Today we’re kicking off  a new series about SEO Myths that just won’t die. In this post, we’ll cover the idea that buying multiple domains and redirecting them to your main site will boost your SEO. Spoiler alert: it won’t. Let’s dive into why this tactic is outdated and what the real purpose of buying multiple domains should be.

The Origins of the Myth

Once upon a time in the early days of SEO (over 15 years ago), some clever marketers discovered that owning and redirecting multiple domains to a primary site could give a slight boost in search engine rankings. This was back when search algorithms were relatively unsophisticated and could be easily manipulated with such tactics.

Fast forward to today, and the landscape has drastically changed. Search engines like Google have become incredibly advanced, using complex algorithms designed to prioritize user experience and relevant content over outdated tricks. The idea of boosting your SEO through multiple domain redirections is not just ineffective—it’s ancient history.

Why It Doesn’t Work Anymore

Modern search engines are wise to the tricks of the past. Here are a few reasons why buying and redirecting multiple domains no longer works:

1. Algorithm Advancements: Search algorithms have evolved to recognize and devalue manipulative practices. Google’s algorithms, for instance, now focus on content quality, user experience, and genuine backlinks.
2. No Value in Redirections: Redirecting multiple domains to your main site doesn’t add any significant SEO value. In fact, it can be seen as a spammy tactic if overdone, potentially harming your site’s credibility.
3. Content Relevance: Search engines prioritize sites with relevant, high-quality content. Simply owning multiple domains without unique and valuable content on each won’t improve your SEO.

The Real Reason to Buy Multiple Domains

While buying multiple domains for SEO benefits is a thing of the past, there is still a legitimate reason to do so: protecting your brand. Here’s why you might consider purchasing various domain extensions:

1. Brand Protection: Owning multiple domains like prospectgenius.com, prospectgenius.net, and prospectgenius.org ensures that competitors or malicious actors can’t use these domains to mislead your customers or harm your brand reputation.
2. Preventing Competitors: By securing common variations and extensions of your main domain, you prevent competitors from using similar domains to siphon off your traffic or create confusion among your audience.
3. Typo Value: If you suspect that users will ever need to type in your domain, and that they’re likely to mistype it, you might want to grab the misspelled version as well and then redirect the user to the correct one with a 301 redirect. This is valid, but has nothing to do with SEO. Instead, you’re just preventing a lost visitor due to human error.

Myth Busted!

The myth that buying and redirecting multiple domains will enhance your SEO is just that—a myth. This tactic hasn’t been effective for many years, and search engines have moved far beyond such simplistic manipulations. The only valid reason to invest in multiple domains today is to safeguard your brand from competitors and negative influences.

Remember, the best way to improve your SEO is through high-quality, relevant content, a great user experience, and genuine, authoritative backlinks. Stay tuned for more myth-busting insights in our ongoing series!