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Wednesday, May 15, 2024

WhoIs Information: Is It A Google Ranking Factor? - Search Engine Journal

Last updated Thursday, March 3, 2022 08:45 ET , Source: NewsService

Does WhoIs information – or using domain privacy – have any SEO implications? Learn what the experts say about WhoIs as a ranking factor.

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When you register a domain, the registrar has your identifying information.

However, you can choose domain privacy protection if you don’t want the names, addresses, phone numbers, etc. of website contacts listed in WhoIs for all the world to see.

There are plenty of legitimate reasons people want to protect their privacy online.

But does WhoIs information – or using domain privacy – have any SEO implications?

The Claim: WhoIs Information Is A Ranking Factor

Some of the questions that have come up around the potential impact of domain privacy on SEO include:

  • Does hiding your WHOIS information hurt your website’s ranking?
  • If we have a large number of sites in our network but are using domain privacy, will Google count the links passing back and forth as legitimate?
  • Is WhoIs a Google trust factor?

The Evidence For WhoIs Information As A Ranking Factor

When Google became a domain registrar in January 2005, SEO professionals were immediately suspicious about how registration information might be used in the ranking algorithm.

Barry Schwartz noted the following month that a Google spokesperson had fanned the flames with this comment to the New York Times:

“While we...



Read Full Story: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ranking-factors/whois-information/

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