There is an myth regarding .online websites that they do not rank well on Google. In this article, we will dispel that myth and prove it with verifiable evidence that these websites do rank well.
You can explore this post for a complete list of new-age domain extensions like dot online.
Why are .online domains popular?
The domain extension dot online or .online is a popular TLD being used basically by tech enthusiasts worldwide. The main reason for the popularity of such domain extensions are their cost factors.
Price of .online domains from multiple vendors(in India) for first year:
- Godaddy: ₹499
- Hostinger: ₹72
- Namecheap: ₹81
- Hostgator: ₹852
- Google: ₹2150
Note: Prices are subject to change in the future.
We can observe that most of the websites offer it at a very low price for the first year which makes it easier for Small and Medium Businesses to test their digital presence without incurring a high cost.
History of .online Domains
The dot online domain TLDs were made by ICANN in 2015 after an initial announcement in 2012. ICANN is the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers, a nonprofit organization based out of the USA.
Bhavin Turakhia and his company Radix are the current owners of .online TLD which means anyone buying a .online TLD worldwide buys them directly or indirectly from them.
Initially, .online was jointly owned by Radix, Namecheap, and Tucows After his acquisition of .online TLD, it saw over 38,000 purchases(registries) in the first 24 hours making it one of the fastest-growing gTLDs. In 2018, .online passed 1 Million registries.
Some Disadvantages
These domains have recently come under suspicion because of their abuse by black-hat SEO practitioners. We at Ingeniare AI presume this to be the primary reason for most of the following issues.
1. SEO Issues with .online Domains
Flagged as Spam
We have seen several .online websites being flagged as spam because of their usage by parties that are involved in unfair SEO practices like link farming. It is a practice where several cheap domains are purchased by someone who sells backlinks from them at a cheap cost.
Non-Indexing Issues
Recently, we have come across a few digital businesses which have their primary website on a .online domain. Their main concern is despite using the best tools available, they are not getting indexed on Google.
2. High Renewal Cost
Compared to a .com or a .in TLD, .online TLD costs as much as thrice the price of its peers. The following are examples of second-year renewal costs of .online domains.
- Godaddy: ₹3249
- Hostinger: ₹2659
- Namecheap: ₹5412
Note: Prices are subject to change in the future.
However, There are Some Benefits Too
.online domains have grown in popularity not only because of their cost but also because they provide a good host of benefits too.
1. Available for Competitive Names
With more than 350 million domains worldwide, it should not be surprising for you to find your business .com or . in domain name already registered by someone else. In that case there would be no option other than buying a domain like .online.
2. Niche Targeting
For businesses focussed on online services like streaming, gaming, home solutions, online tutoring, etc.. the .online domains show a commitment to niche markets.
They also show digital adoption among small and medium businesses for whom they were initially made.
Do .online Domains Affect SEO?
Google claims that domain names and TLDs do not affect Google SEO. However, they will surely affect a person’s perception and trust. A user is more inclined to click on domains with established TLDs like .com.
Also, the leaked source code from Yandex shows that search engines may still be secretly preferring to rank .com websites first, which was the case in Yandex.
Solutions for .Online Domains
We at Ingeniare AI are still exploring the issue of concrete evidence, however, we have some remedies for businesses using .online domains that are affected by SEO.
- Getting high-quality organic backlinks is the most effective solution for such domains.
- Combine this with frequent sitemap submissions on the Google search console.
- Make sure your content is AI free and your website is not punished by some Google update.
Successful .Online Domains
Over our experience as an agency, we have noticed a few .online domains ranking for different search terms.
(Data as of 11 November 2023)
- freemba.online ranks #28 for the term “free mba” and 3rd for the term “freemba“.
- himalayanrudraksha.online ranks #2 for the search term “rudraksha mala”.
