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Domain Name Registration Length
and Your Google Page Rank
Does your domain name registration length really help boost your Google page rank? I suppose no one knows for sure but from what I’ve been told by GoDaddy, and from the research I’ve done on the subject, it seems to matter. I personally figure … what the heck?! When it comes to the coveted matter of PAGE RANK … I’ll give it a shot … won’t you?
According to a patent Google was awarded, “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.” I read this to mean that they do care about the quality of websites and will make an effort to determine whether or not each is a “legitimate” (or valuable) site or not … that domain registration length is a considered factor.
I often hear internet marketers talking about only registering their domain names for 1 year at a time and that way if they aren’t making enough profit they can dump the site and move on. Well, it seems to me that’s exactly why Google takes domain name registration length into account (as well as, the registration date – how far back you’ve had it registered). I’m sure you’d agree that this longevity shows a commitment to the domain name … giving it perceived “stability.” You don’t want to be erroneously perceived as a short-term or temporary spam site do you?
In my recent post, “15 Things You Should Do to Help Google Do Their Job,” I listed domain name registration length, as well as, how long the domain name has been registered to the current owner as factors for your page rank. I had someone email me saying that they thought that was a “bunch of crap” and asking where on earth I came up with these notions.
Well, let me explain. When I spoke with a GoDaddy representative a few months back he noticed that one of the domain names I was reregistering was my name. He asked me if I’d like to register that domain for 5 or 10 years so I could improve my page rank. My reply, “What are you talking about?” He explained that I would be awarded “extra points” towards my page rank if I registered out for 5 or 10 years (he even gave me a break down of the points and I’ll dig out my notes and report back with them). I remember thinking, “How the heck could GoDaddy (or this guy) possibly know that?”
Well, I went ahead and registered this domain, www.suzannefranco.com, for 5 years and on the very next round of page rank updates I went from a PR1 to a PR3! Of course I have no idea how much (if any) the domain registration length played a part in this jump … but it sure seems coincidental to me.
I’ve also read that Google indexes the public domain records from WhoIs and “uses” this information when determining page rank. When I was researching what was involved with purchasing an existing website I remember reading that the page rank might drop when you reregistered the domain into your name. If that’s true (who really knows) it seems that they do also take into account how long the domain has been registered to its current owner.
I wish I knew whether or not these factors were indeed considered in page rank. I’m going to go ahead and do a 5 year renewal on the domain for another blog of mine. It currently has a PR1 and I’ll report back with the results after the next update (rumor has it I just missed that opportunity and that we’re going through an update right now – can anyone confirm this?).
What about you … how long do you register your domain names? If you have several domains do you find yourself treating some differently than others when it comes to the cost commitment of domain registration? Have you ever seen a jump in page rank after renewing a domain for a 5 or 10 year period? Please share your thoughts so we can all learn. *Smiles* Suzanne
P.S. To the jerk who sent me the rude email … you mentioned that your blog was a PR1 and that you highly doubt renewing your domain name for 5 years would have an impact … did you spring for the $35 bucks out of curiosity? If it helped … you’re welcome and I’ll be happy to accept your apology! LOL.
P.S.S. I’m curious … if you truly believed in your position why didn’t you post here publically instead of sending me a nasty email privately? Things that make you go hmmmmmm …
Head over to GoDaddy NOW
and extend your domain name registration for 5 or 10 years
and see how you do this next update!
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