DOES THE DOMAIN URL EXTENSION IMPACT RELEVANCE & RANKINGS?

Our hypothesis is that the specific Top-Level Domain (TLD) extension of a website linked in a Google Business Profile (GBP) can significantly influence local search engine results page (SERP) rankings for keywords that are semantically related to the TLD. Specifically, we theorize that using a domain extension that includes a keyword relevant to the business’s primary category (e.g., .shop for a print shop) can enhance the business’s visibility for search terms that include or are related to that keyword. Conversely, changing the domain to a different, but still semantically relevant TLD (e.g., .store for a business also tracking “store” keywords) should similarly impact rankings for those new relevant terms. This implies that Google may, to some extent, consider the relevance of a website’s domain extension in determining local search rankings. The outcomes of this test could provide valuable insights into domain strategy for SEO, particularly for businesses looking to optimize their local search presence.

In a previous test from 2021, we noticed that the URL extension seemed to impact the local rankings when linked on our Google listing. When we changed the GBP to a .online, our local map rankings seemed to increase for terms containing the word “online.”

This seemed odd because Google has never seemed to favor a domain extension for ranking purposes. In the case of local rankings, however, it appeared to have an impact…

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