When browsing the web, we all want to get things done faster. According to the reports, more than 3.8 billion searches occur per day. Interesting, right? This proves Google’s efficiency and the searcher’s urgency to get faster results. Every second matters whether you want to quickly search for service providers near you, look up recipes, or find your favorite website.
But do you know the difference between direct searching and typing a web address? They both are different and serve different purposes. In this guide, we will break down these two terms to make your browsing faster and more effective. Let’s dive in.
What are Web Addresses and Direct Search?
First, let’s talk about “URLs.” A URL is just a fancy term for saying web address. It’s the thing you’d type into that address bar at the top of your browser, whether Chrome or Safari, to get to a specific Web site.
For example, to get to Facebook, you would type www.facebook.com. Every website has a unique URL, which lets your browser know precisely where to go. If you type in the correct URL, you will be redirected to your desired result at once.
On the other hand, Direct search allows users to search for their query without any specific website in mind. It is done when certain keywords or phrases are put into a search bar.
For example, if you’re looking for the “best places to visit in Japan,” you’ll probably type that into Google instead of trying to guess URLs for travel websites. Search engines are brilliant because you do not have to know the exact URL.
Pros and Cons of Direct Search
Which one is better, type web address or direct search? To answer this question, we need to clearly understand the core concept of these two. So, let us know more about the advantages and disadvantages of direct search, as it will help us identify which search option is faster and better.
Pros of Direct Search
- Convenience: You don’t have to memorize the URLs of websites. Just type in what you are looking for, such as Amazon, News Today, etc.
- Discovery: Direct search bar helps you discover new sites you have never heard about. It is helpful if you are exploring topics or doing research work.
- Correcting Mistakes: Direct search helps you rectify any errors. If you accidentally type “Twiter” instead of “Twitter”, Google will still show you the correct site.
Cons of Direct Search
- Slower Search: Searching and browsing add up an extra step. You must search, wait for the load time, and then pick the right website.
- Ads and Distractions: You must go through ads and sponsored results that might be irrelevant to your query. Thus, slowing you down even more.
- Risk of Phishing: Phishing websites are very identical to real websites. Sometimes, you might click the wrong link in search bar results, jeopardizing your confidential information.
Pros and Cons of Typing a Web Address (URL)
Now that you know both the pros and cons of direct search, let us know the pros and cons of type a web address to judge which one is better for faster browsing. Here is a short list of pros and cons of using a web address.
Pros of Type Web Address (URL)
- Speed: Typing a web address or typing a URL lets you go straight to the website without any extra steps. For example, if you type the URL www.reddit.com, Google will take you straight to Reddit.
- Accuracy: Jumping directly onto the website after typing the URL helps avoid landing on a fake or misleading website. Some counterfeit websites use names similar to popular ones, and sometimes search engines may show these as results.
- Security: By typing the URL directly, you can protect yourself from phishing attacks. Phishing attacks are those scams that trick you into giving personal info. However, by directly putting the URLs in the search bar, you can avoid such risks.
Cons of Type Web Address (URL)
- Difficulty Remembering URLS: You can browse many websites daily, and remembering all the exact web addresses can be very difficult.
- Typos: You won’t find any results if there is any spelling error in web addresses. For example, typing the wrong URL, let’s say www.notsync.com instead of the correct one; that is, www.knotsync.com will not show any results. Instead, you might end up on the wrong site or nowhere at all.
Search Google or Type a Web Address: Which One Should You Use for Faster Browsing?
Now that you know the advantages and disadvantages of both search methods. Now, it is time to use your understanding in choosing the proper method. Let’s quickly review which one is best for faster and safer browsing according to your circumstances.
- If You Know the Exact URL: If you know the exact URL, just type it in. It is faster and safer. For instance, typing www.netflix.com will take you directly to Netflix’s home page.
- If You’re Unsure of the URL: If you don’t know the exact URL, you can just type your query directly. For example, if you type just “Netflix,” Google will show you the correct site.
- If You Want to Explore: If you are doing research on any topic, like “best budget laptops 2024,” searching this keyword will show you multiple sites to explore.
3 Bonus Tips to Speed Up Your Browsing Experience
Do you know you can save over 10 minutes in a week if you just use a Web address for a search? You might ask how? Well, when you search directly through a URL, you will save 10-15 seconds, and if you search like that approximately ten times a day, you will save up to 100 seconds per day.
Thus, save your 10 minutes just by searching and reaching the website. To ensure you save more time, here are some bonus tips to speed up your browsing experience.
- Bookmark Your Favorite Sites: If you visit certain websites very often, then you don’t need to type the URL or search for them. You can use the bookmark to save these sites and just click on them whenever you want to browse them.
- Enable Auto-Complete: Do you know that modern browsers have a feature called auto-complete? When you start typing a URL (like “fa”), the browser’s auto-complete will always type the full address.
- Clear Your Browser’s Cache: If your browser takes extra time to load, then clearing a cache can help. A cache stores information from websites you have visited, which is good but not for the long run. It slows your browsing down. You can clear the cache by visiting the settings and clicking the privacy option.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Hopefully, now you have clearly understood the difference between search or type the web address. If you still have questions, below are the most common questions asked by people about direct search and web address.
1. Is it better to search Google or type a URL?
If you know the exact URL, you can just type it directly in the search bar, as it is a faster and safer option. Use Google search when you want to explore or don’t know the web address.
2. Can you search for a website using keywords instead of the full web address?
Yes, you can simply type your keywords directly into the address bar. If it’s not a URL, your browser will use your default search engine to find the matching results.
3. What are the advantages of using the address bar for browsing?
The address bar lets you access sites directly, speeding up browsing and reducing the risk of landing on phishing or misleading pages.
4. What’s the difference between a search bar and an address bar?
The address bar is for entering URLs to visit specific sites, while the search bar is for typing keywords to find information. Most modern browsers combine both into one bar.
5. What are the most effective shortcuts to speed up my browsing?
In addition to the above tips given, you can use the shortcut key Ctrl/Cmd + L to jump to the address bar and Ctrl/Cmd + T to open new tabs quickly.
Conclusion
When you are online, each second counts. So, directly searching your query or typing web address, which one is best for faster browsing? That depends on what you want. If you know the URL already, your search experience will be faster, safer, and yield better results.
On the other hand, if you want to learn new information and you don’t know the URL, then a direct search is just right for you. Using bookmarks and browser shortcuts can also improve your browsing experience.
So, search according to your needs and use the above tips we have talked about. It can result in much faster browsing and lead to better productivity.
