Author: Rutuja Pawar
Published: September 8, 2023
Categories: Domain Name, Website
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, nobody truly knows what makes a particular website rank 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:
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 user's 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.
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.
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 popular facts about new domains and SEO:
Google My Business: Google uses 'business.site' for its Google My Business program. Every small business that creates a one-page website through this program will get a 'businessname.business.site' sub-domain name automatically.
Alphabet's Usage: Alphabet, the parent company of Google, also uses many new domains such as www.abc.xyz, www.chronicle.security, 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.
Equal Weight for New Registrations: According to Dallas-based 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.
Domain Migration: 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.
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.
Example Comparison:
Both websites fulfill the same purpose. Despite both being relevant, the website on the .Store extension seems more reliable primarily because of the domain extension.
New domain extensions such as .Store help add character and credibility by clearly stating what the website has to offer before someone even clicks on it.
Therefore, a great and meaningful domain name along with good-quality content and all the other SEO practices, can ensure good search result ranking.
Important Note:
An Australia-based online store, Nundle Woolen Mill is reconnecting with Australia's wool heritage. The website ranks on #2 for a short keyword that is very relevant to their audience.
Even though Emirate's primary website gets a ton of organic traffic for all branded keywords, its website, www.emirates.store shows up first when searching for emirates merch.
Based out of California, this small online store sells Rasmussen Gas Logs, Solaire Infrared Grills, and more. Through good-quality content, the website ranks as a featured snippet for a generic yet relevant keyword.
The Cabinet Door store is a family-owned company based in central North Dakota. The website ranks #1 on Google for the exact keywords as its domain name, "cabinet door store".
Kono Store is a community organization that sells keyboards and related parts on its online store. For a two-word, generic keyword, www.kono.store shows up on the first page of the Google search results page.
An apparel store based in the US, it ranks #1, on the first page, for a simple three-word keyword that's also one of its prime products.
Andjoy is an online store for men's wear. The online store ranks on the first page of search results for keywords that are relevant to the business.
| Business | Domain | Location | Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nundle Woolen Mill | www.nundle.store | Australia | Ranks #2 for relevant short keyword |
| Emirates | www.emirates.store | International | Ranks first for "emirates merch" |
| BestHot | www.besthot.store | California, US | Featured snippet for generic keyword |
| Cabinet Door Store | www.cabinetdoor.store | North Dakota, US | Ranks #1 for "cabinet door store" |
| Kono Store | www.kono.store | Community-based | First page for two-word generic keyword |
| Madeon | www.madeon.store | US | Ranks #1 for three-word product keyword |
| Andjoy | www.andjoy.store | Online | First page for relevant business keywords |
Your domain name is your online store's first point of contact. Having a fully-functional website with a short, relevant, and meaningful domain name can help benefit your overall SEO efforts and help your business reach the right audience.
According to Google's John Mueller, newer top-level domains (TLDs) are equivalent to other generic top-level domains like .com when it comes to SEO. While keyword-rich domains were once heavily weighted, Google now focuses on overall content quality, backlinks, and website optimization rather than exact-match domain names.
No. Google's John Mueller stated that newer top-level domains are equivalent to other generic top-level domains like .com when it comes to SEO. Google itself uses new domain extensions such as business.site for Google My Business, and Alphabet uses domains like abc.xyz, chronicle.security, and x.company.
Yes. Multiple businesses on .Store domains rank on the first page of Google search results, including nundle.store, emirates.store, besthot.store, cabinetdoor.store, kono.store, madeon.store, and andjoy.store. 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.
Established SEO best practices include:
Domain names influence user perception by clearly communicating what the website offers. For example, a .Store extension immediately signals that the website is an online store, adding credibility and trust before users even click on the link.