This is How Google Handles New Top Level Domains

[Arpit131]

With the coming of many new generic top level domains (gTLDs), Google would like to give some insight into how these are handled in Google's search.

Here is the complete list of questions published by Google:

Q: How will new gTLDs affect search? Is Google changing the search algorithm to favor these TLDs? How important are they really in search?

Q: What about IDN TLDs such as .みんな? Can Googlebot crawl and index them, so that they can be used in search?

Q: Will a .BRAND TLD be given any more or less weight than a .com?

Q: How are the new region or city TLDs (like .london or .bayern) handled?

Q: What about real ccTLDs (country code top-level domains) : will Google favor ccTLDs (like .uk, .ae, etc.) as a local domain for people searching in those countries?

Q: Will Google support my SEO efforts to move my domain from .com to a new TLD? How do I move my website without losing any search ranking or history?


Find all the answers in this article published on Official Google Webmaster Central Blog

 

[Nick]

Let me give you another real example, and since a .club was mentioned earlier, let's go with that. underwear.club at GoDaddy is listed for $4,999.99. I have the .com in that, underwearclub . com and I paid less than $500 for it, less than 10%.

This is apples to oranges. "underwear club" is not a single dictionary word...it's 2 words.

 

[JB Lions]

This is apples to oranges. "underwear club" is not a single dictionary word...it's 2 words.

coffee is one word
underwear is one word

coffee.club = you would say 1 world
underwear.club = you would say 1 world

coffeeclub.com = 2 words
underwearclub.com = 2 words

You're just reiterating what I said:

"Plus, coffee club is 2 words anyway. Those single word .whatevers (the niche ones) would be 2 words in a .com."

It's your example above that doesn't hold up:

"Assuming that both are available and not being used, would you spend $50K on a single word .COM or $1K on the same single word .WHATEVER?"

A single word .whatever wouldn't be a single word .com, it would be 2 words. Not in this case using .club or any other niche extension. If you said .xyz, or some neutral extension, then it would be 1 word to 1 word.

Let me ask you a question. Are you active at all at Namejet or Snapnames?

 

[Nick]

coffee is one word
underwear is one word

coffee.club
underwear.club

coffeeclub.com = 2 words
underwearclub.com = 2 words

You said you can get single dictionary words for under $50k, then referenced a purchase of a 2 word .COM for $500. My original questions was:

Assuming that both are available and not being used, would you spend $50K on a single word .COM or $1K on the same single word .WHATEVER?

By the logic you're using (coffee.club is 2 words), there is no such thing as a single dictionary gTLD. However, I think you knew what I was talking about, which was a single word SLD. (i.e. "coffee" in coffee.club).

Coffee.Club is widely accepted as a single dictionary word domain.
CoffeClub.com is not a single dictionary word domain.

So, to clear it up, I'll revise my original question...

If you are a startup and can easily purchase "nfc.site" for $1,000 or have to put a serious dent in your funding and spend $77,952 (actual selling price) on "nfc.com" - which do you go with?

 

[mitok]

Forget all what you heard about SEO from Google and open your eyes to see what really matters.

Relevant quality content, relevant quality content, relevant quality content, relevant quality content, bla bla bla. BS!!! Algorithm is not a human and it will never know what is relevant quality content.
Imagine this: I had a dream about shark. I make a website about my dream and I put keyword "shark" on all important places. I write a tons of text. I create a tons of backlinks. I buy Shark.com.
Would that be relevant quality content in the eyes of those who type "shark" in Google?????? Of course not, but it will be for Google and it will be on the first position. Thats Google!

 

[Nick]

Forget all what you heard about SEO from Google and open your eyes to see what really matters.

Relevant quality content, relevant quality content, relevant quality content, relevant quality content, bla bla bla. BS!!! Algorithm is not a human and it will never know what is relevant quality content.
Imagine this: I had a dream about shark. I make a website about my dream and I put keyword "shark" on all important places. I write a tons of text. I create a tons of backlinks. I buy Shark.com.
Would that be relevant quality content in the eyes of those who type "shark" in Google?????? Of course not, but it will be for Google and it will be on the first position. Thats Google!

Shhh! If you tell people that secret, we have no market. :P

 

[JB Lions]

If you are a startup and can easily purchase "nfc.site" for $1,000 or have to put a serious dent in your funding and spend $77,952 (actual selling price) on "nfc.com" - which do you go with?

Neither, you get nfc + keyword in .com for reg fee or some other .com. Whoever wants to start their business on a .site has a dim future. You're talking about startups when we have links floating around that they're still choosing .com #1 by a wide margin and new gtlds rarely.

 

[mitok]

Shhh! If you tell people that secret, we have no market. :P

But if we all start telling "secret" about keywords in domains, then we will have even better market

I noticed many "SEO experts" are not aware that a keyword in a domain is still a big boost for ranking.
Do your research and check domain metrics of TheWhiskyExchange.com and Whisky.com. Check content too. Check backlinks, check quality of backlinks, check everything. And then which one is better placed for "whisky" search
These both domains are keyword domains, but EMDs are still gold! Google would tell something else, but I don't care what lyres telling us.

 

[pdevananth]

You meant what, where? This is the first time you're posting in this thread. 3k was just some random number I picked, it could be anything, for sure under 50k. Let me give you another real example, and since a .club was mentioned earlier, let's go with that. underwear.club at GoDaddy is listed for $4,999.99. I have the .com in that, underwearclub . com and I paid less than $500 for it, less than 10%.

Also, think about what I posted in my last post:

"Plus, coffee club is 2 words anyway. Those single word .whatevers (the niche ones) would be 2 words in a .com."

diamonds.today, in a .com would be 2 words, diamondstoday.com. So yes, you can can get all kinds of good .coms for a few thousand or less, doesn't have to be some 50k or 100k. That people think you can get good .coms, tells me you aren't active in the aftermarket.

cloud.republican is for sale @ $600+
cloudrepublican.com is not yet registered.
You can't compare like this. We are talking about quality names.
.com is not gonna die. CCC.com cccc.com and one word.com can't be replaced by any new gTlds. Trade in .com invest in gTlds be happy.

I am seeing you in most of the nGtld threads talking against ngtlds irrespective of thread context(like domain showcase). Why do you do that? If you don't like ngtlds you have an option to stay away.

 

[JB Lions]

cloud.republican is for sale @ $600+
cloudrepublican.com is not yet registered.
You can't compare like this. We are talking about quality names.
.com is not gonna die. CCC.com cccc.com and one word.com can't be replaced by any new gTlds. Trade in .com invest in gTlds be happy.

I am seeing you in most of the nGtld threads talking against ngtlds irrespective of thread context(like domain showcase). Why do you do that? If you don't like ngtlds you have an option to stay away.

Great advice. Be happy investing in a maybe.

Last 2 weeks, 18/20 top sales, .com, 19/20 top sales .com. Only 1 new gtld charting a .club

http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2015/20150722.htm

http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2015/20150729.htm

You see me in those threads because this is a discussion forum, hence discussion. If you don't like my posts or opinions that differ from yours, you have the option to stay away or put me on your block list.

 

[brandnow]

I think these are examples of nGTLD names that hold value:

fan.club
net.work
get.help

And these that hold little to no value:

mywonderful12.website
counterfeitgoods.top
thaifood.horse

You can see the difference. Whereas, the first category gives examples of EMDs that are only possible because of the nGTLD program. Whereas the second category are bad names on meaningless extensions.

 

[ProDomanico]

For domainers especially my opinion is invest in .com ...

If you plan to go for developing something.. give new GTLD a shot.

Ultimately whatever it is, the content is the KING..

 

[Branded Domains]

i think computernet.work will also do good in the ranking..

 

[enlytend]

I noticed many "SEO experts" are not aware that a keyword in a domain is still a big boost for ranking.
Do your research and check domain metrics of TheWhiskyExchange.com and Whisky.com. Check content too. Check backlinks, check quality of backlinks, check everything. And then which one is better placed for "whisky" search
These both domains are keyword domains, but EMDs are still gold! Google would tell something else, but I don't care what lyres telling us.

Nobody's saying they aren't helpful in ranking ... for ONE keyword.

Which of these domains looks stronger?

The other stuff just matters more.

(This is all ORGANIC traffic, not paid - ignore the "traffic cost", unless you know SEMRush hard to explain what it means in this context.)

 

[mitok]

Whisky.com, but I guess you wanted to ask which of these websites looks stronger

Whisky.com is a better name, and it is better placed in SERP.
And as you can see, TheWhiskyExchange.com is a better website. But we are talking about domains.
Also, domain metrics for TheWhiskyExchange.com are better than for Whisky.com (check TF, DA, PA, backlinks etc.).
But if you type in Google "whisky" you will get Whisky.com above TheWhiskyExchange.com

EMDs are still very important! This is just one of many examples I found.

When I hear that EMDs are not important anymore, or that content is the most important, I know that the person who said that is not an expert, no matter what is his/her name.

 

[Kate]

The bottom line is that there is no particular SEO benefit to using new TLDs.
Some registrars are making the point, but it is untrue. And it's not the first time that Google make this statement. Nothing new at all.

 

[OptimaDomains]

coffee.com for 3k? When chipmonks fly.

 

[enlytend]

Whisky.com ranks for 648 keywords in the first 2 pages, mostly 2nd page.TheWhiskyExchange ranks for 9300, with more than half of them 1st page. Before you start to say that Whisky is the most important keyword to have, it's a great keyword for BRANDING = EMD's are awesome for branding and brand identity - but generic "head terms" in search are usually too vague in intent to convert well.

If someone searches "whisky", what do they want? Why are they typing that? Maybe to see what sites rank for the keyword ? Maybe to buy, but the intent is split. Whereas if they type in 'single malt scotch prices" odds are they have a credit card in hand and are shopping. Those are the keywords that pay the bills.

The fewer keywords you rank for, the more vulnerable you are to losing all your search traffic if Google rolls the dice and they land funny. And unfortunately, EMD's don't make any magic ranking for those additional terms.

Anchor text to Whisky.com is mostly "whisky.com", which also gives it a boost for Whisky. Anchor text to TheWhiskyExchange is also branded, supporting the brand, not that head-term keyword.

TF/CF/DA/PA are just numbers and while providing comparative guidelines, not meaningful in themselves.

 

[Nick]

The bottom line is that there is no particular SEO benefit to using new TLDs.

Or, there's less benefit in paying exponentially more for a .COM when the same can be accomplished with a gTLD.

 

[bmugford]

Or, there's less benefit in paying exponentially more for a .COM when the same can be accomplished with a gTLD.

There is nothing new here. The same was true in the past with .biz, .info and any number of other secondary extensions.

There are far more benefits to owning quality a .COM than just indexing in Google.

Brad

 

[Kate]

Any TLD can be developed. We all know that.
People stick to established extensions like .com/ccTLDs for credibility reasons, and to avoid confusion.
It can be problematic to run a high-profile website without owning the matching .com.
For low-key development, of course you don't need a premium domain. It doesn't even have to be .com. Even a subdomain could do.

But a digital strategy that considers SEO only is a losing strategy. Branding is important too.