New domain extensions have popped up rapidly in recent years. Since the creation of the modern Internet, most websites relied on the .com extension. Now, there are all kinds of extensions, many of which are designed for specific kinds of websites. Whether for art or music or business or photography, there are specific extensions that are designed to directly inform someone of a website’s content before they ever visit the site. Now, chances are the visitor would already know what is to be found on the website, but the domain extension helps provide additional insights. If you are looking at starting up a brand new website you may be considering a domain extension. However, before you do, you need to answer the question of does domain extension affect SEO? Here is what you need to know about the question.
Does Domain Extension Affect SEO?
Google is, in reality, the end all be all when it comes to search engine optimization. While Yahoo, Bing, and a handful of other search engines do exist, Google receives more traffic than all other search engines combined, so when it makes a change you need to listen. The second most-often used “search engine” is actually YouTube, which is also controlled by Google, so you want to play nicely in the Google sandbox.
What does Google look at when determining its search engine rankings? There are hundreds of points of interest the search engine utilizes when determining what will rank higher than others. It’s come a long way in the last twenty years. Back in the day, all you needed to do was type a specific keyword at the bottom of a page and repeat it over and over in order to be ranked high on Google. Now, it is nearly impossible to “trick” the search engine into ranking you higher. However, there are some specifics you can focus on in order to boost your ranking.
Load time plays a major factor. There’s a reason Google is an all-white screen with simple text in the center. It makes Google one of the fastest loading websites on the Internet. It likes fast. So optimizing your website for speed is crucial. Having a mobile version is also very important. More searches are performed on mobile devices now, so the failure of having a mobile-optimized website will hurt you more than anything else. Quality content is key as well. As long as you’re providing helpful, quality content, you will rank higher on search engines.
So what about the domain? Well, the domain can help, as it will indicate to a visitor what they should expect to find on your website. However, the domain extension is far down the list of what will help your ranking. If you’re tied with another website with SEO and you have a targeted domain it might give you the nod and bump you up a spot, but it’s not going to dramatically increase your SEO. for that you need to focus on speed, mobile, and quality of content.
The True Benefit
One of the true benefits you’ll receive when opting into a targeted domain, such as those using .ONLINE, is the ability to stand out from the crowd. When someone sees your domain it not only will stand out, but it will draw their attention from other domains that are listed.
Design Your Website
So, does a domain extension help your SEO? It can, but with the hundreds of ranking points Google looks at, the extension isn’t going to do all that much in the grand scheme of things. In terms of ranking your website higher in search engines, it’ll help you more to improve load times and to provide quality content (don’t keyword-stuff), and strive to create the best website possible. With that said, a new domain extension can help your website stand out, especially when potential customers and clients see your domain listed on a website, business card, LinkedIn, or another social media platform. The domain extension looks new and cutting edge. In other words, while it might not push you over the top in terms of Google search engine rankings, it can help draw the eye of potential customers in other ways. And, in the end, isn’t that what it’s all about? You want to drive traffic and boost sales however possible, and this is one way to do that. If you’d like to find out more and discover how a new domain extension can work out for you, make sure to consider a .ONLINE domain and discover what a difference a domain extension can make.