Top 3 SEO Ranking Factors for Practice Domains
Wondering why your website can’t easily appear at the top of search results overnight?
Google’s search ranking algorithm contains hundreds of ranking factors which are in a regular state of change. Every search combs through these factors in websites to return the most relevant search results to the user. Although Google carefully guards its search algorithm, search and webmasters have created lists over the years using experimentation of what ranking factors are believed to be involved with SEO success.
We will periodically bring you a few of the ranking factors believed to have the most impact on the ranking of your practice website. To begin, let’s look at domain names. From choosing the right name, to registration, there is more than meets the eye.
1. Strategic Domain: Choose your domain wisely. If possible, it is a good idea to pair a .com domain (rather than a .net or .org) with your main keyword and location of your practice when buying your domain name.
2. Domain History: The older a domain is the better, it indicates your brand has more longevity and will have more rank than a brand new domain. The age of a domain is how long it has been indexed by Google. Sometimes, older domains are bought for their SEO benefits. Note the site must be indexed, not just registered. The length of registration of a domain has no benefits to SEO.
3. Domain Registration – Public vs Private Who Is: When registering your domain, it is a best practice to make it public, meaning contact information for your technical support is available. A private domain could indicate to Google the site might be undertaking questionable practices. Check the “Who Is” record by entering your domain here to make sure your business’ contact information is correct.
For more information on ranking factors, head over to our Rankings Page.