If you own a website you have probably faced the dilemma whether to register a new domain or buy an existing one that has aged a little with the idea to support your SEO rankings.
In this article we reveal why there has been a common misunderstanding that an aged domain will automatically help you rank higher on Google search results.
The Older the Domain, the Better the Ranking?
In general, this is true only because websites with good traffic, authority gained and many internal and external backlinks gathered with time, really do rank better for user searches.
Read More: What is SEO and which are the main factors for ranking high in search engines results
The domain age in particular, according to John Mueller, a SEO expert from Google, does not play any role.
After a question by a user on X whether domain age impacts search engine rankings Mueller tweets:
“No, domain age helps nothing. Primarily those who want to sell you aged domains :-)”
Domain Age, however, Helps in Detecting SPAM
According to Search Engine Journal, the main reason for the common misunderstanding by SEO specialists on the domain age is a patent, published by Google more than 20 years ago. It reflects on domains in the context of historical data used to identify websites generating spam content.
However, detecting spam websites thanks to domain historical data does not mean legitimate websites with older domains are favored by search engines.
The document mentions that domain data are used to identify spam websites frequently used for generating maximum traffic with low-quality content. Such domains are often called Doorway or Throwaway domains.
What are Doorway Domains?
A doorway domain is created to rank well on search results by specific keywords. This domain only serves as an entry point for users to a real website (often with another domain address).
Doorway domains are often used for misleading search engines pretending for the first position among SERPs without offering quality content or service to users.
- An example for a doorway domain: A domain name containing “best hotels in London” leading to a list of hotels in London without any additional information or service.
The “Red Flags”
Google’s patent also mentions that legitimate websites usually have domains registered from and for a larger period of time, compared to the already mentioned doorway or throwaway domains. Here is why the date when a domain has been registered could indicate for its trustworthiness and for the uniqueness of the related document.
Also, the patent reveals that Google is interested in data about the DNS records, contact information, name servers and IP addresses related to given domains, to better identify those trying to mislead search engines.
A Newly-Registered Domain Is Not a Disadvantage Itself
Based on the information above, we can conclude that you should not worry if you are starting a legitimate website and are using a new domain. However, if you purchase a domain related to spam, bad SEO practices or penalized websites (or backlinks from such) this would negatively affect your website’s ranking.
Here is why you should avoid buying and using domain names that seem attractive, but have unclear history and authority. They are often the output of the so-called Web farming or creating a high number of websites with little or no original content automatically to popularize products and services, to attract or generate traffic to other websites.
If you are interested to know which are the SEO factors that really matter to your online business, take a look at our article: SEO Metrics with Real Meaning for Your Business.
