We’ve seen study after study confirming that new TLDs can rank just as highly as legacy domains in search engine results. But it always helps to hear those words directly from an SEO expert. That’s why we’re so pleased to talk with the SearchBrothers, whose new gTLD name— SEO.Consulting—is a vote of confidence for new domains, and leaves no doubt about what it is they do. As former senior members of the Google Search Quality team, founders Fili Wiese and Kaspar Szymanski have a deep knowledge of search engine rankings. We reached out to them with a few questions about the relationship between new gTLDs and SEO.
Tell us a bit about your business
SearchBrothers SEO Consulting was founded by two renowned SEO experts and former senior members of the famed Google Search Quality team – this is the team protecting Google Search from spammy results. It also educates webmasters on how to improve their websites to show up for more relevant queries, increasing their visibility, rankings and their online success in the process.
We started our search engine optimization consulting business in 2013, when we had both left Google. Nowadays, we strive to achieve similar goals for our clients, working together and assisting their online teams with growing the visibility of their websites in Google Search.
What SEO services do you offer?
At SearchBrothers, we offer a range of SEO Consulting services, such as SEO Audits, in-house SEO workshops, backlink risk analysis, Google penalty recovery and competitor analysis. We focus on enabling our clients to better manage their own SEO, on helping them to understand the risks their websites are exposed to and on improving their SEO strategies for increased visibility and profitability.
How did you hear about the .CONSULTING gTLD?
We are both frequent contributors to industry publications and seasoned speakers, regularly sharing our expertise with audiences at major search engine optimization and online marketing industry events such as BrightonSEO, SMX, Pubcon and UnGagged. Staying informed is a very important part of the game. From our point of view, having a clear picture of the industry’s recent developments and newest trends is a competitive advantage. We are also avid domainers, although that activity isn’t constantly in our focus as much as SEO is.
Why did you decide to register a .CONSULTING domain?
Since SearchBrothers focuses primarily on offering SEO Consulting services, it only made sense to register the domain SEO.Consulting. As it turned out, the domain name was available. And it is a great, great domain!
Fili Wiese and Kaspar Szymanski are veterans of Google’s Search Quality team
As SEO experts, what are your thoughts about new gTLDs?
We love them! Although it is true that from a Google organic search perspective, there is no boost in the search results to be expected from registering a new top-level domain, Google considers the domain names registered on new gTLDs the same as any other newly and not previously registered domain name on a legacy top-level domain.
From a brand perspective, we have seen great successes with descriptive and easy-to-remember new TLDs, especially when it comes to generating positive user signals, because the domain name can now be the primary keyword describing the business. So why not go with something shorter and that is easier to remember?
In what ways do you think you and your consulting business can benefit from a .CONSULTING domain name?
It is the shortest possible query matching our core business. The type in-traffic alone is a major benefit already, and we are certain that user acceptance will grow over time. New gTLDs will take the spotlight from currently more established domains and brands, such as .com keyword domains, which are still very popular at the moment. We are very optimistic in regard to the future prospect of .CONSULTING and similarly descriptive gTLDs.
Would you suggest other startups consider a new TLD?
Yes, but not only startups. Even established businesses can benefit from moving to a shorter and more descriptive domain name. It is important to note that established websites may take a temporary hit in SEO visibility when moving to a new domain, and the process can be quite complex. It is advisable to hire a SEO expert to assist you with the move.
When picking a new domain name, we do recommend having a keyword analysis done first to find out what primary keywords your users are using and which you should be targeting. This is extremely important when choosing a domain name because it’s going to be your brand and how people remember you!
Be sure to focus on the primary keyword, and do not get tempted to buy a cheap alternative which can be easily mistaken. For example, we would never brand our business “1seo.consulting” or “seos.consulting.” You should invest on the primary keyword instead.
If the desired domain name is already registered, check if it is for sale. Often, you can still buy the domain name for a cheap price. Contact the domain owner and start the negotiation.
Remember, your domain name can increase in value over time and it has the potential to make your business even more profitable and/or attractive to investors in the future. In the meantime, your new domain name will help your business grow as users are better able to remember it and click on it.
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