Google Search Liaison Tweets About Domain Names

For several years, there has been discussion about Google downplaying the role of domain names and their importance. To an extent, domain names may be less important than they once were, greatly due to search engine changes and advances, but they are still essential and play a crucial role in navigation, brand marketing, email deliverability, connectivity, and other aspects related to web presence.

One concerning development for domain investors has been Google’s de-emphasis of domain names over the last several years. Some examples of this include former Google search team leader Matt Cutts’ comments about keyword domain names, Google’s using the navigation bar for searches, and Google’s removal of domain names in mobile searches. It has appeared that Google would like to reduce the importance of domain names, and that would obviously impact the value of domain names to some degree.

Recently, however, Google announced that domain names and site icons would be shown in search results. In response to a tweet about the change, Danny Sullivan, the Public Search Liaison at Google commented about the importance of domain names while answering a question on Twitter:

This isn’t super groundbreaking of course. Domain names are the most important part of URLs. It’s what distinguishes whether someone is visiting Chase.com or a website pretending to be Chase Bank. That being said, the affirmation that domain names play a crucial role in search navigation is nice to see from a Google representative.

Elliot Silver
Elliot Silver
About The Author: Elliot Silver is an Internet entrepreneur and publisher of DomainInvesting.com. Elliot is also the founder and President of Top Notch Domains, LLC, a company that has closed eight figures in deals. Please read the DomainInvesting.com Terms of Use page for additional information about the publisher, website comment policy, disclosures, and conflicts of interest. Reach out to Elliot: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

6 COMMENTS

  1. I’ve long thought that the strategy of most “Web Developers”, is to discourage the importance of a memorable Domain Name so they can perpetuate the “dog chasing his tail” of ongoing SEO. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems like that is their real intended revenue stream. Domain Names that pass the “Billboard test” are becoming scarcer, almost extinct, leaving people little else but buying into whatever is the latest, “Be on the first page of Google”. Could be wrong.

    • Not sure whom do you refer to as “web developers”… If someone wants to sell you some SEO, they are probably SEO specialists.

  2. This is actually good news, to see a significant voice at Google say that URLs are important and should remain a viable part of search. There actions as of late, would keep anyone watching the space concerned.

    • Why do you think it didn’t go well?

      You don’t know their goals, the extent of the changes they made, the metrics they used to measure success, or what they are doing with their new data they generated?

      Great businesses innovate, adapt, pivot, move forward… It’s a mistake to be stagnant.

      But hey, if you think you are smarter than the folks who work at Google, start the next Google. Or don’t. Just remain a Negative Nelly.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recent Posts

Last Call: 2025 Domain Industry PMC Jersey

0
Our customized domain industry Pan-Mass Challenge jersey raises a substantial amount of money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute each year. The company that produces the...

Details Behind $1 Million+ Deal for Diversification.com

1
Paul Rubillo shared some details about a deal he struck for the Diversification.com domain name. When the deal concludes, it will be valued at...

GoDaddy Auctions Expands AI Images and Descriptions

1
I recently noticed that GoDaddy Auctions began incorporating artificial intelligence-generated images and descriptions to its auction listings. This AI-generated content appears in the Details...

Atom to Launch Price Tracking Feature

0
I don't use Google Shopping for much beyond the native price tracking tool. If there's a product I want to buy but think it's...

Resolved: No Sound Notification for Email on iPhone 16

0
I've been dealing with a frustrating iPhone issue for a while. I don't recall when it started, but my sound notifications have not been...