Do you use more than one domain name for a single website?
Are you certain that this “pointing” is done correctly? I ask because this scenario comes up almost daily in my business and I see folks getting virtually punished for not knowing about nor implementing this “redirect” correctly.
There is a belief that having more than one domain name “pointing” (like domains with keywords within) to a website will give your site better rankings on Google.
Is it true? No.
The end. =)
How important are domain names for getting found?
I don’t mean to be so short, but the simple fact remains that these days, domain names on their own don’t do much of anything at all. You want to succeed out on Google et al.? Deliver great (optimized) content. (with more emphasis on the “great”) And don’t let anyone (marketing pro, sales rep nor otherwise) tell you any different. They are wrong and I’m not. It’s fine to have multiple domain(s) and *correctly* redirect them to a single domain. But remember, domain names themselves are only a teeeeeeeny piece of what Google is looking for to place your website within their index. Think of it like this: Take care of your customers first with killer content… and Google will reward you. Why? Because you will be operating from the same mindset that drives the Google Algorithm. (help people first)
Multiple domains for a brand?
Can you protect a brand by using multiple extensions like .com .net, .com & .org? Maybe. That’s a high-level business decision that should be made by the business owner. For me? I feel that content remains king out on the web. Brand – Schmand! ( I’m sure I’m somewhat alone in my feelings for that one) =)
Correctly redirecting a website from multiple domains:
If implemented *correctly*, (301 redirects – i.e. permanent redirects) having more than one domain name “redirected” won’t hurt your rankings on Google. However, done incorrectly, will not only hurt your rankings but might even get you fully removed from Google’s search index, without an invitation back. Some folks, even after clearly showing Google that a mistake was made, are only allowed back after 6 months to a year later. Why? Because Google hates duplicate content. ( as it should ) One of the reasons Google implements this punishment is to help prevent others from copying *your* content. And because they don’t want to stop making $40 billion a year. Google search business is there to provide the very best content it can find. Period.
Beware: don’t ever implement “domain masking” if you are wanting to actually redirect a website (I hate the fact that web hosts even offer this… they should name it “duplicate content for those who want to ruin their search engine rankings.”
Hope that helps explain the dangers of using multiple domains for a single website.
As always, please share if you care.
//D
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