There seems to be this myth out there that buying multiple domains will help your SEO. Honestly, we’re not even sure how that could be true. And it sounds like more work than it’s worth.
So let’s break it all down in this episode. Why this is just a myth, the real reasons why you may want to start buying multiple domains, the hidden costs, and what’s the deal with keyword-rich domains.
Myth: Buying multiple domains will help your SEO.
This is false. Why? Well, this all goes back to how search engines work. Episode #109 talks all about this.
To show up on a search engine, you need to have helpful content on your website. So the only way buying multiple domains would help your SEO and drive traffic to your website would be if you built a website on every single domain you bought with unique and different content.
Chances are, you aren’t doing this.
And if there is nothing on the website, then how would you get indexed? You wouldn’t have a chance of showing up on search engines.
You might think to just duplicate all the design and copy from your main website to the other domains. That will hurt your SEO even more – you could get penalties from search engines for duplicate content. Don’t be a copycat, even if it’s copying yourself!
The only other way this will drive traffic for you is if someone types in the exact domain into their browser, which still won’t help your SEO or domain authority because that’s a direct search, not an organic search.
Real Reasons to Buy Multiple Domains
There are some legit reasons to buy multiple domains, but not for SEO purposes.
- Protecting Your Brand: Preventing competitors from using similar domain names.
- Catching Typos: Owning common misspellings of your domain to redirect users.
- Future Expansion: If you plan to expand into new products or markets, owning relevant domains can be helpful.
Owning multiple domains could be a proactive and future-thinking approach. However, there are some hidden costs of owning multiple domains that you should be aware of first.
Hidden Costs of Owning Multiple Domains
Before you go off buying multiple domains, consider these hidden costs.
- Registration and renewal fees: Costs can add up quickly, especially for premium domains.
- Maintenance: Each domain requires separate management and upkeep.
- Potential confusion: Too many domains can dilute your brand and confuse customers.
- Opportunity costs: The time, money, and effort you spend managing all these domains could be used elsewhere in your business.
In our opinion, it’s just not worth the effort to maintain multiple domains when you could spend your time focused on one.
Alternatives to Buying Multiple Domains
So instead, let’s focus on a strong primary domain. Invest in a memorable, easy-to-spell domain and build a strong brand around it. Then just focus on driving traffic to your core domain in whatever way you like to market yourself.
We always talk about how it’s not worth the effort to spread yourself thin in marketing yourself on all the channels available to you (in fact, episode #88 talks about why we think you only need one marketing channel). The same idea goes for your website – focus on ONE domain and your efforts will pay off much faster.
Keyword-Rich Domains
Have you heard of keyword-rich domains? It’s a domain that includes relevant keywords for your business or industry.
- minnesotamarketer.com
- wellnesscoach.com
- nontoxiccandles.com
Sounds like a great idea, right? If someone searches for that term, your website should appear in the search results.
Should you do it? Probably not.
Words from John Mueller, Head of Search at Google:
- “I’m not a fan of keyword-rich domains; everyone thinks you’re a spammer.”
- “Changing business focus, or even expanding, is harder.”
- “You have no brand name. There’s nothing that people can search for that ‘obviously’ should show your site. You’re always competing. You’re not building value with long-term users.”
But sometimes businesses have built a brand around a keyword:
While keyword-rich domains may offer a slight advantage, they are not a major ranking factor. You won’t see many benefits of doing it just for the keyword, so it’s better to pick a brand name and domain you can grow with.
Plus, if you choose these keywords as your brand name, the likelihood of securing a trademark for it is very low, meaning you aren’t legally protected.
If you own multiple domains, what should you do?
Run them against those real reasons (protection, typos, and expansion) and if they hit the mark, keep them. If they don’t, maybe you can save some money and let them go.
Or maybe you’ve built your brand on a keyword domain and you feel like you aren’t able to build that brand recognition. Well, then it might be time to take a peek at your brand strategy and build something unique and ownable. Maybe it’s time for a rebrand.
If you want to keep the theme going to squash these silly SEO myths, tune into episode #19 where we talk through seven bad SEO strategies that still exist today.
If you liked today’s episode on The Duo On Air Marketing Podcast, don’t forget to leave us a review & subscribe!
More From The Duo
Sign Up for Tuesday Tips and Sips Newsletter
Abbey Oslin and Courtney Petersen are Minnesota-based marketing experts, educators, and co-founders of boutique marketing agency Duo Collective, which specializes in SEO, social media strategy, and branding for small business owners and creative entrepreneurs. To learn more about Duo Collective, or to inquire about working with our team, head over to www.duocollective.com.
To inquire about being a guest on Duo On Air, please fill out this application form.
+ show Comments
- Hide Comments
add a comment