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Watching how people use the most popular websites such as Google can be extremely revealing. A large number of users don’t understand the difference between a search engine and the Internet and are unaware of the difference between typing a url or search query in the address bar compared to the search box on Google.

People today are so used to using Google that for some the address bar has become obsolete. It is quicker to type “Amazon” into Google and click on the first result than it is to type www.amazon.com into your address bar.

Google makes huge profits from these navigational searches by allowing advertisers to bid on the names of other websites. Sometimes a site can apply to stop other advertisers bidding on trademarked terms but, as American Airlines is finding out, Google doesn’t always allow this. People could genuinely be searching for American airlines (note the letter case).

The lesson to searchers: You may be feeling lucky, but will you get lucky, or will you just get the highest bidder?

The Lesson to Pay Per Click bidders: Are you sure you’re getting the right traffic to your site?