You know the lovely folks at speedtest.net - they tell you how fast or slow your internet connection is? You also know that Google has a subpar version when you Google [speed test] right in the search results. They launched that feature about two years ago.
Well, now, if you search for the brand [speedtest.net], the domain name, in Google, Google will show you their speed test widget above the domain speedtest.net.
Mike Pantoliano posted about this on Twitter and Danny Sullivan responded:
I'll pass this along. I think what's happening is we're probably not seeing the . in https://t.co/muFPiqJ0RF and seeing that as a request for "speedtest" where we have a speed test option. Not sure, but as said, will share it internally.
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) April 26, 2018
Replied in the other tweet. Widget is indeed old. Passed it along to review why it is triggering for a domain (which I'm pretty sure because we're not seeing that as a domain but interpreting as two words -- but in any case, we'll look at it).
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) April 26, 2018
I think you answer your own concerns. If our intent was to purposely do this, you'd see it happen for all those things, right? But it's not -- so the reasonable explanation if that it's not purposeful and we have some glitch. Which both John and I have asked to have looked at.
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) April 26, 2018
He is basically thinking it might be a bug and Google will fix it.
I am not sure if or when it will be "fixed" but this can be hugely upsetting to some folks if Google did this for their domain name.
Forum discussion at Twitter.
