[frame_left][/frame_left]In Pittsburgh Internet Marketing: Understanding How Google Ranks Websites Part I, we briefly discussed the 7 primary metrics used by Google to gauge and rank a particular website or web page and the two entities the search engine company uses to accomplish this task. In this installment we'll discuss the first two metrics that Google is likely to measure when it visits your website. This includes the age and ownership status of your domain, and the specific name of the domain. Understanding each of these is a fundamental part of devising and implementing a powerful Pittsburgh internet marketing strategy.
*Domain Age and Ownership Status
The age of a domain has a significant impact on the search rankings of a particular website. In general, the older a domain is; the better. This is especially important in a world where thousands of websites are created and abandoned every day. However, the value found in the age of a domain does not apply to domains that have been repurposed – an act that is actually in violation of Google's TOS (Terms of Service).
However, one drawback to an aged domain is that very old domains that have only recently become active (publishing content, putting up pages, adding site structures, building backlinks, etc) may take some time to index. And even once the new changes do get indexed, it might be necessary to continue to deliberately "coax" Google to return to the site on a regular basis.
The ownership status of a domain can also play a role in how your site is ranked. For example, if your domain registration is set to expire soon or you only buy your registration a year in advance at a time, you may not rank as well as a domain that is registered for 5 or 10 years. This tells Google that you intend to be around for a while, and the search engine will likely take your site more seriously as a result.
Important additional note: Domains that change hands multiple times and result in frequent changes to the corresponding website often suffer rankings issues.
Ultimately, the best domain is an aged domain with steady ownership and domain registration paid for 5 or 10 years in advance.
*Domain Name
The domain name doesn't always have a large impact on rankings, but it can. Domain names with the site's primary keyword in the name are often much easier to rank for that term than for a comparable site that does not feature the primary keyword in the domain.
A powerful Pittsburgh internet marketing plan that worked with a new website from the ground up might use an exact-match domain in some cases (and where the domain is available) but in others this might not be appropriate. In cases like this, domain names should be something unique. Some examples of unique, even made-up domain names that have performed exceptionally well include:
Google
Fark
StumbleUpon
Facebook
YouTube
Yahoo
And thousands of others. So while it may not always be possible or practical for your domain name to reflect your keywords, it can help to make it a completely unique type of name like those above. This will not only help search engines and other visitors to easily recognize your site, it will also help to build an effective branding campaign.
In Pittsburgh Internet Marketing: Understanding How Google Ranks Websites Part III, we'll discuss how the actual structure of your site – navigation bars, widgets, plugins, etc, and the content of your site – articles, pages, videos, etc, all have a significant impact on your site's rankings for key terms. But if you're ready to get started putting these principles into effect, take action right now by calling the number at the top of your screen for a free, no-obligation consultation. Getting to the top is as simple as a phone call.
