Screenshots - Google Chrome Suggestions Divert Users from Direct Navigation to Search
How Google and Its Partners Inflate Measured Conversion Rates and Increase Advertisers' Costs - Ben Edelman
This page gives screenshots showing on-screen displays as I requested "expedia" in Google Chrome. Chrome offered as its default -- accessible with the "Enter" key and as the top-most listing in its drop-down -- that I perform a search for "expedia." See first screenshot below. Search results would place an ad at the prominent top-of-page position (second screenshot), increasing the likelihood that Expedia would end up paying Google to reach the user who had already asked for Expedia by name. In contrast, for the user to complete a direct navigation to the Expedia site, the user would have to ignore Google's suggestion and continue typing (".com"), click the "expedia.com" entry, or otherwise navigate manualy.
See also discussion in main article, as well as a video of this same occurrence.
I requested "expedia" in Google Chrome. Chrome offered as its default -- accessible with the "Enter" key and as the top-most listing in its drop-down -- that I perform a search for "expedia."
Resulting Google search listings place an ad in the most prominenet position.
