The Significance of Domain Registration Length in SEO Strategy

Does Domain Registration Length Matter to Search Engines? How Long Should I Register my Domain for?

There are many factors that affect how high your site shows up in search engine results. One suspected factor is how long you register your site’s domain for (domain = your website’s address like mybusinesssite.com). To explore more about this and other critical elements that can influence your site's search engine performance, consider diving into our guide, Mastering SEO: Key Factors to Consider. This resource offers a comprehensive look at various aspects of SEO, helping you fine-tune your strategy for better rankings.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ranking factors are partly guesswork because Google is secretive about its algorithm. It is a sort of secret sauce that SEO experts try to weasel out.

There is a Q&A video with Matt Cutts, who was an engineer at Google for 17 years (till 2016)[1]. He was asked “How much weight does the number of years a domain is registered for have on your ranking?”

To this, Cutts said “My short answer is not to worry about that very much. Not very much at all, in fact" and “My short answer is make great content, don’t worry nearly as much about how many years your domain is registered for”.

As you can see,  he does not concretely deny or accept that it’s a factor, but is very clear that it's not a significant one[2]. Some interpret the way he phrases answers about factors as more political and think one has to “read between the lines”. They take his “don’t worry about that” as “yes, it is a factor”[3].

I wonder what it means if Matt blinks three times in a row.

On the side of the SEO experts, this level of conspiratorial suspicion is not without justification. The goal of a search engine algorithm is to deliver the most relevant and trustworthy results to users. When you register a domain for a longer period it might signal a commitment to a long-term online presence. This, in turn, might send a signal that you are not likely to engage in any spammy or malicious activities. Thus, search engines would view your website as more trustworthy, which can make you show up higher on search results.

Google has a patent (which they may or may not be using) that supports this idea. For example, one section says:

“Certain signals may be used to distinguish between illegitimate and legitimate domains. For example, domains can be renewed up to a period of 10 years. Valuable (legitimate) domains are often paid for several years in advance, while doorway (illegitimate) domains rarely are used for more than a year. Therefore, the date when a domain expires in the future can be used as a factor in predicting the legitimacy of a domain and, thus, the documents associated therewith”[3].

It certainly makes sense, but is this happening in Google’s current algorithm?

Maybe. We don’t really know.

Since we cannot confirm it, the best choice is not to rely only on a potential SEO benefit when deciding on your domain registration length. As far as optimizing SEO goes, there are many other tactics to focus on like the accessibility of your website or your internal linking structure. Your domain can be reserved into the next century, but if your site is not good it isn't going to really matter.

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Factors To Consider When Choosing The Length Of Domain Registration

Think about your future plans. At the very least, there is no reason to register longer than you plan to upkeep a website. A shorter registration period may be sufficient if you have a personal blog or a small website that you don't plan on actively maintaining for a long time. However, if you have a business website or an e-commerce store, it might be worth considering a longer registration period. Try to think about where you want the site to be in 5 years and go from there.

If you do think it is a long-term commitment, one of the main reasons to have a longer registration period is cost savings. Generally, the longer the registration period, the lower the average cost per year. How much savings you get will depend on the domain registrar you register your name through (like GoDaddy).

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Best Practices For Domain Registration Length In SEO

Here are some best SEO practices for domain registration if we assume it is a ranking factor

1. Register for the longest period you can afford: If you want to optimize the potential SEO benefit, aim for a registration period of at least 3 years. That assumes this works for your budget and your long-term plans. If you can afford it and it makes sense, consider registering for 5 or even 10 years. Don’t stress over it though.
2. Renew your domain registration in advance: When your domain registration is about to expire, make sure to renew it well in advance. In theory, this shows search engines that you are consistently committed to your website and are not just renewing at the last minute. It also reduces the chance you forget to renew and someone gets to “steal” your domain.

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Resources To Help With Domain Registration Length Decisions

If you're unsure about how long to register your domain, there are several tools and resources available that can help you make an informed decision. Here are a few worth checking out:

1. Domain registrars: Most domain registrars provide options for different registration lengths. They often offer discounts for longer registration periods, so it's worth exploring the options available to you.

Some popular domain registrars are:

• GoDaddy
• Namecheap
• Network Solutions [4]
• IONOS [5]
• HostGator
• Bluehost
• DreamHost
• InMotion Hosting
• MochaHost
• InterServer[6]

GoDaddy

Trust Pilot Score: 4.7 (Excellent) Reviews: 85,600+[7]

GoDaddy has been around since 1997. Forbes advisor recommends it if you want your site setup to be easy[6]. It is a good choice if you like to use Microsoft office email and apps[8].

Namecheap

Trust Pilot Score: 4.1 (Great) Reviews: 14,200+ [9]

Namecheap has been around for over 20 years. It has transparent pricing, so you are less likely to get unexpected charges[10].

Network Solutions

Trust Pilot Score: 4.4 (Excellent) Reviews: 2,400+ [11]

Network solutions have been around for over 40 years[12]. They offer a free website builder[13].

IONOS

Trust Pilot Score: 4.4 (Excellent) Reviews: 18,500+ [14]

At the time of this article, IONOS had an extremely low entry rate of $1 per month. They support fast website loading speeds[15].

HostGator

Trust Pilot Score: 4.3 (Excellent) Reviews: 5,000+ [16]

HostGator is a good choice for small businesses because it handles low traffic well. They also offer unlimited storage, which is good for blogs[17].

Bluehost

Trust Pilot Score: 4.1 (Great) Reviews: 9,700+ [18]

Bluehost is ideal for simple Wordpress websites or blogs. It is a good choice for small businesses (but not large websites)[19].

DreamHost

Trust Pilot Score: 4.7 (Excellent) Reviews: 5,100+ [20]

DreamHost offers a free domain for your first year of using them and unmetered bandwidth[21].

InMotion Hosting

Trust Pilot Score: 4.2 (Excellent) Reviews: 1,300+ [22]

InMotion offers a 90 day money-back guarantee. Their plans come with a free website builder[23].

MochaHost

Trust Pilot Score: 4.8 (Excellent) Reviews: 2,400+ [24]

MochaHost has a 100% uptime guarantee (Uptime is how long your website is available to your users, so you want this to be 100%). It is a good choice if you're interested in eco-friendly hosting. They also have a 180-day money-back guarantee[25].

InterServer

Trust Pilot Score: 4.3 (Excellent) Reviews: 1,600+ [26]

InterServer has a starting cost of $2.50 per month for its introductory plan. The basic plan has unlimited storage[27].

2. SEO analysis tools: Some SEO analysis tools provide insights into the domain registration length of your competitors. This can give you an idea of what others in your industry are doing and help inform your decisions.

For learning about domain registration lengths, you can use a WHOIS lookup such as the one on domaintool.com  or use a domain expiry tool[28].

I used a WHOIS lookup to research Kahn Academy, a popular educational website. With the WHOIS tool, I can see that is registered through GoDaddy till 2024.

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Summary

• Domain registration length might be a SEO ranking factor. It is unlikely it is important. Don’t stress it too much. There are many parts of SEO to focus on.
• To take advantage of the potential benefit, choose a longer registration length.
• Longer registration lengths are often more cost effective.
• Explore registration lengths of your competitors with tools like WHOIS lookup

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[1] “(27) Matt Cutts | LinkedIn.” Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattcutts/

‍[2] “Domain Registration Length (Does it Impact SEO Rankings?).” Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://therankmachine.com/domain-registration-length-seo

‍[3] C. Gregory, “Does Domain Age and Registration Length Matter in SEO?,” DAGMAR. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://dagmarmarketing.com/blog/does-domain-age-and-registration-length-matter-in-seo/

‍[4] C. Preusler, “20 Largest Domain Registrars in the World (Dec. 2023),” HostingAdvice.com. Accessed: Nov. 28, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.hostingadvice.com/how-to/largest-domain-registrars/

‍[5] GoranDuskic, “Largest domain registrars in the World,” WhoAPI Inc. Accessed: Nov. 28, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://whoapi.com/blog/largest-domain-registrars-in-the-world/

‍[6] K. Hoan, “10 Best Web Hosting Services (November 2023),” Forbes Advisor. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/best-web-hosting-services/

‍[7] “GoDaddy is rated ‘Excellent’ with 4.7 / 5 on Trustpilot,” Trustpilot. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.godaddy.com

‍[8] “GoDaddy Web Hosting Review,” PCMAG. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/godaddy-web-hosting

‍[9] “Namecheap is rated ‘Great’ with 4.1 / 5 on Trustpilot,” Trustpilot. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.namecheap.com

‍[10] M. Levanduski, “Namecheap Review 2023,” Digital.com. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://digital.com/namecheap-review/

‍[11] “Network Solutions is rated ‘Excellent’ with 4.4 / 5 on Trustpilot,” Trustpilot. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.networksolutions.com

‍[12] R. P. J. last updated, “Network Solutions review,” TechRadar. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.techradar.com/reviews/network-solutions

‍[13] “Network Solutions Review 2023: Is It Any Good?,” Cybernews. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://cybernews.com/best-web-hosting/network-solutions-review/

‍[14] “IONOS | ionos.com is rated ‘Excellent’ with 4.4 / 5 on Trustpilot,” Trustpilot. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/ionos.com

‍[15] “Ionos Review 2023 – Forbes Advisor.” Accessed: Nov. 30, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/ionos-review/

‍[16] “HostGator is rated ‘Excellent’ with 4.3 / 5 on Trustpilot,” Trustpilot. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/hostgator.com

‍[17] M. Monaghan, “HostGator Review 2023 | Is It a Good Hosting?,” Website Builder Expert. Accessed: Nov. 30, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/web-hosting/hostgator-review/

‍[18] “Bluehost is rated ‘Great’ with 4.1 / 5 on Trustpilot,” Trustpilot. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.bluehost.com

‍[19] “Bluehost Review 2023: Features, Pricing, Pros & Cons – Forbes Advisor.” Accessed: Nov. 30, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/bluehost-review/

‍[20] “DreamHost is rated ‘Excellent’ with 4.7 / 5 on Trustpilot,” Trustpilot. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.dreamhost.com

‍[21] “DreamHost Review 2023: Pricing, Pros & Cons – Forbes Advisor.” Accessed: Nov. 30, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/dreamhost-review/

‍[22] “InMotion Hosting is rated ‘Great’ with 4.2 / 5 on Trustpilot,” Trustpilot. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.inmotionhosting.com

‍[23] M. W. last updated, “InMotion Hosting review,” TechRadar. Accessed: Nov. 30, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.techradar.com/reviews/inmotion-hosting

‍[24] “MochaHost is rated ‘Excellent’ with 4.8 / 5 on Trustpilot,” Trustpilot. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.mochahost.com

‍[25] M. B. published, “MochaHost review,” TechRadar. Accessed: Nov. 30, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.techradar.com/reviews/mochahost

‍[26] “InterServer is rated ‘Excellent’ with 4.3 / 5 on Trustpilot,” Trustpilot. Accessed: Nov. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/interserver.net

[27] “InterServer Review 2023 – Forbes Advisor.” Accessed: Nov. 30, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/interserver-review/

‍[28] “How to check when your website domain expires and renew it.” Accessed: Nov. 28, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.b12.io/resource-center/website-basics/how-to-check-when-your-website-domain-expires-and-renew-it.html

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