The Ultimate Guide to Domain Names and SEO (2023)

Your domain name is one of the first things people notice about your website. It‘s your online address and identity. But a domain name is more than just a web address—it can also impact your site‘s ability to rank in search engines and attract organic traffic.

As an SEO consultant and web developer who has helped many bloggers and businesses choose the perfect domain name, I know firsthand how important this decision is. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share everything you need to know about domain names and SEO in 2024.

Whether you‘re starting a new blog, rebranding an existing one, or wondering how your domain impacts your search rankings, read on to learn:

• The direct and indirect ways your domain name influences SEO
• What the data says about the ranking impact of domain factors
• Tips for choosing a domain that‘s good for search engines and users
• How to safely change your domain without losing SEO value
• The most important SEO factors to focus on beyond your domain name
• Answers to common questions about domains and SEO

Let‘s get started!

Do Domain Names Still Matter for SEO?

The short answer is yes, but not as much as they used to. Your domain name can influence your search engine rankings both directly and indirectly. However, it‘s no longer the powerful signal it was a decade ago.

In the early days of SEO, exact-match domains (EMDs) were all the rage. If your main keyword was "best dog toys", registering bestdogtoys.com virtually guaranteed top rankings for that term. But Google caught on to this spammy tactic and adjusted their algorithm.

These days, having your target keyword in your domain name provides little to no direct ranking benefit over using the keyword in your page URL. Google‘s John Mueller has stated:

"Just because a website has a keyword in its domain name doesn‘t mean that it‘s more relevant than others for that keyword. In short, you don‘t need to put keywords in the domain name."

A study by Ahrefs found almost no correlation between the presence of a keyword in the domain name and its rankings for that keyword:

Source: Ahrefs

As you can see, most top-ranking pages don‘t have the keyword in their domain at all.

That said, your choice of domain name can still impact your SEO in a few key ways:

1. Branding and Topical Relevance

While you don‘t need an exact-match domain, your domain name should still be relevant to your niche. Using your main keyword or related terms helps create a strong brand association between your domain and the topics you cover.

For example, a cooking blog could use terms like "kitchen", "recipes", "dining", or "yummy" in the domain name. This instantly tells people and search engines what your site is about. Just avoid overusing keywords or choosing a spammy EMD.

Tools like Ahrefs and SimilarWeb can show you what keywords your competitors are targeting in their domains and the estimated traffic they get from those terms. This can help you identify relevant keywords to include in your own domain.

2. Click-Through Rates

Your domain name appears in the search snippets for your site. An enticing domain that includes a relevant keyword can catch searchers‘ attention and earn more clicks. While not a direct ranking factor, your click-through rate (CTR) from search results can indirectly influence your rankings.

A case study by Sistrix found that a 1% increase in organic CTR correlated with a 1 position jump in the SERPs:

Source: Sistrix

However, the initial click is just the first step. Even more important is engaging the user after they land on your page. Google measures dwell time, bounce rate, and other interaction signals to determine if your page is actually meeting the searcher‘s needs. If people quickly bounce back to the search results, your rankings will drop.

Focus on making your content comprehensive and useful. Use engaging media, compelling calls-to-action, and conversion optimization techniques to keep people on your site longer. If your domain earns the click but your content disappoints, you won‘t maintain your rankings for long.

3. Memorable Domains Get More Links and Direct Traffic

Choosing a domain name that‘s short, memorable, and easy to spell can also indirectly benefit your SEO. Why? People are more likely to remember your domain and come back to your site directly in the future (known as type-in traffic). They‘re also more likely to link to your site and share your content with others.

Consider these statistics on the impact of memorable domains:

• Domain names that are easy to remember have a 33% higher chance of getting clicked on than generic ones. (Source: CrazyEgg)
• 72% of consumers say having a memorable name is an important factor in choosing a brand. (Source: Squadhelp)
• Exact-match domains receive 39% more clicks than partial-match domains or branded domains for the same keyword. (Source: Moz)

While raw traffic doesn‘t directly impact SEO, more repeat visitors and natural backlinks from memorable domains can give you a ranking boost. Instead of choosing a generic, forgettable domain, get creative! Brandable domains are short, catchy, unique, and evocative.

Consider:

• Mashing up two relevant words into a new term
• Using alliteration or rhyme
• Making up a new word that sounds cool
• Including power words that pack an emotional punch

With a little wordplay, you can create a fresh, memorable name that still hints at your site‘s topics. This can give you an edge over your competitors in earning links, mentions, and type-in traffic.

What About Top-Level Domains (TLDs)?

Should you spring for a .com domain? Do lesser-known TLDs hurt your ability to rank? Let‘s dispel some myths about top-level domains.

Google has stated repeatedly that your choice of TLD doesn‘t help or hurt your SEO, with two exceptions:

1. Country-code domains (like .co.uk) can help you geo-target that specific country. So if you have a local business in the UK, a .co.uk may help you rank there.

2. Backlinks from .gov or .edu domains tend to be more powerful, likely due to the authoritative nature of those sites. But links from any high-quality, relevant site will benefit you.

For all other situations, .com doesn‘t beat out .net, .org, or any of the newer TLD options. Google‘s Matt Cutts has said:

"By default, a .com doesn‘t get any special bonus. You can rank well with a .net, .edu, .org, or pretty much any other top-level domain, including the new ones like .ninja."

Many huge brands have succeeded using alternate TLDs:

• The New York Times uses nytimes.com
• Amazon uses amazon.com for its US store but amazon.co.uk in the UK and amazon.de in Germany
• Major League Baseball uses mlb.com
• Spotify uses spotify.me for its artist pages

Feel free to get creative with your domain extension, especially if your desired .com is taken. Many brandable, short .com domains are no longer available, so exploring other TLDs greatly expands your options.

Just be aware that some spammy or questionable sites use unpopular TLDs to stuff keywords into their domain names. Google‘s algorithm may scrutinize these "low-quality" TLDs more heavily. Avoid anything that sounds unnatural or over-optimized. Stick to TLDs that make sense for your brand. For example:

• .co or .io for a startup or tech company
• .me for a personal blog
• .club or .community for a niche forum
• .shop, .store, or .shopping for an e-commerce brand

The Truth About Domain Age and Authority

Two other domain factors I often hear about are domain age and domain authority. Should you look for an aged domain? Can buying a high-authority domain boost your rankings? Here‘s the truth.

Domain Age Is Less Important Than Domain History

The age of your domain doesn‘t matter to Google nearly as much as what happened on that domain over time. An older domain that was previously used for spam, hit with link penalties, or associated with malicious activity can carry a lot of baggage. Starting fresh with a new domain is better than inheriting someone else‘s problems.

In fact, many new domains outrank older ones. Ahrefs found that 69% of domains ranking in the top 10 are less than 5 years old:

Source: Ahrefs

If you do purchase an aged domain, use Archive.org and backlink analysis tools like Ahrefs and Majestic to thoroughly research its history. Look for major traffic or rankings drops that could indicate problems. Check its backlink profile for any unnatural or spammy links that may need to be disavowed before using the domain.

But in most cases, you‘re better off registering a new domain. Google cares more about the quality and relevance of your content than the arbitrary age of your domain. Even a brand new domain can outrank aged competitors if it has the best information and user experience.

Domain Authority Doesn‘t Really Exist

Despite what some SEO tools claim, domain authority is not an official Google ranking factor. DA is just a best-guess metric calculated by third parties, not Google. No one outside of Google knows exactly how authoritative your site is in their algorithm.

Popular DA metrics like Moz‘s Domain Authority and Ahrefs‘ Domain Rating can be useful benchmarks to compare your site against competitors. But they don‘t directly influence your rankings. A site with a lower DR or DA can easily outrank one with a higher score if its page content and backlinks are more relevant.

Instead of obsessing over your DA score, focus on building a site with high-quality, authoritative content and earning relevant, natural links to your individual pages. Track your organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversions to measure the success of your SEO efforts.

5 Tips for Choosing an SEO-Friendly Domain Name in 2024

Now that you know what really matters for domain SEO, here are some actionable tips for choosing a domain that will set your site up for success:

1. Use your target keyword or related terms, but don‘t overdo it. Keep it natural and brandable. If you can‘t get an exact-match domain, use words related to your niche and content.

2. Make it memorable! Get creative and coin a catchy new word or phrase for your domain. Aim for 2-3 words max and avoid hyphens, numbers, and hard-to-spell terms.

3. Keep it short and sweet. Aim for 15 characters or less so it‘s easy to remember and share. Shorter domains get up to 3.6x more traffic than long ones.

4. Research the domain‘s history to avoid SEO baggage. Look at its backlinks in Ahrefs or Archive.org. If previously used, make sure it wasn‘t associated with spam, hacking, or adult content.

5. Choose a TLD that fits your brand, not just for SEO. For a local business, use a country-code domain. For global brands, .com is ideal but not mandatory. Creative TLDs can work if memorable and not spammy.

By following these tips, you can settle on a domain name that‘s brandable, memorable, niche-relevant, and not associated with any questionable history. The perfect domain balances keyword-relevance and brand-building.

What Should You Focus on More Than Your Domain?

While your domain name does matter for SEO, it‘s far from the only factor. Once you‘ve registered a solid domain, shift your focus to these more important optimizations:

• Publishing high-quality, engaging, substantive content that matches searcher intent. Cover your topics comprehensively and format your posts for scannability.
• Earning relevant, authoritative backlinks from trusted sites in your niche. Guest post, use HARO, get mentioned in the press, or interview influencers to get natural links.
• Optimizing your technical SEO like page load speed, mobile-friendliness, crawlability, site structure, and schema markup.
• Improving your on-page SEO with descriptive URLs, compelling title tags, keyword-rich headers, optimized images, and useful internal/external links.
• Promoting your content on social media, to your email list, on forums and Q&A sites, and anywhere else your target audience hangs out online.

These strategies will move the needle far more than agonizing over your domain name. A brandable, relevant domain combined with exceptional content and promotion is the winning SEO formula.

Domain Name FAQs

Before we wrap up, let‘s answer some of the most common questions about domain names and SEO:

How long does it take for a new domain to start ranking in Google?

It depends on your niche, competition, content quality, and link building efforts. But most new domains take 3-6 months to gain traction in the SERPs.

According to Ahrefs, only 5.7% of pages rank in the top 10 for at least 1 keyword within a year:

Source: Ahrefs

Focus on publishing great content and building authoritative links to put your site on Google‘s radar faster. Don‘t expect overnight rankings, but stay consistent!

Are subdomains or subfolders better for SEO?

Google says they treat subdomains and subfolders roughly the same. But in practice, subfolders tend to perform better because they consolidate all of your site‘s authority under a single root domain.

Use subdomains only when you need to completely separate sections of your site, like for a store locator, support portal, or international versions of your content. For most blogs and business sites, stick with subfolders for the best SEO results.

Does changing your domain name hurt SEO?

Changing domains can harm your SEO if done incorrectly. But you can safely switch to a new domain while maintaining ~90-95% of your traffic and authority if you:

1. Create a list of all pages on your old domain using a tool like Screaming Frog
2. Set up 301 redirects from each old URL to the equivalent new one. Use a plugin like Redirection on WordPress.
3. Update your internal links sitewide to point to the new URLs
4. Notify Google of the change in Search Console
5. Update external links from your top referring domains if possible
6. Monitor your traffic and rankings to identify any issues. Most rankings should transfer within 4-8 weeks.

If you follow this process carefully, your SEO should recover fairly quickly on the new domain.

Does the length of my domain registration affect SEO?

Not significantly. Google has stated that the number of years you register your domain for is not a ranking signal.

Longer registrations used to be a sign of quality and commitment in Google‘s eyes since spammers rarely paid for multi-year upfront. But as more legitimate sites adopt auto-renewal or only register for a year at a time, registration length is no longer a reliable quality signal.

It doesn‘t hurt to register your domain for several years for convenience and peace of mind that no one else can snag it when it expires. But don‘t register for 5+ years thinking it will boost your rankings. It won‘t.

Final Thoughts

Your domain name is a key part of your website‘s branding and identity. While it‘s not the biggest factor for SEO, a solid domain can give you an edge in memorability, type-in traffic, and click-through rates.

But remember, your domain is only one piece of the SEO puzzle. The quality of your content, user experience, and promotional efforts will always trump your choice of domain.

By understanding how domain names impact SEO today, you can make an informed decision when registering a new site or rebranding an existing one. Combine a brandable domain with exceptional content, smart on-page optimization, and authoritative link building to rank higher and drive more organic traffic.

I hope this in-depth guide has given you the knowledge and tools to choose and optimize a domain that both search engines and human visitors will love. If you have any other questions about picking an SEO-friendly domain, drop me a comment below!