This makes basic SEO even more important.

Remember - there is no guarantee you will rank #1 for your own domain name - google doesn't work like that for better or worse.

Often when a site is new and not ranked at all well in google, you will get a "did you mean...." suggesting a different site ... even for www.yoursitename.com.au

I don't think a lot of businesses out there realise (and it won't affect 80% of them), but i'm sure there are plenty of cases of people typing in a URL in the search box and ending up at a competitor!

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Matt
Marketing Web & Brand Police Blog
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Sites I work with:
Sheep Yards Christian Dating Albury Heating & Cooling
Medical Clinic Albury Wedding Venue Albury Function Rooms Albury

people dont remember those pesky urls ......what a load of poontang

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Payday Loan
Animal Insurance
Music Forum
Business Videos

There is an American Express TV commerical running at the moment where they say "search 'potential'", yet if you search google for 'potential' they have PPC running - but not even at the very top.. strange

Maybe the marketing agency gets a commission for PPC :P

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Index > Rank > Monetise

I actually do this for a lot of sites because it's easy to tab tab to search bar, type in the website name and hit enter and then click the first result.

I do it for analytics, webmaster tools, gmail etc etc.

Are you using google.com or google.com.au to get that result?

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Joes.com.au

hmm looks like it was targeted to my account because its gone now

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Index > Rank > Monetise

Hell.... I type "dntrade" into the google search bar.

I bet dntrade.com.au's top keyword is "dntrade".

"dntrade" is the 12th highest search that brings in traffic

Just out of the top ten........ not too far off.

I doubt the majority of businesses are ever going to rely on promoting google searches as opposed to promoting a url they actually control, even though it is a trend to some degree at the moment for some. It is a bit like stating "The shop next to Bankstown McDonalds" on all your business cards as opposed to listing an address, some customers find it easier but you are putting your business in the hands of someone else.