a similar audience. To know this, use the following syntax:

Link: URL of the target website or our website

Find a Specific File

If you want to use the Google search or enter URL feature to search a particular type of file, use this syntax:

[keywords(s)] filetype:<write the file type here>

For instance, if you are working on a school project for Water Life Cycle and require PDF files on a topic, you have to type:

Water life cycle filetype: pdf

Set a Timer

You can even set a timer using the Search Google feature. If you are working on a tight deadline and want to complete it within the set time, you can prompt Google to set a timer for you. Use the following syntax:

Search Google or type a URL meme

This is not essentially a hack. However, you can search or type address or URL memes. These are funny viral search images that mostly originated in the early days of the internet. When you search for something by typing keywords, Google shows search suggestions related to the keywords and some of these results are weird or even hilarious!

To sum up

As this blog post explains in detail, search Google or type a URL – both methods have their pros and cons. In fact, you can not simply choose one for the best search experience. Instead, using both of them according to your requirements is the smartest way.

It means when you have the URL of a specific site, and you know the information you’re looking for is on that site, you can head straight to that site. It will cut down your search time. However, when you don’t know where to find the information, you have to load websites and sift through search engine result pages to put your finger on your desired one.

Simply put, whether you search Google or type a URL depends upon your specific situation. In fact, both are helpful. And, together they can render a better search experience.

Some of our more popular tools include (They are all free):

Search Google or Type a URL to Find Something on the Internet