What are the best domain name extensions?

Is .com the best domain name extension for the highest Google ranking? The answer is yes from my experience.

Here’s how I did an my casual empirical study mixed with a little of my own anecdotal evidence. Every time I publish a blog with a .com extension, it shows up on page one within a month or two if there are only 100,000 or less competing broad match sites in the search results. Often, a new .com site works it’s way to the first postion on page one of a Google search if the exact keywords are in the domain name. I’m amazed that since the beginning of 2008, I’ve been enjoying this phenomenon. It sure does make optimizing my sites a lot easier. Usually, I don’t have to build more than about 5 appropriate back links to get in the top position on a Google for local businesses in a city of 500,000 or less.

What about the other domain name extensions like: .net, .org, .info, .biz, .me, .mobi, .tv, .us and .ws?  To test it, I published multiple blogs at the same time with all of the same domain name, meta tags, h1 titles and descriptions and the only two that were hot in the summer of 2009 were .com and .org. The others showed up on page 50 or deeper. I know that this isn’t a scientific test, but I have been witnessing this trend for at least 2 years. So, my preference would be .com, .org and then .net. The others, well good luck, you’ll need to get familiar with additional search engine optimization strategies if you use .info, .biz, .me, .mobi, .tv, .us or .ws. I do buy and use them, but I try to avoid them if possible because they are more of a challenge to rank well.

To galvanize my point, I have several blank websites at the number one spot on Google with nothing but an h1 tag and the metatags. So, content isn’t as important as some preach even though SEO gurus often say, “Content is king”. I believe with the current Google algorithm, content is not king. Links absolutely beat content with Google. Great content does not get you to the top of the search engines, SEO does.

Brad Fallon of SEO Research, one of my most admired SEO experts, said on his famous “Stomping the Search Engines” SEO course, that it didn’t make any difference to Google which domain extension you used. “Stomping the Search Engines” is over 5 years old and I believe that it does make a difference today what your domain name extention you secure. I’ll bet Brad has seen a shift as well. I’d love to hear his latest thoughts on this as I repect his opinion on search.

On a similar issue, as I mentioned above, it is prudent to secure a domain name with your primary keyword phrase. That will give it a boost as well. So many go for branding, but I go with keywords in domain name whenever possible. If I have to go with branding on the main site domain name, then I’ll simultaneously promote a blog or another site with the primary keywords in the domain name, then point the traffic to the main branded website.

Most know that getting some age on your domain name and website helps in your rankings as well. If you purchased a domain name and you’re leaving it as a generic parked page at GoDaddy, then publish it with metatags and at least an h1 title tag to start getting some age on the site. When you are ready to create the rest of your site, you’ll climb to the top even faster. I used to leave everything on Cash Parking at GoDaddy, but those sites have become a mere fraction of what they used to bring in revenue, so now I say, publish early and publish often, forget Cash Parked pages unless you are making a bundle.

Ranking of Domain Name Extensions:

1. .Com

2. .Org

3. .Net

4. .Us

5. .Me

6. .Biz

7. .Info

8. .Mobi

What have your experiences been on domain name extensions and Google ranking? Please share them with us.

Off the wall: Who is the Coolest Guy on the Planet in the SEO landscape?

Wow, I was just clicking around on the net and found this serendipity!

This is a mini film that will make you smile when you don’t want to, laugh when you don’t think you can and a few other surprises all wrapped up in this little gem of a movie.

It’s about 15 minutes, but worth it.

(nejlepší romantické komedie)

Here it is, my first post on the WordPress platform.  I’m admittedly late in the WordPress game as it’s Christmas Day 2008.

Armand Morin, an Internet marketer of merit mentioned WordPress in an almost giddy way while speaking at his “Big Seminar” in Atlanta in 2006.  I believe it was his 8th.  He was throwing up blog after blog and tweaking everything he could tweak out of it, but I didn’t bite.  It sounded overwhelming to learn.

Instead, I started a Blogger blog because I heard it was easier to learn.  Also, I heard that Google had purchased them so I knew it would be around.  Looks like I picked the wrong horse in the race.

Since then, all I hear about is WordPress.  So, hello world, Glen Woodfin is on WordPress.

I will continue to post from time to time on http://GlenWoodfinCafe.blogspot.com, but it will remind you of the Wild Wild West TV series.

Merry Christmas to All the Creatures of Planet Earth,

Glen Woodfin

December 25th, 2008
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