More search terms instead of URLs

Posted on 22 Jan 2009

In August I posted about an emergent trend of sharing web addresses by quoting search terms rather than URLs. For instance the PM programme on BBC Radio 4 says "to find our blog, put pm blog into any search engine." Since then I've noticed this pattern in a few other places.

More4, Channel 4's documentary TV channel, says "search online for more4" on the inter-programme trails.

More4 ID screen

Also on TV, the government's Act On CO2 environmental awareness ads invite viewers to "Search online for Act On CO2."

Act On CO2, new version

Although it isn't given much prominence on the page, the narrator reads the text aloud making it even easier to remember. Compare this to the older ads which bore the full, confusingly capitalised URL.

Act On CO2, old version

As I said in my previous post on the subject, URLs are horribly unusable and I'll be the first to cheer when we finally do away with them. May this be the start of something.

Anyone seen other sites doing this?