Whois

[bubblegumpinq]

Hi, I'm relatively new to SEO. Can someone tell me what it means when there is essentially no info for a site on Whois?

[Bob Barr]

Originally Posted by bubblegumpinq

Hi, I'm relatively new to SEO. Can someone tell me what it means when there is essentially no info for a site on Whois?

Domain name registrars frequently (always?) offer a 'domain name privacy' feature which hides the site's contact information. Any contact with those sites using it would have to be done through the registrar.

[bubblegumpinq]

Yes, but it doesn't even offer Alexa and Compete ranking. Or the domain's age. Etc.

[Bernard]

If you are interested in alexa info, why not try searching for it at alexa.com?

[GSources]

The amount of information that is presented on a Whois Record is dependent on the domain extension and the Registrar involved.

With *.COM domains, it is a legal requirement that the domain owner provide a valid Home/Business Address which is shown on on the Whois Records.

However, with other extensions, there aren't always these requirements. If you are legally allowed to hide these personal details, the Registrar will provide an option to do so - either in the Control Panel or if you contact them.

Standard information provided for most records are:

Owner Name/Business Name
Home/Business Address (if required to)
Registrar Address
Name Servers
Creation Date
Modification Date
Expiry Date

Some provide statistics of visitors depending on Registrar - you may have to pay for some of these services, hense why not all have it.