What actually matters for SEO in a domain name
The TLD isn't a ranking factor and keyword domains don't get a boost. Here's what a name really changes, and how to pick one.
There's a lot of folklore about domains and search rankings. Some of it was true in 2010. Here's what holds up today, and what it means when you're choosing a name.
The TLD is not a ranking factor
Google has said publicly that it treats generic TLDs (.dev, .app, .io, .tech and the rest) the same as .com and .org, and that a keyword in the TLD gives no advantage. Country-code TLDs are a geotargeting signal, although Google treats some popular ones, like .io and .co, as generic.
Exact-match domains don't rank on their own
Since Google's 2012 "exact match domain" update, best-cheap-meal-planner.com won't rank because of its name. Keyword-stuffed domains also look spammy to people, which hurts the thing that does matter: whether they click.
What a name really changes
- Click-through and trust. A clean, credible name gets clicked in search results, and .com is still the most trusted default.
- Owning your brand's results. You want to rank first when someone searches your name. A distinctive name makes that easy. A dictionary word, or a name a big company already uses, makes it hard.
- Relevance cues. A name that hints at the category (think Shopify or Linear) carries a topical signal every time someone mentions or links to you, and helps people remember what you do.
- Type-in traffic and email. People assume .com. If someone else owns the .com of your name, they get some of your visitors and some of your mail.
- Word of mouth. If someone hears the name once, can they type it? That's the radio test.
So how should you choose?
- Prefer a short, distinctive name (12 characters or fewer, ideally 8) that hints at what you do.
- Get the .com if you can. If not, use a TLD that fits your audience (.ai for AI products, .dev for developer tools), and make sure the .com isn't an active business in your space.
- Avoid hyphens and digits. They're hard to say and look spammy.
- Search the name before you commit. Check for existing products, and see whether the search results are dominated by something you can't outrank.
- Pick one canonical domain and 301-redirect the others to it, so search engines don't split your signals.
How tld helps
tld's score follows these rules:
- .com and your chosen TLDs score higher, in the order you set.
- Short, readable names score higher.
- Names that contain your keywords earn a relevance bonus.
- Expensive renewals lose points.
The notes beside each result show exactly why. Try a search.