Do SEs prefer ".com" over ".net" ? - Page 2

01-23-06, 08:15 PM

I searched around quite a bit at WebmasterWorld, and here's my conclusion:

1) Many .info sites are spam/scam/etc.
2) Other .info sites are setup as "gateways" for business sites. (i.e. general info on a product, go to example.com to buy)
3) There are (obviously) some legitimate .info sites.

The first, obviously is going to get a bad ranking from Google.
The second, assuming they don't use any devious SEO techniques is fine, but many sites do use devious techniques, and lose ranking.
The third, should be safe - ASSUMING that the previous owner (if there was one) wasn't a spam site.

**Max** · 01-23-06, 08:28 PM

Sorry Ed, I really don't see a valid argument there

.

It's a common myth. The only time a domain extension can affect the site's ranking is when the search is country specific, therefore a country specific site (.us, etc) will have priority over non-country specific TLDs.

If your site is a spam site, Google will give it the boot no matter what TLD it's on; no special privileges for anyone. Assuming Google devalues .info sites, webmasters should really stop buying .info domains, which is a ridiculous concept.

AuctionMan · 01-23-06, 08:47 PM

Domain extensions have no bearing on the way search engines see sites.

Super Mod · 01-23-06, 08:59 PM

I think it only matters for type-in traffic only. People expect a .com.

From SitePoint's Search Engine Optimization FAQ:

Quote:

Sites with .com rank higher then with <TLD here>

This is another common myth that is untrue. The only time a domain extension can affect your ranking is if the search is based by country. The country-specific TLDs (e.g. .co.uk) will have priority over non-country specific TLDs (e.g. .com or .net).

I should include something like this in our Search Engine FAQ too.

Scott · 01-23-06, 09:03 PM

Thanks for clearing that all up, guys. I was a bit concerned but it seems that my concerns are not justified. I guess it's mostly important to have a .com, because people remember it the best over all of the other .tlds. What about the keywords in your domain, that matters, right?

**Max** · 01-23-06, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

Thanks for clearing that all up, guys. I was a bit concerned but it seems that my concerns are not justified. I guess it's mostly important to have a .com, because people remember it the best over all of the other .tlds. What about the keywords in your domain, that matters, right?

Yes, that's a factor.

01-23-06, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max

Sorry Ed, I really don't see a valid argument there

.

It's a common myth. The only time a domain extension can affect the site's ranking is when the search is country specific, therefore a country specific site (.us, etc) will have priority over non-country specific TLDs.

I'll agree on that. I stand corrected.

But you can't deny the fact that a larger percentage of .info domains are known for spamming/scamming.

Granger · 01-24-06, 02:29 PM

I've actually always wondered the answer to this question. I'm glad to see that you guys were able to come up with an intelligent answer.

AuctionMan · 01-24-06, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

What about the keywords in your domain, that matters, right?

Definately, there are many arguments for hypened/non hypened urls but the SE's are more than capable of distinguishing keywords without hyphens so do not get to tied up with it.