Domain Name Reputation

Chapter 1.1, in which we ask what is a domain?; we examine the domain-buying process; look at domain ownership history's influence on reputation; and discuss IP addresses & bad neighborhoods.

Domain names represent your home online

You probably haven’t given much thought to the common domain name. 

Why would you? What’s there to think about? 

It’s the address of my website. It’s my home online. What more is there to know? 

A lot, it turns out. 

There are a whole host of signals the common domain name can generate that are interpreted by algorithms. Those signals can contribute to calculating your organization’s reputation. 

But to understand how your domain name can affect your reputation, we first need to discuss how domain names work. 

What Is A Domain Name? 

As you just said, the domain name is the address of your website. It is your home on the World Wide Web (or the Information Superhighway, if you’re of a certain age). It’s the last part of your email address.

If someone types in your domain name into their browser’s address bar and hits return, they’ll arrive at your website. If someone searches your brand, it’s likely your domain name will be displayed as the first link in the search results. 

And it’s a whole lot more. 

How To Buy A Domain Name

Let’s take a look at what happens when you buy a domain name. 

You go to GoDaddy or Network Solutions or Google Domains or one of the other gazillion domain registrars, buy your domain, and you’re good to go, right?

Yes. 

But for this discussion, no.

There’s a lot going on behind the scenes of which you should be aware. 

Registering A Domain Name

When you click the Buy button at your favorite domain registrar, there’s more going on than that simple transaction. While you have just purchased a brand-spanking-new domain name (congratulations, by the way), the registrar is busy behind the scenes creating a digital record.