Placing search terms in address bar

Different results on IE and Firefox

[Stronkie]

When typing search terms directly into the browser address bar I got two distinctly different results from IE and Firefox:

IE took me to a Google results page
Firefox took me directly to a website

Can anyone explain how this works, how long this has been so, whether there is any way it can be exploited e.g. ensuring my site comes up when users type search terms into the address bar on firefox?

The page that came up was in pos 3 on Google, nowhere on Yahoo! and a different page from the same site in pos 1 on MSN

I'm surprised IE takes you to Google and I'm curious as to how Firefox decides what site to take you to

Anyone have any ideas?

[eelixduppy]

It is different from browser to browser; it's based on the users settings. For instance, firefox for me brings up a google search and IE bring up a msn search (none go directly to a specific page).

I'm assuming it's based on various toolbars and whatnot that come with browsers these days. I don't see a setting where you can manually change this...within firefox, at least.

[phranque]

assuming IE6 you could play with Tools menu / Internet Options... / Advanced tab / Search from the Address bar options.

haven't figure out how to affect changes to the firefox Navigation Toolbar...

[phranque]

when i type a search term in the firefox address bar it always goes to the google PR 1 organic listing for that term...

[encyclo]

Typing keywords into the Firefox address bar (not the adjacent search box) will by default be the equivalent of the Google "I'm feeling lucky" button. IE usually conducts a search using your default search engine (usually MSN Live unless you change it).

[eelixduppy]

>>> Typing keywords into the Firefox address bar (not the adjacent search box) will by default be the equivalent of the Google "I'm feeling lucky" button.

Through some experimentation Firefox will only act this way if the keywords are specific. If you search something vague then it will show a regular Google search.

For example:
type: "webmasterworld"
This brings you right here!

Then type: "color"
And you'll see that it will bring up a google search for color [google.com]