Website age

Website age and search engine rankings

Businesses that commit to their domain name by registering it for a long period of time have a better chance of appearing near the top of Google search results, a new report claims. The effect of length of domain registration on Google rankings been hotly argued of late, according to Bill Hartzer, manager of the search engine marketing division of MarketNet.

In an article on the search engine database, Mr Hartzer suggests that "Google, in general, is always looking for ways to weed out the bad (spammers) from the good (legitimate) websites". He points out that Google may have found that most "good, legitimate websites" have a commitment towards their business and their domain name, meaning that they register it for a long period of time.

Google is committed to cracking down on spam and may look unfavourably on domain names registered for just a year, as many spammers use "throw away" domain names. Mr Hartzer claims that he registers domains he really cares about for at least ten years, as people can watch domain names and register them within seconds of it expiring. He also points out that some companies offer the chance to register domains for 100 years.

A patent awarded to Google in April reportedly states: "Certain signals may be used to distinguish between illegitimate and legitimate domains. For example, domains can be renewed up to a period of ten years. Valuable (legitimate) domains are often paid for several years in advance, while doorway (illegitimate) domains rarely are used for more than a year."

Mr Hartzer concluded: "What's the bottom line? If you're committed to your online business, your website, and your domain name, then renewing your domain name for a long period of time will not only stop expired domain buyers from registering your domain name when it expires, it will show Google that you're committed to it-and that may give you a boost in the search engine rankings, as well."

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