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Power of the Domain for SEO

DavidL

Top Contributor
Just thought I'd share with DnTraders - our site www.debitcard.com.au is now 2nd in Google for the popular search "debit card" in Australia worldwide (out of 73,000,000) and 1st for Aus Only searches.

Whilst the site is obviously developed there has only been minimal SEO so the credit for this really needs to go to the domain name.
 

Rhythm

Top Contributor
Very inspirational!

Just some questions if you don't mind answering? I'm just trying to figure out some benchmarks.

According to my google toolbar your site has a PR of 1 and no backlinks. Is that true? (if true, then kind of downplays the need for both attributes)

How does search engine traffic compare vs type in traffic? (dont need specifics, just a ratio would be nice.)

how long did it take to develop the content?

Also how long did it take from domain reg to build to 2nd rank?
 

Jonathan

Top Contributor
How much do you think that .com.au helps compared to a .net.au? Would you be ranking as highly if you had developed debitcard.net.au?
 

DomainMarketPlace

Top Contributor
Very inspirational!
According to my google toolbar your site has a PR of 1 and no backlinks. Is that true? (if true, then kind of downplays the need for both attributes)

This might help explain: http://www.seroundtable.com/archives/019821.html

Also the "link:" operator is far from accurate.

Personally i have PR2 site that has no backlinks and no pages in the index.

Very inspirational!
How much do you think that .com.au helps compared to a .net.au? Would you be ranking as highly if you had developed debitcard.net.au?

I'm looking to do a case study on this one actually. I can't see how there would be any penalty for using the .net.au...
 

Rhythm

Top Contributor
I'm looking to do a case study on this one actually. I can't see how there would be any penalty for using the .net.au...

I thought about trying to do a proper comparison, but the thing is, every decent keyword.com I think of most probably already belongs to Boomerang/OMG! Had they just published a list of all their domains it would've saved me days, if not weeks from researching keywords.
 

Rhythm

Top Contributor
lol a dash AND a net ? That would be interesting.

Don't forget that he says he has done only "minimal SEO". With complete content and proper SEO he might even knock wikipedia off from its perch. :p
 

soj

Founder
Hmm, seems to me like someones looking for a .au domain seo competition, I would definitely be up for something like that. If people are interested, Ill have a think of something.
 

DavidL

Top Contributor
Count me in!

In response to the dash & net question - does it make it harder to rank - I'd say an emphatic NO! - it doesn't impact ranking except perhaps indirectly as follows:

One of the factors that Google use for their ranking formula is CTR (click through rate) weighted as to the position in the search results. So if result number 2 gets more clicks than result number 1, that would, over time, help result number 2 leapfrog result number 1. Of course there are many other factors so it might never happen.

Human nature may dictate that people are less likely to click on a hyphenated net.au than a 'normal' com.au so this might negatively inpact the CTR and therefore and a secondary effect the ranking.

Rhythm, in answer to your Q's

1) As DMP said it does have some backlinks.... but not that many considering. I guess that's what's exciting about it from a domain POV

2) Search Traffic is 89%, Type-in 3, Referring sites 8%

3) We paid a professional to write the content so it didn't take long at all. Cost a few hundred through...

4) I think it's only recently hit the number 1 spot for 'debit card' so 3 months or so. However it was showing up on the first page from the 1st week.

In terms of the comp - I reckon the organiser thinks of a bizzare search term "red violin mixer" and assigns participants a domain name each

redviolinmixer.com.au
redviolinmixer.net.au
red-violin-mixer.com.au
red-violin-mixer.net.au

Then each participant develops & SEO's a site to see who has the best ranking for that term in 2 months time, say. It won't prove whether extensions make a difference but it would be a bit of fun for the SEO side.
 

Sway

Regular Member
Hmm, seems to me like someones looking for a .au domain seo competition, I would definitely be up for something like that. If people are interested, Ill have a think of something.


Should be like Street Racing but instead of cars, the winner claims the others domain!!
 

DomainMarketPlace

Top Contributor
Count me in!
Human nature may dictate that people are less likely to click on a hyphenated net.au than a 'normal' com.au so this might negatively inpact the CTR and therefore and a secondary effect the ranking.

Valid point, I know which one I'd be clicking on first. However, having seen how easy phishing can be, its possible most users pay little attention to the URL on the SERP page and will just click on results 1-3 because Google deems them as most relevant.

Also CTR would also be determined in conjunction with the "bounce" and "exit" rates, so the landing page would have to be effective..
 

paz

Member
Valid point, I know which one I'd be clicking on first. However, having seen how easy phishing can be, its possible most users pay little attention to the URL on the SERP page and will just click on results 1-3 because Google deems them as most relevant.

Also CTR would also be determined in conjunction with the "bounce" and "exit" rates, so the landing page would have to be effective..

Thats why you don't let google know your bounce and exit rates by not using Google Analytics or Adsense ;)

They know too much!
 

DomainMarketPlace

Top Contributor
Thats why you don't let google know your bounce and exit rates by not using Google Analytics or Adsense ;)

They know too much!

I'd rather know if the bounce rate is high and do something about it!

I guess you could use alternate software - but i like the price tag of Google Analytics!

They also track the bounce rate back to the SERP regardless of analytics.
 

paz

Member
Paz - were you being serious about the analytics / adsense thing?

No not really :p

I use both. But there are lots of foil hat wearing types out there that refuse to use google analytics and other products for that reason. :p
 

Rhythm

Top Contributor
Just thought I'd share with DnTraders - our site www.debitcard.com.au is now 2nd in Google for the popular search "debit card" in Australia worldwide (out of 73,000,000) and 1st for Aus Only searches.

Whilst the site is obviously developed there has only been minimal SEO so the credit for this really needs to go to the domain name.

Looks like it's first for both global/local search now. You're also 10th/11th for debit cards.
 

soj

Founder
Now the question I think everyone wants an answer to is... How much traffic is the site receiving, and how many leads are you selling?
 

Rhythm

Top Contributor
The question I really want an answer to is:

Is it just me or is the grey/red/gold text on white difficult to read?
 

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