Navigational Searches Common, Confusing

Why do people type full URLs into search bars?  And why is this practice noticeably less common at Google than at other search engines?  It’s hard to say, really, but Compete’s Jeremy Crane has some thoughts and stats on the matter.

First off: I’ll admit to making what he calls “navigational searches” insofar as I Google companies’ names.  For me, it’s usually a matter of wondering whether a company’s long name will really be identical to its address, or verifying that I’ve spelled and punctuated everything according to a corporation’s own practices.

As for everybody else?  I’m not sure what they’re up to.  But