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Is domain extension really matter?

by swandicandra
18 replies
Hi all,

Can experts clarify this argument once for all please? I found so many people contradict each others on this topic. Some believe the domain extensions such as .com, .net, etc. would rank better, others believe all extensions such as co (dot) cc, co (dot) tv, etc. are treated equally by Google as long as they have good keywords.

Does anyone here has a site(s) that gets good traffics and makes good money using one of free domain extensions?

Thanks
#domain #extension #matter #rank
  • Profile picture of the author Eleanor
    Hey,

    Here are my thoughts on domain extensions...

    In order of preference...

    .gov
    .edu
    .org
    .com
    .net
    .info

    The .info name debate is over. In my opinion, you can still get high rankings with .info domains (now that spammers have calmed down!) but I’d still recommend other domain extensions first.

    Also, bear in mind that although .com is a popular domain extension, it actually gets a lot more scrutiny from Google because it’s so widely used by spammers and other junk websites.

    In terms of free domain extensions, there's nothing wrong with them but I'd suggest paying for a domain name extension that's in the list above. Google isn't stupid and unfortunately, because spammers are looking for the cheapest way possible to spurt out rubbish all over the internet, they target free domain extensions for reviews of content much more regularly - so you're likely to find it harder to rank with a free domain.

    Hope that helps

    Thanks
    Eleanor
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Top-level domain extensions do not affect SEO/ranking, at all.

      This simple, factual statement, repeatedly confirmed by Google, Matt Cutts, every SEO textbook writer, every SEO professional who knows what he's talking about, Warriors who have formerly worked for Google, MicroSoft and other companies who know, and about 300 Warrior Forum threads where all the evidence is linked to, discussed, verified, and so on, still - astonishingly - remains enormously contentious, and some people seem determined to get their "information" on the subject only from the Urban Myth School of internet marketing.

      There may well be many other reasons for preferring one top-level domain extension to others, but SEO just isn't one of them.

      There are literally hundreds of threads here covering this subject, including many with links to authoritative statements and videos from Google, Matt Cutts, and so on ... but this thread is as good a starting-place as any, for anyone who wants to follow a trail of factual information, links to other threads, and so on.
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    • Profile picture of the author Psst
      Banned
      Originally Posted by bubbins1987 View Post

      Hey,

      The .info name debate is over. In my opinion, you can still get high rankings with .info domains (now that spammers have calmed down!) but I'd still recommend other domain extensions first.
      I wonder why people register .info's at all when what they want is only to save some money. Because yesterday, I noticed that the price of .info domain names becomes equal to the price of .com's after the first year of registration. Or maybe I got something wrong?
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  • Profile picture of the author braincandy7
    It's very hard to give a definitive answer. I have been looking into this myself.

    I tend towards .com but i also have 2 .info sites which are on p1. One .info site is on p1 for 10 keywords. It can be done with either.

    Consumers do tend to be more positively bias towards .com though
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  • Profile picture of the author Tommy Smith
    I believe it depends, .com and .net has a higher value than .im or other new extension. However, search engines doesn't mention a thing regarding the extension affect.
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  • Profile picture of the author roseca
    ya its matter some time but i also work in .com .info etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author Adie
    I have dozens of info and even biz domains sitting on the first page of google. Extension does not affect seo.... I even have a co dot cc domain beating all other TLDs....
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    • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
      Originally Posted by Adie View Post

      I even have a co dot cc domain beating all other TLDs....
      Hmm, are you SURE?

      As far as I know, Google removed all .co .cc domains from its index.
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      • Profile picture of the author ScottLindsay
        I always use .com, .net, or .org. I have had great experience with all of them and when it comes to reselling the site, these will almost always sell for far more than a .info or some other domain name extension.

        I have seen .info rank in the number one sport but I have to say it is rare. Why take the chance? Stick with what we know works for sure.
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        • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
          Originally Posted by ScottLindsay View Post

          Why take the chance? Stick with what we know works for sure.
          Its not "taking a chance" at all. Alexa, and many others here, have proven this.

          You're just encouraging belief in the urban myth, that .info's aren't worthwhile, which quite simply isn't FACTUAL.
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  • Profile picture of the author therocsta
    I agree - the extension is irrelevant - it's keyword in the domain (although I hear this is being downplayed a bit after Panda), your on and off page seo, and the quality of your content that matters.
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    • Profile picture of the author Tom Ryan
      Domain extensions do not affect ranking. Choose whatever extension you want, but I will always try to get a .com if I'm trying to brand the site.
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  • Profile picture of the author ronaldmd
    It'd been discussed over and over. Domain extensions don't matter. Except for .co(dot)cc, google no longer indexes those domains.
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  • Profile picture of the author Frank Horton
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Frank Horton View Post

      a friend of mine told me that if i will sell my .info domain it is cheaper than .com
      That's generally quite likely to be true.

      But it has nothing to do with SEO at all.

      Resale is one of the many reasons for .com's being "better", most of the time, for some people's purposes.

      .info domains can also have some great advantages, and I've chosen to build much of my own business on them. I do also buy the .com's as well, though, protectively (i.e. to make sure nobody else does) and I simply redirect each of the .com's which I'm not using to the .info's I am using, and have all my off-page SEO done for the .info's. I started doing this a couple of years ago, when I learned how much my customers prefer to see a ".info" rather than a ".com".

      Marketers often prefer .com's, not knowing that their customers often prefer .info's. To many people, ".info" looks like an informational site, and that helps to establish credibility, whereas ".com" they think of as being "purely commercial" in intent. That can lose some interest and some sales, with some customer demographics.
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  • Profile picture of the author Wendy Maki
    The value of an extension really depends on who is doing the looking, the audience.

    I don't think search engines really consider the extension, more the actual domain name and what is on the page or site. I think the reason you don't see as many alternatives to .com high in the SERPS is that 1) webmasters overwhelmingly use the .com, and 2) many webmasters who use the alternatives are not making good or rankable sites, ie. throw away sites. In some categories, there are a lot of alternatives high in the SERPS simply because people have build decent sites using the alternatives. This is especially true in less commercial topics.

    Searchers and visitors definitely have their own biases, though not always the same. Searchers do make judgments bases on the extension, and generally .com, .gov, .net, .org, and .info carry some implications about what might be at the site.

    Domain buyers love .com. Everything else has to be pretty darn special to come even close to the prices a .com can command.

    So, ultimately, buying your domain name, what's your intent? If you want resale value on the name itself, try for a .com, or a good secondary extension.

    It's all up to want to achieve.
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  • Profile picture of the author bostoncitymass
    If you are flipping a site, sure a .com will sell for more because that is the "sexy" extention. but if you are creating a mini site for affilliate stuff it doesn't matter as far as rankingand seo.
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    Top level domains don't do better or worse than other top level domains. It's the content and SEO that matter.

    I would refrain from using any free extensions. Google recently deindexed all .cc due to their spammy uses.
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