Why doesn't everyone just purchase a .org tld?

[Eladla]

Hi,

I am new-ish to SEO, and something just dawned on me today. I have read in many places that .org domains rank higher (even if slightly) than .coms.

Then why doesn't everyone just purchase .org TLDs?

For example, in my industry, most good .com domain names are taken, but .orgs are almost all free. Why not purchase a .org and capitalize on exact match search results?

seomoz is .org and it's far from being a non-profit

[KeriMorgret]

vishalkhialani, a quick note that only higher education institutions can get a .edu extension, it's not available to just anyone who wants to pick one up.

[Eladla]

Thank you for your detailed reply Ryan.

I see what you're saying. I was thinking of .org domains mainly for the exact search term match domain names. If .org had any other inherent advantages, it would be a small bonus.

Since on-page is a very strong factor for my target keywords, I think this might give me some advantages.

[RyanKent]

Hi Elad.

Alan's answer is 100% correct. A .org site has absolutely no inherit value greater or less then a .com site with respect to search engine ranking. In fact, all the domains ranging from .net, .info, .edu, .gov etc all have the same value, zero. The value they gain is by building your site, adding content and earning links.

Where a particular domain has increased value is in public perception. A .com is seen as the legitimate business domain, which is as the domain was intended. Think of any major business such as McDonalds, Walmart, Facebook, Google, ATT, etc. and simply add a .com to it, you will land on the company's site. That is not the case of any other domain.

In that sense, .org is seen as for non-profits, .edu for educational institutions, and so forth. This is the public perception and it is by design. If you attempt to run a .org as a commercial site, you are likely to lose some traffic due to people not willing to conduct normal commercial business (i.e. shop online) with a .org site. SEOmoz pulls it off nicely in large part because of all the free SEO offerings: blog articles, Q&A, tools, etc. The basic services are offered for free and users can pay for upgrades. This business model combined with an exceptionally friendly organization and customer service works, but most businesses would not be able to pull it off.

With respect to an exact match, an Exact Match Domain (EMD) has been devalued and it is ridiculously overvalued by people who do not understand SEO. The domain name is one of over 200 ranking factors. You will find all the best names such as "insurance.org" have been taken. If you find a name left, it is because no one else wants it. The bottom line, the amount of traffic you can obtain with the EMD is not worth the effort it takes to provide the content and backlinks to make it work. You will receive a ranking boost for the exact match search, but not the rest of the searches for your site.

You clearly have a firm belief a .org site is advantageous. I am certain it is not, but feel free to purchase the domain and prove us all wrong. You clearly will have a bargain as there are plenty of domains available.

[vishalkhialani]

another view point is why don't you thin about the end user ?

What is it that you are selling or service your are providing ?

Example : if you are selling your consultancy services then i wud go for .com educational .edu.

Why ? cause of linkbait.  Other edu will link to another edu but .com or .org might not get it.

[Eladla]

1. That's just not true, as sad as it may be. $6.99 on GoDaddy, not questions asked. Even cheaper than a .com.

2. I know, my question is why not use it anyway?

3. Well... if two sites have more or less the same level of trust in the eyes of Google, I am betting the .org will get a little nudge.

[Eladla]

Even if that is true (and I'm not sure it is), I was thinking of getting .org for the exact search match, more than for the .org-ness of them.

[vishalkhialani]

1. cause you can't get .org tld easily.

2. What ever said and done .org is considered more for non profit  .com  is more for commercial. Even if seomoz.org has it the other way.

3. its not true that .org gets higher rankings.

[AlanBleiweiss]

.orgs and .edus do not rank higher just because they're .orgs. or .edus.  They rank high when they are truly worthy sites that have content of tremendous value and earn trust signals on a large scale naturally as a result of the quality they offer.

.orgs rank when they're purely focused in a laser-focus type way on the topic central to their non-profit mission.  They earn links simply by offering some significant positive contribution to the world.  They earn social media mentions for the same reason.  People who care about the topic the site focuses on naturally want to share that and point to it and discuss it.