How Google tests and promotes domains

Your brand doesn’t exist until it ranks on page one—and most founders have no idea how to make that happen.

In this episode, we break down the exact playbook for getting a brand-new domain to show up in Google for your company name. After going through this process firsthand with Graphed.com, you’ll learn how to choose a rankable name, build the right backlinks, trigger branded search behavior, and use Google Ads to accelerate the whole process.

If you're launching anything new, this is the tactical blueprint you wish you had earlier.

What You’ll Learn

• Why ranking for your brand name is the first real trust signal for any startup
• How to pick a name and domain you can actually rank for
• The “first 100 links” strategy that trains Google to recognize your brand
• Simple ways to generate branded search behavior across social and content
• How Google quietly tests your domain—and how to know when it’s happening
• How to use Google Search Ads to accelerate ranking and protect your brand
• Why .com still matters more than any other TLD

Timestamps

• 00:00 — Why your new domain must rank for your own brand name
• 00:31 — Why ranking for your brand name is a critical early trust signal
• 01:03 — The rookie mistake founders make when picking a brand name
• 01:13 — What ideal, non-competitive SERPs should look like
• 01:35 — Graphed.com’s journey to finally ranking in position one
• 01:45 — Overview of the process to teach Google your brand
• 01:55 — Step 1: Build backlinks to your homepage
• 03:29 — Step 2: Drive branded search with social posts & content
• 04:21 — Step 3: Run Google Search Ads on your exact brand name
• 05:45 — Why you should always buy the .com for your brand
• 06:16 — Final thoughts + Graphed free trial

Key Topics & Insights

1. Ranking for Your Brand Name = Early-Stage Trust

If someone Googles your company and doesn’t find you, credibility collapses. Ranking for your brand name is one of the first—and easiest—trust signals to secure. Graphed.com took ~2 months to rank, but with this framework, it can happen in as little as 24–48 hours.

2. How to Choose a Rankable Name

• Avoid names already used by active companies
• Look for search results filled with noise, not competitors
• Ideal: two words, few syllables, easy to spell
• And always, always buy the .com

3. Build the First 100 Backlinks (Brand-Name Anchors Only)

Your #1 job early is to teach Google what your company is.
Do this by:

• Building backlinks to your homepage
• Using your brand name as the anchor text (not keywords)

These are foundational “identity” links that help Google map brand → domain.

How to build them:

• Submit to software directories
• Use link submission services
• Cold email companies for guest post swaps
• Layer PR on top later

4. Trigger Branded Search Behavior

Once Google sees your backlinks, you need humans to reinforce the signal:

1. Search your brand name
2. Click your domain
3. Spend time on the page

Google then learns:

You create this behavior through:

• Social posts
• Newsletters
• Podcast mentions
• Repeated use of the brand everywhere

5. How Google Tests Your Domain

Google will quietly experiment by showing your domain for branded queries.
You’ll see this in Search Console via:

• Rising impressions
• Increasing CTR
• Sudden jumps in average position

This is the moment Google “decides” you belong on page one.

6. Accelerate Everything With Google Search Ads

Run a brand campaign:

• Exact-match brand keyword
• Minimum bid: around $5
• Send traffic to homepage

This forces the association between brand name → your site, and accelerates your rise in organic search.

Brand protection tips:

• Raise bids to block competitors
• Add sitelinks to take more SERP real estate
• Optional: multiple ad accounts (with caution)

7. Why .com Still Beats Every Other Domain

Consumers inherently trust .com more than .io, .co, .xyz, etc.
It drives higher CTR and reduces friction in word-of-mouth.
If the .com isn’t available, pick a new name—don’t settle.

Sponsor
Today’s episode is brought to you by Graphed – an AI data analyst & BI platform.

With Graphed you can:
Connect data like GA4, Facebook Ads, HubSpot, Google Ads, Search Console, Amplitude
Build interactive dashboards just by chatting (no Looker Studio/Tableau learning curve)
Use it as your ETL + data warehouse + BI layer in one place

Ask:
“Build me a stacked bar chart of new users vs. all users over time from GA4”
…and Graphed just builds it for you.

👉 Get a 14-day free trial with 10 seats for your team: https://graphed.com/