Backlinks: Does your exact domain name matter?

missmystery · 10-30-2011, 09:24 PM

Ok So I just checked out my links.

It seems

Code:

aspergersgirl.com

only has 12 inlinks

yet

Code:

www.aspergersgirl.com

has over 5000

What difference does this make building backlinks to your domain with the www attached?

Should I just be building for the domain without the www?

Do · 10-30-2011, 09:41 PM

it doesn't matter, google knows this, diversify your linking target benifit your seo

iAmNameLess · 10-30-2011, 10:01 PM

It does matter... usually matters more when the links are split more than that.

301 redirect your non www version to the www version so you get some credit for that.

StarN9 · 10-30-2011, 10:03 PM

As of my best knowledge it really matters

dburk · 10-30-2011, 10:30 PM

Hi Missmystery,

According to Google it matters a lot.

Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Google, duplicate content caused by URL parameters, and you
Duplicate content - Webmaster Tools Help
Canonicalization - Webmaster Tools Help
Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Specify your canonical
SEO advice: url canonicalization

CarlosRubio · 10-30-2011, 11:45 PM

It does matter indeed

Pick up either 'www' or 'non-www' and stick with it as your canonical url.

Redirect the other option to your selected canonical url and you are good to go

yukon · 10-30-2011, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iAmNameLess

It does matter... usually matters more when the links are split more than that.

301 redirect your non www version to the www version so you get some credit for that.

Agreed, absolutely it matters.

In OPs case 12 links isn't much, still I would redirect all non-www to www for future links.

Also make it a point to only build www backlinks in the future since that has the the most existing links already for your specific site.

pagunston · 10-31-2011, 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iAmNameLess

It does matter... usually matters more when the links are split more than that.

301 redirect your non www version to the www version so you get some credit for that.

How do you 301 redirect?

C Rebecca · 10-31-2011, 04:13 AM

Well, your backlinks are splitting between two versions of your website...

This is why it is always advised to merge your both versions, either by setting your preferred domain in Google Webmaster tools or by redirecting your one version to your main version.

thedog · 10-31-2011, 04:43 AM

Yep, matters a lot.

there's a few different variations of your url... just stick to 1 for your backlinking... I used a service before, and they didn't include the / after my url... so I got them to redoo it.

so, .com is different to .com/

careful now.

missmystery · 10-31-2011, 05:08 AM

I don't know what to do! It's all brain fart. Do I say something to my web host? How many different versions are there? How do I find out? Do I redirect them all to one?

I have thousands and thousands of links on my site as it contains a message board and a blog.. I mean yes the www version and the non www version are two.. but what about the rest?

I've got an url with the old / after it, too, but I'm not sure how many other hundreds there are on the other pages.

I mean, does my myths page count as having "similar content" as the index page?

thedog · 10-31-2011, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by missmystery

I don't know what to do! It's all brain fart. Do I say something to my web host? How many different versions are there? How do I find out? Do I redirect them all to one?

Well... don't redirect them all to one, for a start. But do choose a couple, your homepage and some internal pages... and keep those url's consistent.

So, if your homepage is www.site.com/, keep it as that, don't also use site.com/, www.site.com, www.site.com/index.html etc...

Same goes for your internal pages, www.site.com/page1.html, not site.com/page1.html

missmystery · 10-31-2011, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedog

Well... don't redirect them all to one, for a start. But do choose a couple, your homepage and some internal pages... and keep those url's consistent.

So, if your homepage is www.site.com/, keep it as that, don't also use site.com/, www.site.com, www.site.com/index.html etc...

Same goes for your internal pages, www.site.com/page1.html, not site.com/page1.html

I see... So just do he old redirect to the www URL in that case as it has the most links.. and select the www for the conical?

Is it that simple? Perhaps I'm complicating things..

thedog · 10-31-2011, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by missmystery

I see... So just do he old redirect to the www URL in that case as it has the most links.. and select the www for the conical?

Is it that simple? Perhaps I'm complicating things..

Yes, you're over complicating things.

Just use consistent urls when backlinking.

MikeFriedman · 10-31-2011, 05:35 AM

You just need to do the non-www to www 301 redirect.

missmystery · 10-31-2011, 06:52 PM

Thanks everyone. I'll talk to my web host about the redirects

thedog · 10-31-2011, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spherevoice

Exact domain name does matter but when it comes to SEO it has very little impact. Also, it helps your visitors know what the website is about before they click on your website link from search engine. Your main focus should be on Title tag.

Sorry, an EMD will help your rankings, .com, .org or .net

julianbooth123 · 11-01-2011, 12:13 AM

Yes it surely matters and you should 301 redirect the non www url to the www url as soon as possible otherwise you might face the duplication issue for your site.

Kris79 · 12-01-2011, 08:42 AM

It matters to you Google rankings.
For google technical point of view your domain has at leat to names:
- without "www"
- with "www"
to you it might seems the same but in reality there are 2 different domains.
You need to:
1. decide what type of address will you be using and stick to it all the time, everywhere
2. make a 301 redirect in you hosting account or directly in .htaccess file.

10-30-2011, 09:24 PM	#1
missmystery Don't stop, never give up War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 498 Thanks: 84 Thanked 39 Times in 38 Posts Social Networking	Backlinks: Does your exact domain name matter? Ok So I just checked out my links. It seems Code: aspergersgirl.com only has 12 inlinks yet Code: www.aspergersgirl.com has over 5000 What difference does this make building backlinks to your domain with the www attached? Should I just be building for the domain without the www?
	Aspergers Syndrome awareness site. Also check out my Youtube videos! :D

10-30-2011, 09:41 PM	#2
Do Warrior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 23 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Backlinks: Does your exact domain name matter? it doesn't matter, google knows this, diversify your linking target benifit your seo
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10-30-2011, 10:01 PM	#3
iAmNameLess Smoke Free since Apr 6th War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: MO/IL Posts: 3,602 Blog Entries: 3 Thanks: 423 Thanked 1,092 Times in 618 Posts Social Networking	Re: Backlinks: Does your exact domain name matter? It does matter... usually matters more when the links are split more than that. 301 redirect your non www version to the www version so you get some credit for that.
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10-30-2011, 10:03 PM	#4
StarN9 Warrior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Bangalore, India Posts: 29 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Social Networking	Re: Backlinks: Does your exact domain name matter? As of my best knowledge it really matters

10-30-2011, 10:30 PM	#5
dburk Senior Warrior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 4,645 Thanks: 163 Thanked 673 Times in 583 Posts Contact Info	Re: Backlinks: Does your exact domain name matter? Hi Missmystery, According to Google it matters a lot. Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Google, duplicate content caused by URL parameters, and you Duplicate content - Webmaster Tools Help Canonicalization - Webmaster Tools Help Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Specify your canonical SEO advice: url canonicalization
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10-30-2011, 11:45 PM	#6
CarlosRubio Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Posts: 9 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Contact Info	Re: Backlinks: Does your exact domain name matter? It does matter indeed Pick up either 'www' or 'non-www' and stick with it as your canonical url. Redirect the other option to your selected canonical url and you are good to go

10-31-2011, 04:13 AM	#9
C Rebecca Advanced Warrior Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 592 Thanks: 1 Thanked 29 Times in 26 Posts	Re: Backlinks: Does your exact domain name matter? Well, your backlinks are splitting between two versions of your website... This is why it is always advised to merge your both versions, either by setting your preferred domain in Google Webmaster tools or by redirecting your one version to your main version.
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10-31-2011, 04:43 AM	#10
thedog Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: China Posts: 1,516 Thanks: 291 Thanked 94 Times in 70 Posts	Re: Backlinks: Does your exact domain name matter? Yep, matters a lot. there's a few different variations of your url... just stick to 1 for your backlinking... I used a service before, and they didn't include the / after my url... so I got them to redoo it. so, .com is different to .com/ careful now.
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10-31-2011, 05:08 AM	#11
missmystery Don't stop, never give up War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 498 Thanks: 84 Thanked 39 Times in 38 Posts Social Networking	Re: Backlinks: Does your exact domain name matter? I don't know what to do! It's all brain fart. Do I say something to my web host? How many different versions are there? How do I find out? Do I redirect them all to one? I have thousands and thousands of links on my site as it contains a message board and a blog.. I mean yes the www version and the non www version are two.. but what about the rest? I've got an url with the old / after it, too, but I'm not sure how many other hundreds there are on the other pages. I mean, does my myths page count as having "similar content" as the index page?
	Aspergers Syndrome awareness site. Also check out my Youtube videos! :D

10-31-2011, 05:35 AM	#15
MikeFriedman Don't Drink and SEO War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: York, PA Posts: 2,009 Thanks: 207 Thanked 551 Times in 393 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Backlinks: Does your exact domain name matter? You just need to do the non-www to www 301 redirect.
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10-31-2011, 06:52 PM	#16
missmystery Don't stop, never give up War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 498 Thanks: 84 Thanked 39 Times in 38 Posts Social Networking	Re: Backlinks: Does your exact domain name matter? Thanks everyone. I'll talk to my web host about the redirects
	Aspergers Syndrome awareness site. Also check out my Youtube videos! :D

11-01-2011, 12:13 AM	#18
julianbooth123 Active Warrior Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 88 Thanks: 2 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Backlinks: Does your exact domain name matter? Yes it surely matters and you should 301 redirect the non www url to the www url as soon as possible otherwise you might face the duplication issue for your site.

12-01-2011, 08:42 AM	#19
Kris79 HyperActive Warrior Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 180 Thanks: 19 Thanked 30 Times in 13 Posts Contact Info	Re: Backlinks: Does your exact domain name matter? It matters to you Google rankings. For google technical point of view your domain has at leat to names: - without "www" - with "www" to you it might seems the same but in reality there are 2 different domains. You need to: 1. decide what type of address will you be using and stick to it all the time, everywhere 2. make a 301 redirect in you hosting account or directly in .htaccess file.