Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia

Coby · 03-09-2011, 03:02 PM

Hey Warriors,

Here we often hear the debate over using certain tlds and rather or not google gives them more credit. I prefer using a keyword matched domain over a specific tld. Although I prefer .com, they are not always available, as was the case with this specific site. The .com was taken and the .net was for sale for like 2,000, and .org wasn't an option either. So I chose the .info tld.

I checked google today and was suprised to see that my new (few months) blog was ranked #1 for the main keyword above wikipedia, the .com version of my site and another very popular established site in the niche.

I have attached a screenshot for your viewing pleasure

Marksv · 03-09-2011, 03:12 PM

Congrats on your ranking!

I think that out of the box, .com .net and .org have more ranking power.

But with enough on page optimization and backlinking a .info can definitely overtake them....

It just goes to show you should always experiment...

Mark.

Andy Crofford · 03-09-2011, 03:13 PM

When I search for coonhounds, the .info site is on the second page, #17 to be exact.

Marksv · 03-09-2011, 03:14 PM

Coby, I like your Opt-In what service are you using?

Martin Luxton · 03-09-2011, 03:18 PM

Coby,

On my search (from Turkey) for coonhounds you are on page 2, number 9. Wikipedia is number 1, followed by coondawgs.com, then coonhounds.com.

For the singular, coonhound, the first 2 results are the same and your site wasn't on the first two pages.

Interesting that the results for singular and plural differ so much.

Martin

caseycase · 03-09-2011, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Crofford

When I search for coonhounds, the .info site is on the second page, #17 to be exact.

Same here. Your rankings may be different if G knows that you have clicked on that site before. Sign out and try it again.

howinfo · 03-09-2011, 03:19 PM

Yes, .info is good extension and works very well for me as well, more suitable than any other extension. Most people already know that all the tld are equal as far as rankings are concerned, anyway, well done.

O0o0O · 03-09-2011, 03:19 PM

All other parameters being equal, the .com usually is favored more highly among search engines. Try checking your on page and off page SEO and domain age to get a more global perspective. Currently your site is in the Google dance. Be sure to keep your SEO efforts consistent and diversified over the long term so that your site doesn't get sandboxed.

Jonas Juul · 03-09-2011, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Crofford

When I search for coonhounds, the .info site is on the second page, #17 to be exact.

The same happens for me. And I'm searching on google.com and in the US.

OP remeber to clear your cache! hehe

Biggy Fat · 03-09-2011, 03:21 PM

Yeah, I think you've been signed in at the time you took that screenshot and it was a personalized search.

Alexa Smith · 03-09-2011, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by howinfo

Yes, .info is good extension and works very well for me as well, more suitable than any other extension.

I also like .info's a lot, too.

I often buy the .info and the .com and just redirect the .com to the .info which I use as my "main niche site" and for which I do all the SEO and so on. (I'm only buying the .com to make sure nobody else does, in other words).

I did a big survey on all my lists a year ago, and asked people what they thought (because it's all too easy to "think like a marketer and ignore the customer perception") and the majority of people who expressed a preference (a big majority, in fact) said they strongly preferred to see ".info" on such sites.

Quote:

Originally Posted by howinfo

Most people already know that all the tld are equal as far as rankings are concerned.

Indeed ... but some always prefer to believe the urban myths of network marketing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by O0o0O

All other parameters being equal, the .com usually is favored more highly among search engines.

Sorry, this is completely wrong. Domain extensions simply don't affect SEO at all. According to Google, Matt Cutts, and any textbook you can buy on the subject. There are, though, a lot of myths and misunderstandings on the subject.

Landis · 03-09-2011, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coby

Hey Warriors,

Here we often hear the debate over using certain tlds and rather or not google gives them more credit. I prefer using a keyword matched domain over a specific tld. Although I prefer .com, they are not always available, as was the case with this specific site. The .com was taken and the .net was for sale for like 2,000, and .org wasn't an option either. So I chose the .info tld.

I checked google today and was suprised to see that my new (few months) blog was ranked #1 for the main keyword above wikipedia, the .com version of my site and another very popular established site in the niche.

I have attached a screenshot for your viewing pleasure

Try turning off your personalized search. Your site is nowhere in my SERPS.

Landis · 03-09-2011, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

Sorry, this is completely wrong. Domain extensions simply don't affect SEO at all. According to Google, Matt Cutts, and any textbook you can buy on the subject. There are, though, a lot of myths and misunderstandings on the subject.

Sorry, but I think you are completely wrong. Actually, you could be right, or you can be wrong. The fact of the matter is, NO ONE REALLY KNOWS googles algorithm. As far as Matt Cutts goes, he is Googles Mouth and can be a huge source of misinformation. His information about onpage seo is pure gold, but the stuff he says about offpage seo (backlinking etc) should be taken with a grain of salt.

Fraggler · 03-09-2011, 03:57 PM

Alexa has the right idea. Choose a TLD that suits your niche and your audience's perception.

The TLD won't affect your SEO abilities enough to really make a huge difference. A higher quality, more trusted, and more relevant site will beat out any site, regardless of tld.

Craig McPherson · 03-09-2011, 04:07 PM

Coby,

Great stuff mate.
I am in Australia and found you at #10 but of course we are not your target market. Dont even have raccoons here

You could tell that by the stupid ads that Adsense was throwing up.

Keep her going mate

Craig

paulgl · 03-09-2011, 04:19 PM

There has never been any doubt here. You can rank whatever you wish.
It's what you do with it that counts. Sadly, there are still those
who just don't care to believe the truth.

prchecker.info has ruled the PageRank checker niche for years.

Paul

cjreynolds · 03-09-2011, 05:00 PM

In my experience in web programing/designing/usability, most people when trying to remember a URL will always remember it as ".com", regardless of what the actual tld is. For this reason I have always leaned toward .com.

However, I think Alexa's point is well made. I think it boils down to the "shotgun" approach to marketing - if there's even a chance that something will add to your SEO, throw it in! This approach may be OK for the beginner, but the experienced marketer split-tests such things to be sure of what works.

Does a .com tld help SEO? Doubt it. But test it anyway! Test everything! You never know what peculiarities may exist in your particular customer base.

joe

apl · 03-09-2011, 08:00 PM

I bought the .net and .org extensions of my keyword and put them online at the same time with different but comparable content, and comparable backlinks. The .org was in #1 place in a week (its an easy word), but it had to pass about three weeks for the .net to appear in the first page.
I'm no expert, but this sounds to me that .org is favored.

yukon · 03-09-2011, 08:20 PM

Your not on page #1

Aki Fagno · 03-09-2011, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by howinfo

Yes, .info is good extension and works very well for me as well, more suitable than any other extension. Most people already know that all the tld are equal as far as rankings are concerned, anyway, well done.

Yes, I agree. That's really true.

Coby · 03-10-2011, 04:51 AM

I don't know why there is a discrepancy among searches for others. I was not logged into Google at the time (in fact I rarely do log into google). I actually checked it the first thing this morning before.

I don't know why it's showing up anywhere from #1 to #17 to who knows where depending on the person searching . . . :S

I just checked again and it's still at #1 on my search so I don't know what is up...

However, I do know that the rankings are different for the plural and singular version of the word and also when it is used as two words "coon hounds"...

So I guess if you feel the need to hate and tell me my .info site sucks your welcome to your opinion . . .

Coby · 03-10-2011, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marksv

Coby, I like your Opt-In what service are you using?

I use Imnica Mail, but the opt-in box is a plugin by Andy Fletcher, DigiListBuilder

Coby · 03-10-2011, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by O0o0O

All other parameters being equal, the .com usually is favored more highly among search engines. Try checking your on page and off page SEO and domain age to get a more global perspective. Currently your site is in the Google dance. Be sure to keep your SEO efforts consistent and diversified over the long term so that your site doesn't get sandboxed.

People always say the .com is better even though they can't prove it . . . Matt Cutts has been reported as saying otherwise . . .

But I'm no expert

greatcarvers · 03-10-2011, 05:40 AM

yews really good this for me..

Fraggler · 03-10-2011, 06:08 AM

Coby,

Google doesn't really let you opt-out of personalised search anymore. There are a couple of options you can use to quickly check your ranking, as per the general public.

Scroogle.org is probably the quickest. It removes any personalisation and gives a pretty accurate representation of where you sit.

Another way is to login to an Adwords account and use the Ad Preview tool. Set the location to an reasonable area for your expected target market and note the results.

The best way to check is Google Webmaster Tools.

It will give you a break down of where you sit on a range of Google data centers - as well as web, blog, news, images, video searches. You can even get an idea of the impressions you are getting in the search results to make a judgement on whether the keyword is worth any extra work or not.

ThomvP · 03-10-2011, 06:40 AM

I used the exact same keyword as in your picture but it says here you are #20. You might wanna use a rank checker instead of just searching on google (I never trust google) And as for the topic, I also think it doesn't make much of a difference yet the totally unknown tdls like .tk will probably not be favored. But then again thats just my thought. I have no proof on it.

03-09-2011, 03:02 PM	#1
Coby Ninja List Builder War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Murfreesboro, TN Posts: 1,596 Thanks: 694 Thanked 708 Times in 413 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia Hey Warriors, Here we often hear the debate over using certain tlds and rather or not google gives them more credit. I prefer using a keyword matched domain over a specific tld. Although I prefer .com, they are not always available, as was the case with this specific site. The .com was taken and the .net was for sale for like 2,000, and .org wasn't an option either. So I chose the .info tld. I checked google today and was suprised to see that my new (few months) blog was ranked #1 for the main keyword above wikipedia, the .com version of my site and another very popular established site in the niche. I have attached a screenshot for your viewing pleasure Attached Thumbnails
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03-09-2011, 03:12 PM	#2
Marksv www.LazyAffiliateCash.com War Room Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 202 Thanks: 127 Thanked 48 Times in 27 Posts Social Networking	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia Congrats on your ranking! I think that out of the box, .com .net and .org have more ranking power. But with enough on page optimization and backlinking a .info can definitely overtake them.... It just goes to show you should always experiment... Mark.
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03-09-2011, 03:13 PM	#3
Andy Crofford HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Carl Junction, MO Posts: 302 Thanks: 1 Thanked 60 Times in 45 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia When I search for coonhounds, the .info site is on the second page, #17 to be exact.
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03-09-2011, 03:14 PM	#4
Marksv www.LazyAffiliateCash.com War Room Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 202 Thanks: 127 Thanked 48 Times in 27 Posts Social Networking	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia Coby, I like your Opt-In what service are you using?
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03-09-2011, 03:18 PM	#5
Martin Luxton Christmas Rocker Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: North Pole Posts: 2,395 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 541 Thanked 714 Times in 378 Posts	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia Coby, On my search (from Turkey) for coonhounds you are on page 2, number 9. Wikipedia is number 1, followed by coondawgs.com, then coonhounds.com. For the singular, coonhound, the first 2 results are the same and your site wasn't on the first two pages. Interesting that the results for singular and plural differ so much. Martin
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03-09-2011, 03:19 PM	#7
howinfo Advanced Warrior Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: UK Posts: 807 Thanks: 4 Thanked 94 Times in 88 Posts Social Networking	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia Yes, .info is good extension and works very well for me as well, more suitable than any other extension. Most people already know that all the tld are equal as far as rankings are concerned, anyway, well done.
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03-09-2011, 03:19 PM	#8
O0o0O Expert Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 1,217 Thanks: 245 Thanked 198 Times in 158 Posts	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia All other parameters being equal, the .com usually is favored more highly among search engines. Try checking your on page and off page SEO and domain age to get a more global perspective. Currently your site is in the Google dance. Be sure to keep your SEO efforts consistent and diversified over the long term so that your site doesn't get sandboxed.

03-09-2011, 03:21 PM	#10
Biggy Fat Retired Internet Marketer Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Alabama Posts: 1,088 Thanks: 47 Thanked 123 Times in 97 Posts	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia Yeah, I think you've been signed in at the time you took that screenshot and it was a personalized search.

03-09-2011, 03:57 PM	#14
Fraggler Troy Steele War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 1,763 Thanks: 723 Thanked 499 Times in 319 Posts Social Networking	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia Alexa has the right idea. Choose a TLD that suits your niche and your audience's perception. The TLD won't affect your SEO abilities enough to really make a huge difference. A higher quality, more trusted, and more relevant site will beat out any site, regardless of tld.
	High Quality - Big Impact - Niche Specific - Low Footprint Backlinks - 15 OBL This is as Close to Natural Backlinking as You're Ever Likely to See Niches Available: General Health - Finance & Investment - Shopping & Consumer Goods

03-09-2011, 04:07 PM	#15
Craig McPherson Advanced Warrior Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 823 Thanks: 116 Thanked 355 Times in 180 Posts Social Networking	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia Coby, Great stuff mate. I am in Australia and found you at #10 but of course we are not your target market. Dont even have raccoons here You could tell that by the stupid ads that Adsense was throwing up. Keep her going mate Craig
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03-09-2011, 04:19 PM	#16
paulgl Plundering the Web War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: , , . Posts: 4,849 Thanks: 804 Thanked 1,199 Times in 886 Posts	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia There has never been any doubt here. You can rank whatever you wish. It's what you do with it that counts. Sadly, there are still those who just don't care to believe the truth. prchecker.info has ruled the PageRank checker niche for years. Paul
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03-09-2011, 05:00 PM	#17
cjreynolds Greedy Ex-Programmer War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: USA Posts: 306 Thanks: 149 Thanked 46 Times in 38 Posts Social Networking	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia In my experience in web programing/designing/usability, most people when trying to remember a URL will always remember it as ".com", regardless of what the actual tld is. For this reason I have always leaned toward .com. However, I think Alexa's point is well made. I think it boils down to the "shotgun" approach to marketing - if there's even a chance that something will add to your SEO, throw it in! This approach may be OK for the beginner, but the experienced marketer split-tests such things to be sure of what works. Does a .com tld help SEO? Doubt it. But test it anyway! Test everything! You never know what peculiarities may exist in your particular customer base. joe
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03-09-2011, 08:00 PM	#18
apl Warrior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 27 Thanks: 3 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia I bought the .net and .org extensions of my keyword and put them online at the same time with different but comparable content, and comparable backlinks. The .org was in #1 place in a week (its an easy word), but it had to pass about three weeks for the .net to appear in the first page. I'm no expert, but this sounds to me that .org is favored.
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03-09-2011, 08:20 PM	#19
yukon SEO Strategist War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 6,532 Thanks: 355 Thanked 1,992 Times in 1,273 Posts	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia Your not on page #1
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03-10-2011, 04:51 AM	#21
Coby Ninja List Builder War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Murfreesboro, TN Posts: 1,596 Thanks: 694 Thanked 708 Times in 413 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia I don't know why there is a discrepancy among searches for others. I was not logged into Google at the time (in fact I rarely do log into google). I actually checked it the first thing this morning before. I don't know why it's showing up anywhere from #1 to #17 to who knows where depending on the person searching . . . :S I just checked again and it's still at #1 on my search so I don't know what is up... However, I do know that the rankings are different for the plural and singular version of the word and also when it is used as two words "coon hounds"... So I guess if you feel the need to hate and tell me my .info site sucks your welcome to your opinion . . .
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03-10-2011, 05:40 AM	#24
greatcarvers Warrior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 17 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia yews really good this for me..
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03-10-2011, 06:08 AM	#25
Fraggler Troy Steele War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 1,763 Thanks: 723 Thanked 499 Times in 319 Posts Social Networking	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia Coby, Google doesn't really let you opt-out of personalised search anymore. There are a couple of options you can use to quickly check your ranking, as per the general public. Scroogle.org is probably the quickest. It removes any personalisation and gives a pretty accurate representation of where you sit. Another way is to login to an Adwords account and use the Ad Preview tool. Set the location to an reasonable area for your expected target market and note the results. The best way to check is Google Webmaster Tools. It will give you a break down of where you sit on a range of Google data centers - as well as web, blog, news, images, video searches. You can even get an idea of the impressions you are getting in the search results to make a judgement on whether the keyword is worth any extra work or not.
	High Quality - Big Impact - Niche Specific - Low Footprint Backlinks - 15 OBL This is as Close to Natural Backlinking as You're Ever Likely to See Niches Available: General Health - Finance & Investment - Shopping & Consumer Goods

03-10-2011, 06:40 AM	#26
ThomvP Active Warrior Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 68 Thanks: 11 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Proof that tld isn't important! .info ranks above .com and Wikipedia I used the exact same keyword as in your picture but it says here you are #20. You might wanna use a rank checker instead of just searching on google (I never trust google) And as for the topic, I also think it doesn't make much of a difference yet the totally unknown tdls like .tk will probably not be favored. But then again thats just my thought. I have no proof on it.