Domain registration length and SEO?

Forsh · 04-08-2007, 01:25 AM

I real somewhere (don't recall where offhand) that the longer that your domain name is registered for, could mean better rankings in search engines? My questions is...

1. Is there any truth to this (Which means I should go register my domain name past the 1-year I am currently doing)

and

2. How does a search engine know the duration of your domain name subscription?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

V/r,
John

andrewp · 04-08-2007, 03:35 AM

Not only is it important for seo how long the domain has been registered for, but what is also important is the length of time there has been content on the site. The age of links to your website is also something which is considered.

The reason the age of the domain is important is because it is a way of filtering out spam sites which are here today and gone tomorrow.

Another important thing is how long you register your domain for. If you register it for 5 years then you will have better results than if you only register it for 1 year at a time.

Here are a couple of articles you may find of interest which should answer the question in more detail;

http://www.webconfs.com/age-of-domai...-article-6.php

http://www.10e20.com/2007/03/21/why-...rtant-for-seo/

Hope this helps

seowoman · 04-08-2007, 08:58 AM

I'm so glad you asked this question. I just discovered that my company's domain was only registered through January 2008. I just renewed it for 9 years, the maximum time available through GoDaddy. I know this alone won't make a huge impact, but every little bit helps.

Adrienne (SEO Woman)

gobeyond · 04-08-2007, 02:22 PM

Domain age and website age are important factors. Whether you have one year left or 5 years left for your domain registeration has anything to do with rankings, I don't know, but I doubt it.

It really depends on the competition. I have brought some sites to No. 1 Google rankings and those domain names are less than one year old. I don't think similar high rankings would come so fast if the keywords are very competitive.

Ian C · 04-08-2007, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewp

Not only is it important for seo how long the domain has been registered for, but what is also important is the length of time there has been content on the site. The age of links to your website is also something which is considered.

The reason the age of the domain is important is because it is a way of filtering out spam sites which are here today and gone tomorrow.

Domains can be likened to wine - they tend to get better with age. Andrewp is correct - Google uses domain age as a way to combat disposable sites that black hat seos use for a competitive phrase where they expect that the site to be burned in short order and they dump it and move on to the next one. By placing an emphasis on a domain's age, it makes it harder to use disposable sites to spam your way to search engine results success.

Best wishes...

Ian C

Comenius · 04-08-2007, 04:20 PM

Yep, domain age is a factor, especially for Google.

As a result, it can be helpful to register domains that you think you might want to use someday, if only for the purpose of letting them age.

John Scott · 04-08-2007, 05:07 PM

The reason people say that domain registration length is a factor is in Google's patenting of a algorithm that applies a filter to domains that are just registered for short terms.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Google Patent

Certain signals may be used to distinguish between illegitimate and legitimate domains. For example, domains can be renewed up to a period of 10 years. Valuable (legitimate) domains are often paid for several years in advance, while doorway (illegitimate) domains rarely are used for more than a year. Therefore, the date when a domain expires in the future can be used as a factor in predicting the legitimacy of a domain and, thus, the documents associated therewith.

Read it here.

**pctec** · 04-08-2007, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Scott

The reason people say that domain registration length is a factor is in Google's patenting of a algorithm that applies a filter to domains that are just registered for short terms.

Read it here.

That explains this...
Created 08-mar-2004 Updated 07-nov-2006 Expires 08-mar-2016

John Scott · 04-08-2007, 05:23 PM

Somebody has been looking at v7n.com's whois.

Ian C · 04-08-2007, 06:38 PM

[QUOTE=John Scott;581832]The reason people say that domain registration length is a factor is in Google's patenting of a algorithm that applies a filter to domains that are just registered for short terms.

Ok, I feel stupid now... lol. I've got a few domains where I'm just going yer by year. I may have to rethink this.

Ian C

**pctec** · 04-08-2007, 06:46 PM

I wish I wouldnt have got a .ca domain now

$30 per year to keep it compared to $10 per year for .com

John Scott · 04-08-2007, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pctec

I wish I wouldnt have got a .ca domain now

$30 per year to keep it compared to $10 per year for .com

I have a co.jp domain that costs $120 per year.

**pctec** · 04-08-2007, 07:50 PM

Wholie Hell!
Now thats abuse...

Jack F · 04-08-2007, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pctec

I wish I wouldnt have got a .ca domain now

$30 per year to keep it compared to $10 per year for .com

My first .ca cost me 50$ p/year, registered about 4 at that time. Now with close to 600 of the I've come across many less expensive registrars.

10dollar.ca total canadian works out to about 11$ after taxes.
namespro.ca charges 12.88 canadian
baremetal.com charges about the same.

namespro and baremetal are both my favorite registrars. Integritty = 5stars. Well worth the extra buck if you want my two cents.

The user interface is terrific and managing many domains is easy with them. Their customer support is second to none.

**pctec** · 04-08-2007, 08:47 PM

In that case canaca.ca can kiss my rear end goodbye

Thanks for the tip

Jack F · 04-08-2007, 08:56 PM

transferring a .ca is simple if you've done it before. However it appears to be complicated. If your stuck and need some help understanding the system send me a pm anytime.

To keep it simple, you can choose any of the two i really liked above and simply tell them you need your domain transferred to them through a support ticket. If your not sure how the transfer system works through cira then let them know right away. You will have to login to your cira account to approve the transfer, not just the registrar account..

I just did the whois on your domain in the sig to see that all was in order. I see that your domains registrar is tucows and canaca is a reseller. I just finished a 5 month battle getting a .com from a tucows reseller to moniker. I spent alot of time on the phone and tucows did help in the end but it cost me alot of time getting them to do so. Your renewal is 2008/04/06 so get started soon. If tucows (opensrs) does make it a bother and difficult for you, phone the 877 number at cira. Keep details handy.

I JUST REALIZED I HIJACKED THIS THREAD, SORRY

solidghost · 04-09-2007, 03:47 AM

Hmm....domain age and domain registration length are 2 different things right?

John Scott · 04-09-2007, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by solidghost

Hmm....domain age and domain registration length are 2 different things right?

You should get an award for that post, but instead I'll just give you some green (rep).

John Scott · 04-09-2007, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RigelNet

I agree with you - Doamin age can not help you to rank well in SERP.

It should be noted that without any proof either way, this is just speculation.

mortgages · 04-09-2007, 11:17 AM

Do all registrars have the option to register for more than 1 year?

I have to admit I have never noticed the option of registering for longer with my host (1and1), if it was available I would register for as long as possible, anyone got any links/ info about this?

thanks..