The Edward Show Do Domains & TLDs Really Matter for SEO? Google Finally Answers
Sep 9, 2025
How much do domain names and TLDs really affect SEO? Insights from Google’s John Mueller shed light on the impact of different TLDs, revealing why some may be considered spammy. The discussion also tackles whether hyphenated domains outshine exotic options. Plus, learn when it's sensible to change your domain and how to do so effectively. For anyone serious about SEO, this conversation offers smart strategies to choose the right domain and avoid common pitfalls.
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TLDs Carry Neighborhood Reputation
- Google treats some TLDs as 'neighborhoods' with reputational baggage that affects crawling and indexing.
- Sites on spam-associated TLDs must demonstrate they differ from the rest of that neighborhood.
Whole TLDs Can Be Filtered By Linkers
- Backlink behavior can be categorical: people and tools may bulk-disavow or filter entire TLDs to block spam.
- That means links from problematic TLDs may be ignored or downgraded regardless of individual site quality.
Blocked .club Links On Social Platforms
- Edward recounts that .club links were shadowed on Twitter, blocking comment sharing even from high-authority sites.
- Many services block TLDs associated with spam, which harmed their sharing and traffic.