Let’s solve the biggest internet mystery once and for all – do domain names have an impact on SEO?
Being on top of the search results is one of the best ways to get noticed in front of potential customers. However, no single factor determines why one website ranks over another.
Through multiple studies and research, a few good practices have been established that help improve a website’s chance of ranking in the top ten search results for specific keywords. Some of those practices include:
- High-quality content
- Strong backlink portfolio
- A well-optimized website
Back in the day, if your domain name had the exact same keywords as the search query, your website would beat all competition and rank. This led to www.somereallylongdomainnames.com.
However, Google is constantly studying its users’ habits and improving its algorithm to share content that’s truly valuable to the user’s search.
This meant that businesses now needed to build a credible online presence to be able to see the first page of Google search results.
New Domains And SEO
In 2012, when new domain extensions were first introduced, the age-old questions popped up again, however, this time it came with its own share of variations.
- Do keyword-rich domain names help a website rank?
- Does Google prefer a .com domain name over a domain name on a new extension?
- Do domain names on new domain extensions even rank?
Google’s John Mueller, during an edition of Ask Googlebot on YouTube, said:
“The newer top-level domains (TLDs) are equivalent to other generic top-level domains like .com when it comes to SEO. Pick something you like, there are lots of options out there now.”
As a matter of fact, Google uses new domain names too. Here are some key facts about new domains and SEO.
- Alphabet, the parent company of Google, also uses many new domains such as www.abc.xyz and www.x.company. These use cases, among others, are evidence that new domains are as good as any other domains; and are trusted by the likes of Google as well.
- According to SEO expert Bill Hartzer, two newly registered domain names are given the same weight by search engines when it comes to organic rankings. So, if no other ranking criteria are considered, both have the same potential to rank high in organic search results.
- A site that moves to a new domain name that migrates successfully using SEO best practices will not suffer rankings issues, whether or not it’s a keyword-rich new domain extension.
Choosing the Right Domain Extension Can Help with SEO
Domain names are important to people and people are important to Google. Your domain name can have an influence on user perception as it tells the visitor what the website is about.
For example, a .store website would most likely be an online store.
A web address provides information and credibility which eventually adds up to people trusting it and clicking on it. This helps with search engine ranking.
For example, www.mycarstore-partz.com and www.carparts.store fulfill the same purpose. Despite both websites being relevant, the website on the .store extension seems more reliable, primarily because of the domain extension.
Therefore, a great and meaningful domain name along with good-quality content and all the other SEO practices, can ensure good search result ranking.
What Data Says About .store and SEO
A 12-month controlled experiment by Contrast Digital compared two identical eCommerce websites, one on a .com domain and one on a .store domain, with the same products, content, and marketing campaigns. The only difference was the domain extension.
The results were clear. The .store domain generated 87% more organic clicks and 101% more impressions in organic search. In paid search, it achieved a higher click-through rate and a lower customer acquisition cost. The data suggests that a .store domain does not just signal credibility to visitors, it may also give your store a measurable edge in search performance.
You can read the full experiment here: Does the .store TLD Have an Advantage for SEO/SEM?
Conclusion
Your domain name is your online store’s first point of contact. A short, relevant, and meaningful domain name works alongside strong content and good SEO practices to help your business reach the right audience.
With a .store domain, visitors immediately know they are landing on an online store. And when you pair it with the right keywords, it becomes even clearer what you sell. Take www.queencosmetics.store as an example. The domain alone tells you it is a cosmetics store before you even land on the page.
