Multiple Extensions: a GoDaddy Appraisal Observation

When researching domain names to buy, one indicator of value I look at is the number of other extensions that are or have been registered. My thinking is that if others have registered the .net, .org, .info, and other extensions with that same keyword, there are likely some immediate suiters for the .com domain name I am evaluating.

When looking at GoDaddy Auctions, the GoDaddy Appraisal is shown on each landing page. While I don’t give that value more credence than I should, it is undoubtedly one signal I look at when trying to find valuable domain names up for auction.

One observation I have made is that the GoDaddy Appraisal seems to be higher when there is more than one extension registered. Here’s a completely hypothetical example of the differences I think I noticed based on this observation:

  • ElliotsExample123.com registered, no other extensions registered – GoDaddy Appraisal: $1,234
  • ElliotsExample123.com registered, .net and .org registered – GoDaddy Appraisal: $2,345

When looking at Whois records for auction domain names, one thing I noticed is that the .net, .org, and possibly other extensions are or were registered by the same entity. Obviously, this changes the dynamics a bit because instead of potentially having the registrants of other extensions as sales leads, the other extensions are registered to the same entity that let the .com domain name expire. It might appear that there is interest in a particular keyword because of the other registrations, but in fact, it was the same entity that registered them all.

Because of this observation, I try to do Whois searches on other extensions before bidding on auctions. Sometimes a domain name has a higher value due to intrinsic reasons, and the Whois and Google searching will identify why the domain name has value beyond what I see. Other times, it appears to me that the appraised value could be inflated due to the other extensions being registered, even though they are registered to the same entity. When bidding on an auction, this data is important to me.

I don’t think this is necessarily a flaw, especially since GDPR makes it more difficult to identify the registrant of each domain name. There is also no science or data backing up that this even happens. My guess is that the number of extensions registered is one small part of the hefty appraisal algorithm. This is one of a number of reasons why I take the appraised values with a grain of salt. It is also a reason why I use the appraisal as a signal to investigate further.

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

4 COMMENTS

  1. Thanks for sharing.
    I usually give it more attention when those other taken extensions are developed more especially for business.

  2. Hi Elliot,

    That is very interesting point to ponder on..

    I always thought the keyword in a domain name will influence the appraisal value in long time…becauce of number of sales with that same keywords…

    But other extensions also can be a valid factor in determining the appraisal…like you said might be one of many factors.

    Would like to see your opinions on how a name appraisal value is changing after some time and also if any big else is reported with one keyword and how much time it will take to put into its algorithm to give higher appraisals for next names with same keywords…

    For example”kush” used in other names can give good value…imo

    Thanks,
    Ravi

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