Can Your Choice of Domain Name Improve Your Google Ranking?

Domain name age

Google's algorithm takes the age of the domain name into account and considers that the older it is, the more reliable it is. However, for new domains, according to Matt Coates, a spam researcher at Google, there is no significant difference between a six-month-old domain and a one-year-old one.
As a result, domain age is not the main factor Google relies on, but it is still taken into account and can play an important role.

One user's experience in this area

Suppose a user has two different domains: an unused domain name that is three years old and a domain name in use that is one year old. The owner of both domain names decides to move the content of their website from the new domain name to the old one. Their site has been ranking better ever since, which supports the idea that "the age of a domain name plays a role in Google ranking, although that role is small."

Keyword presence in the domain name

In general, using keywords on the pages of your website helps you rank better in search engines. However, including your keywords in your domain name plays a very important role and can help you appear among the top results.

Keyword position in the domain name

As mentioned earlier, having keywords in your domain name is important for improving your website's ranking, but it is not enough to guarantee a top spot in the results. The keyword needs to be placed at the beginning: position plays a more important role.

Length ofdomain name registration

It is best to rent the domain for as long as possible, because domains paid for five years ahead rank better than those paid for one year.

Keyword presence in the subdomain name

Having keywords in your subdomains, just as in your domain name, helps your website stand out strongly in Google results. More of your pages will rank better and you will gain more traffic. Here is an example to help you understand: mot-clé.nomprimantprimant.com.

Domain history

A previous illegitimate user of the domain, abusive use of it or a defect in it can disrupt the site's ranking in search results, because Google checks the domain's history and the users who have previously used it.

EMD factor

The more closely a page's domain name matches the page's content, the higher the site ranks in search results. The EMD (exact match domain) is the factor that determines whether the page's domain name matches its content.

WhoIs Factor

The WhoIs Factor is responsible for determining information about the domain: the owner, the username, the registration date and so on. The question that arises is therefore: does hiding this information affect the site's ranking in search results? Note that many companies choose to hide this WHOIS information to avoid any theft attempts. (This service is not available for a .ma domain name).

Opinion on this subject is divided into two camps: some say this information should be displayed, while others believe there is no difference between displaying and hiding it. Generally, the decision to protect this information is made for security reasons, which explains why only the owner is able to make it.

Current owner of the domain name

If Google can identify the current owner of the domain on a blacklist, Spammer will block the site from Google's results.

Country extension

When you target a country, for example Morocco, it is a good idea to reserve a domain with a .ma domain nameextension. The country extension .ma improves the site's ranking in results in Morocco but lowers it in general results.

Now that you know the factors Google relies on to rank its search results, make sure you take them into account when choosing a domain name and when building your site. It is important that your web address and your site's content are consistent.