Google Tests Replacing URL With Site Name In Search Results; Again

By Barry Schwartz

Published: October 21, 2013 at 9:12 am

Google logo Google is yet again experimenting with the snippet display in the search results. Google Operating System noticed Google bringing back a test from 2011, where they replaced the URL in the snippets with the site name.

Here is a picture of how the Google search results look without the URL but with the site names:

google-experiment-removes-urls

As you can see, it is almost exactly like the 2011 test.

Earlier this year, Google also tested removing the URL section completely.

You can see more examples at Google Operating System, and this was first spotted by Techno-net.

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About the author

Barry Schwartz

Barry Schwartz is a technologist and a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land and a member of the programming team for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics.

In 2019, Barry was awarded the Outstanding Community Services Award from Search Engine Land, in 2018 he was awarded the US Search Awards the "US Search Personality Of The Year," you can learn more over here and in 2023 he was listed as a top 50 most influential PPCer by Marketing O'Clock.

Barry can be followed on X here and you can learn more about Barry Schwartz over here or on his personal site.