Last week I talked about Google’s Sandbox filter as the introduction to a series on the filters that Google users to rank webpages. Today I’m going to discuss the domain age filter.
One of Google’s problems is that so many people are launching websites that is has to determine which to rank at the top because everybody wants to be #1. The domain age filter was set up to give older domains more credibility than the newer ones. If your website has been around and active for years then you are more likely to not be a spammy website. Using this logic Google gives your domain a better rating and you have a higher chance of ranking at the top.
By the same token, brand new websites have to wait a period of months before they are even allowed into Google’s main index. It will then take them even more time to rank once they are accepted in.
How can you use this information?
- Use old domain names. If you have the option between starting a brand new domain or taking an existing one and changing the content, it is far better to use the existing domain name. It has the credibility built up and will have a much easier time ranking.
- Get your domains now. If you are thinking of setting up new websites, buy the domains right now and put up a simple landing page. Then tell Google about it so you get into their system. You may not be ready to launch officially until months or even years but when you are ready to go, you will have an older domain name that can give a nice boost to your rankings.
- Purchase older domain names. This is a little bit underhanded but some people have taken to buying old domain names and then modifying them to suit new purposes. If you buy a site that has been around for years, it will become a lot easier to rise in Google’s index for important keywords. You should note that Google is watching out for this kind of activity and frowns upon it. If you are going to buy the domain name make sure you do not change the WHOIS registration so Google does not find out that the domain has a new owner or you could lose all the SEO benefits of owning the old domain name.
Evan Carmichael
