Navigational Search -- definition: Finding a known web address by typing the name into a search engine rather than typing directly into your browser's address bar. Uses brand names, web addresses and other offline terms to find websites.

Navigational search terms mean big numbers

A recent study reported that "Facebook" was the number one search term in July 2009... clocking in at 61,000,000 queries. I have seen this same phenomenon with GDM clients. Take a look at your own web analytics and you may find many of your top 10 keyword search terms are navigational or brand related. Some customers even type the URL in as a search term into the search bar to get where they want to go.

I have heard web master type people disparage the practice of navigational search tems as the epitome of laziness... equating it with fast food, loungers with built-in refrigerators and other harbingers of our Brave New World. I am not so sure...

Why do customers use navigational search terms?

Is it really faster to type the term "Facebook" into a search bar than directly type "facebook" into the browser's address bar? Obviously not. So, laziness cannot be the sole reason.

Have people been conditioned to search first and simply forgotten the lonely search bar? Highly likely, but the law of large numbers leads me to believe search would not be the preferred course if it were harder

Are people using navigational search terms because the results give a larger context for their destination pages? When searching, customers not only get the desired URL listed they see it listed along with a lot of interesting stuff related to their goal. Which gives context.

Are people using navigational search terms because it's friendlier? More forgiving of spelling error, erroneous syntax etc... PLUS offering to auto-fill your search query with lots of useful search term suggestons? I believe this is a significant factor and could circle back to the question of laziness... but it could also be crowd sourcing oriented. It's just easier and better to use navigational search terms.

Navigational searchers are finding you because they remember your name.

How cool is that! AND its great news for companies that buy a lot of offline advertising.

The reality of navigational search poses questions:

Laziness or not navigational search is a fact of life online. The unseen hand of the web has set the new rules of engagement... are you ready to meet the challenge? 

1. Is your site optimized for navigational search terms?
2. Is your brand prominent in your on page and off page optimization?
3. If someone sees your print ad or direct mail piece and uses navigational search terms... will they find you?
4. Are you dominating the Page 1 listings for your brand's navigational search terms?
5. Are you tracking navigational search terms as a separate category in your web analytics?