Does Domain Age Affect SEO and Google Ranking (YES, but…!)

Last updated on May 25th, 2023 at 06:49 am

Do you manage a website or intend to purchase a domain?

Ensuring your domain is top on the SEO ranking might be a concern and a very valid one at that. To this end, you may want to know the factors that can affect the ranking of your domain on the Search Engine Result Page.

Does Domain Age Affect SEO

In seeking to know better about SEO ranking to place your website in a better SERP position, finding all the possible variables that are put into consideration by search engines when deciding the best sites to satisfy users’ search intent becomes important.

Of the many factors believed to affect the SEO ranking of a site, the age of the domain is one of the most controversial.

The question of the effect of domain age on SEO and SEO ranking has been a debate that has been ongoing for a fairly long time.

Does the age of a domain affect its SEO ranking?  Find out the answer to this question by reading through this article.

 

Is Domain Age a Ranking Factor?

Domain Age has been one of the most debated SEO ranking factors. Some believe that the older a domain is, the more likely it is to be a quality site. Others disagree, arguing that domain age is a poor indicator of quality.

However, Google has stated that domain age is not a ranking factor.

In this post, I’ll give you my perspective on whether domain age should be a ranking factor, and why I think domain age is a very important ranking factor.

 

Definition of Important Terms

Let’s start by understanding the keywords in the above question.

 

Domain Age

A general way of defining domain age is how long a website has been in existence. This is not merely a question of the age of a website based on when the site was registered.

This is about when the site became active. The first indexing of a website or when it was first identified by a link is how search engines like Google determines the age of a domain.

Check the age of your domain for free.

 

SEO

The term SEO is an acronym that stands for Search Engine Optimisation.

Search Engine Optimization is the process of improving the technical structure of a website; making the content on the website more relevant.

The overall aim of this is to enhance the popularity of the web pages of a website on search queries of real people. This ultimately increases its ranking on search engines.

 

SEO Ranking

SEO ranking is the trust search engines have on a particular website and webpage to effectively satisfy a person’s search need and enhance user experience.

When a question is entered via a search engine, the engine searches for web pages that are perceived to be able to provide answers that are satisfactory using an algorithm.

Based on different factors a selection is made with different web pages being displayed as a search result. The aim for websites that are interested in increasing web traffic is to be ranked on the first Search Engine Result Page (SERP).

The most prominent search engine is Google. We also have other search engines such as Bing, Yahoo, and Duckduckgo.

 

Does Domain Age Affect SEO and the Ranking of SEO?

A single and direct answer to the question of the effect of domain age on SEO ranking might not do justice to the question.

To effectively answer this question, let’s look at the two possible answers; NO and YES.

 

How Domain Age Does Not Affect SEO and SEO Ranking of a Website.

The first answer to the question “Does domain age affect SEO and the ranking of SEO?” is a no. How old a website is has been asserted by Google to be inconsequential in SEO ranking.

A website can be old and not very active. Such a website will not be ranked over a newer website that is more active just because it is older.

As such, the age of a domain on its own does not play a role in the ranking of a website.

 

How Domain Age Can Have an Effect on SEO Ranking of a Website or Webpage

It has been said that Google does not take into consideration how long a website has existed in SEO ranking.

However, the question of the effect of domain age on a website can have a positive response when certain things are put into consideration.

It will be easier for a newer site to outrank an older site SEO-wise if the older site has not been very active.

But, an older website that is actively being managed will always stand a better chance against a newer website that is active as well.

This is because time is a factor in building anything substantial and of good reputation. Therefore, an older website has the advantage of time over a newer website.

 

Why Domain Age is Important Google Ranking Factor

 

1. Qualitative Backlinks

Given the existence of a domain for a longer period, such a domain has the luxury of having qualitative backlinks if the website has been active and provides quality content that is relevant.

To this end, the site can generate higher web traffic due to the good backlinks to the site. This will in turn affect the SEO ranking of the website.

 

2. Trust Worthiness of a Site

Time plays a role in earning trust as a website.

An active website of two years that produces quality content and has good backlinks will have higher authority on a subject in comparison to an active website of four months that is yet to earn value on search engines.

On this note, it can be said that domain age given the function of time affects SEO and SEO ranking.

 

Does Domain Age Affect SEO and Google Ranking FAQs

 

Is the credibility of a website dependent on its domain age?

The credibility of a website is not dependent on merely how long a website has existed but how much the website has been able to produce in terms of quality in a period.

This means that as much as time is important in earning trust as a website or being ranked as credible, it is not the sole thing that matters.

That is, time matters in addition to other factors such as the relevance of the content produced by a website on a particular topic; the quality of backlinks earned etc.

Otherwise, the age of a domain is baseless as far as the credibility of a website is concerned.

 

How long does it take for a website to be ranked on search engines?

No fixed time rate has been given for a new website to get ranked on search engines such as Google. Although, new websites have to be active for a while before they stand a chance of being ranked on search engines.

This is to help search engines fight against fake and fraudulent websites.

So, at the minimum, a window period of about 6 months is necessary for a website to earn its validity.

Afterwards, it can stand a chance of being ranked if it is actively working to generate higher web traffic and authority on certain subjects.

 

Conclusion

Time is a huge factor for websites to earn authority on different subjects. This will affect the search engine ranking of such websites.

Given this, the length of time a website has been in existence can affect its SEO ranking if it is being actively managed.

However, merely registering a website and doing little with it will not serve the purpose of high ranking no matter how old the website is.

If you wish to increase the SEO ranking of your site, that is achievable whether or not the website is considerably “old”.

Pay attention to the process of Search Engine Optimization; learn how to increase the traffic on your website with SEO.

With good and relevant content generated, in a short while, you can earn backlinks and consequently, authority or trustworthiness on certain subjects.

Thereby, increasing the SEO ranking of your website.

It is important to note that you will have to give your website time to grow and become outstanding.

 

Also Read:

Harrison Acha is a Digital Marketing Expert, Seasoned Blogger, Facebook Marketing Expert, Writer, SEO Expert, and Digital Content Creator. Have been in the IT industry for more than a decade, and helping both tech and non-tech professionals become more productive and less frustrated with technology. Follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

PrimeGate Digital is a Result Driven Blog that strives to go beyond ‘Conventional Digital Marketing’ through digital innovation and performance marketing. We have experience working with world class brands and products.

 

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