Why One Domain Isn’t Always Enough For Your Website
As an innovative and energetic website owner, you most likely search out any competitive advantage you can to boost your traffic and engagement. From social media buttons to mobile optimisation, you have taken every route to get the clicks and hopefully the sale if you specialise in ecommerce. You know that search engine optimisation is a wild beast that updates regularly, and can make or break your website. However, did you know that multiple domain names can help you gain an advantage over your competition?
Do multiple domains really mean better SEO?
If you search the question above on your favourite search tool, you will be inundated by conflicting answers about results of multiple domains pointing to the same website. So, in short, the answer is: it depends. Let us explain…
Let’s take a hypothetical situation. We will say that Bob is a real estate agent and owns the brand name Blitz Reality. Bob only sells real estate in London. Bob would benefit from domains with the following domains:
BlitzReality.com
Any brand should do whatever they can to register the corresponding .com domain. By doing so, any organisation captures the reputability of a .com while ensuring that no other organisation can use it.
BlitzReality.co.uk
Since Bob is located in the UK, registering the .co.uk accomplishes the same effects as the .com domain, but it also boosts his SEO in local search for the UK. He would be wise to add the .co.uk domain to his portfolio.
BlitzReality.uk
As a geographic domain extension, the .uk domain can often be purchased along with the .co.uk for a low price. Also, if you own the .co.uk version of a domain, you have exclusive rights to the .uk version until 10 June 2019.
Claiming your domain
So, from the example above, Bob would be wise to guarantee the .com, .co.uk and the .uk brand domains as his. By registering the combination of reputable domains he accomplishes two goals:
#1. Brand Protection
By registering the domains and pointing them towards his website, Bob prevents any nefarious individuals from taking his domains and using them for their own purposes. Domains similar to existing websites can be used for phishing, copycat sites or even data capturing, which could damage an organisation’s reputation and security.
#2. Increasing Geographic SERP
When Bob registers a .com domain, he is letting the search engines know that he exists somewhere in the world. However, by registering both .co.uk and .uk domains, he further informs the search engines that his business is based in the UK. Search engines will respond by prioritising Blitz Realty in local searches. This helps Bob establish organic traffic closer to home.
Endless options
So far we have only covered three of the hundreds of domains that exist for Bob’s real estate business. He could also look into domain extensions including .realtor, .biz, .online, .live, and many others. Domain extensions are great for marketing special promotions or expanding your reach on search engines. For example, if Bob were to expand his business to New York, he could also register .NYC and .US to claim the geographic domains for his new location. However, as with any other business decision, be sure that you have a purpose for any additional domains you point to your website. Adding domains that don’t carry reputability can actually damage your search engine rankings. For example, Bob doesn’t want to register BlitzRealty.wtf unless it’s only in the name of brand protection.