Domain Age: Does it Really Matter, When it Comes to Rankings?

Depending on who you ask, you'll get different answers to that question - even from the so-called experts. Not satisfied with the conflicting information that I was getting, I decided to do my own research.

Over the last month, I've viewed hundreds and hundreds of domains in dozens of different categories...cakes, candy, balloons, fruit, cars, books, auctions, insurance, pets, stuffed animals, restaurants, seo, beaches, real estate, marketing, etc., etc., etc.

My conclusion: The age of the domain is a significant factor in the ranking of websites. Don't let anyone tell you differently. And while my research is far from scientific, I'm absolutely convinced that domains at least 3 years old generally rank higher in the search engines.

Don't take my word on this. Do your own research like I did, and get your own answers. Now are there other factors involved? For example, number of inbound links?

Yes. Inbound links definitely play a significant role in the ranking of websites. That's certainly not news. However, it can take years for a domain to accrue thousands of inbound links. That's why it always seems to come back to the age of the domain.

But like I said, don't take my word on this. Do your own research, and you'll see that I'm right.

By the way, there's a myth on the Internet that registering domains for at least 3 years will give you an advantage with Google. This as absolutely false. During my research, I found no evidence that registering a domain for multiple years has any impact on rankings whatsoever - none. Methinks that myth was probably started by a domain registrar.

That being said, it can't hurt either.