.INFO Domains - Waste Of Time?

[Gerry]

Matt Cutts and other "big names" from Google, clearly stated that there is no difference between tld's.

The trouble is that .infos are so cheap that spammers would register hundreds making them low quality websites. A well developed and maintained .info website would weight as much as any other .com, .org or whatever...

I would think so. It is going to depend on relevant content, updated and fresh content, proper keywords and metatags.

Parking does well on some parking sites for .info (Bodis.com for one)

But I am hell bent on "unparking" by developing my own sites.

And .info is part of that plan.

I am underway with UKY.info (University of Kentucky Information) and MYR.info, which is the airport code for Myrtle Beach. So, you guessed it - a Myrtle Beach Information site. And each site will be titled that and keyworded and meta tagged to those specifics.

For more on my current project click here.

 

[gwkg]

Don't take this the wrong way but Matt Cutts and "big names" from Google say a lot of things. You need to take them with a grain of salt.

Matt Cutts job is stopping web spam, not helping us get to the front page of Google.

 

[Gerry]

Well, microblogging.info was the number position for eons out of nearly 48 million.

This is becoming HUGE as Twitter, Twirhl and many others work on this concept and model.

Yes, microblogging.info was number one for ages.

So, a good bud of mine bought it.

 

[gwkg]

Spain.info ranks well, too. But it has a PR8 with over 9999 backlinks and has been around since 2002.

I have yet to find a .info on the first page of Google that was reg'd within the last year and didn't a substantial number of backlinks.

The same cannot be said of .com domains.

If anyone has any evidence to the contrary, please post it. I'm not saying I'm 100% correct and there cannot be any exceptions. I'm just posting what I've found so far.

 

[Biggs101]

Just saw this thread.

.info domains are great for informative sites, medical domains etc.

I recently picked up a few nice medical ones for under $3,500 each and flipped them within a week for +$10,000 each (PM for details).

Selling my first .info's over at Sedo now (Jsp.info & Bmg.info). Just testing the .info market at the moment.

 

[David G]

...I recently picked up a few nice medical ones for under $3,500 each and flipped them within a week for +$10,000 each...

That is perhaps the most amazing accomplishment I have ever read on the forums. What is your secret? Can you share the names?

 

[Gerry]

If anyone has any evidence to the contrary, please post it. I'm not saying I'm 100% correct and there cannot be any exceptions. I'm just posting what I've found so far.

I used the example earlier of Microblogging.info. Domain is actually not that old and ranked #1 on Google for a very long time, even when the .com was a parked page.

Edit: Was Number 3 on Yahoo, originally regged in 2007 according to new owner.

------------------------

I did recently sell p-s.info on sedo for $300.00.
Most likely paid about 20 bucks or so for it.

 

[JuniperPark]

A couple of years ago there was a big .INFO mis-information campaign by the .mobi crowd and some of the older .com holders.

They apparently felt it was in their financial interest to make steer as much money AWAY from .info as possible and promote .mobi as an alternative. This might explain the "articles" you'll see on Google.

 

[Gerry]

A couple of years ago there was a big .INFO mis-information campaign by the .mobi crowd and some of the older .com holders.

They apparently felt it was in their financial interest to make steer as much money AWAY from .info as possible and promote .mobi as an alternative. This might explain the "articles" you'll see on Google.

Great! Love those campaigns.

I am one of those .com and .mobi types.

I always laugh at some of those TLD trashings.

Like the "no-hyphen" rule. That left most of the L-L for me.

The 'no .info" rule and "no .net" rule. Left most of the prime dictionary words for me.

I love those rules.

Need to get those rumor miles cranked back up.

YEE HAW!

 

[Leading Names]

I was in Sydney recently and noticed that the main rail service there uses the domain cityrail.info – which is printed on the back of every ticket and must been seen by hundreds of thousands of people each year. I guess they didn't consider it a 'waste of time'.

- Rob

 

[gwkg]

I used the example earlier of Microblogging.info. Domain is actually not that old and ranked #1 on Google for a very long time, even when the .com was a parked page.

Edit: Was Number 3 on Yahoo, originally regged in 2007 according to new owner.

What was and what is are two different things. Where are the .info domains on the first page today?

 

[Gerry]

What was and what is are two different things. Where are the .info domains on the first page today?

Your analysis and comparison is nonsense.

This was just very very recent, perhaps within the last month or two.

So what if is not there now.
As I clearly stated earlier, it was purchased and is no longer an active site as it was in it's previous state.

What was and what is - totally irrelevant to the question and the issue.

How many .com's and anything else could have your same rationale applied?
I have a few domains and sites that swap in the first 5 rankings at any given time.
If and when it falls out, is that a lost cause? Should I abandon it?
Because of redirects of the same name in the other TLD counterparts, they too may even appear very high.

The question remains are .info worth purchasing and buying and developing.

To say no based on personal likes and dislikes is foolish and has no bearing on a statement of fact from me or other members.

 

[gwkg]

Exactly how long is "ages", "eons" and "a very long time" if the domain was only reg'd in 2007? Domaintools reports the domain registered in Aug 2008, so I'm guessing your friend purchased the domain after it expired?

Regardless, even if I concede all your facts to be correct, its one domain. There should surely be many more if it was so easy for a .info to appear on the first page with no backlinks, no domain age and no page rank.

Obviously you haven't found many .info domains on the first page of Google or you would have posted them. I have looked, and started threads on other forms asking for all the .infos other people have found on the first page, and I have yet to find one that was newly reg'd and didn't have substantial backlinks.

But, of course, my analysis is nonsense. Your analysis is much better.

If the question simply is "are .info worth purchasing and buying and developing" then my answer would probably be the same as yours. Of course. Almost any domain extension is worth purchasing if you are going to develop it.

But it seems you have lost sight of the original question

Personally, I've noticed that .info domains take much longer to get indexed compared to .com/.net - I've done this experiment many times in the past 2 months or so, and it is always the case for me. I've also noticed that .info's are very slow to climb up the SERPS, and can easily get outranked..

Has anyone here found the same to be true? I'm starting to think that I should stop wasting time with .info's and just go for the .com/.net domains.

If anyone here's still having any luck with .info domains - care to share any tips, etc. on how to get them indexed faster? Are .info's pretty much just a waste of time when it comes to wanting to rank for terms/keywords and long term SE rankings?

To that my answer is yes, I have found the same to be true, as have most others I have discussed this with.

If you take a newly registered .com and a newly registered .info and do the exact same thing, the .com will be trusted faster by Google.

If you want to do your own experiment and prove me wrong, please do and post the results. I'm not stubbornly stuck on my position, I'm only reporting what I have found.

If you come back with some evidence stronger than my friend said so, I will certainly include what you find the next time I discuss this topic.

 

[Gerry]

Exactly how long is "ages", "eons" and "a very long time" if the domain was only reg'd in 2007? Domaintools reports the domain registered in Aug 2008, so I'm guessing your friend purchased the domain after it expired?

Here is a real shocker - Many times the domain WHOIS created date changes with the transfer of registrars.

This is a sad but true consequence when registrars do change hands. If I catch a 13 year old godaddy domain on TDNAM and keep with godaddy, that creation date never changes.

Obviously you haven't found many .info domains on the first page of Google or you would have posted them.

Obviously I won't waste my time because in addition to totally discounting my specific example as a case in point, now you want more. Sorry, another shocker - you obviously are not worth my time and effort.

I believe it was you who stated "I have yet to find a .info on the first page of Google that was reg'd within the last year and didn't a substantial number of backlinks."

Yet, I pointed out a specific example for you but now that just does not seem good enough or you want more.

But, of course, my analysis is nonsense. Your analysis is much better.

But it seems you have lost sight of the original question

Hmm...yet you haven't by raising another question?

If you take a newly registered .com and a newly registered .info and do the exact same thing, the .com will be trusted faster by Google.

If you want to do your own experiment and prove me wrong, please do and post the results. I'm not stubbornly stuck on my position, I'm only reporting what I have found.

"and I am too and presenting a specific case but you are again changing your position let alone losing site of the original question.

If you come back with some evidence stronger than my friend said so, I will certainly include what you find the next time I discuss this topic.

So I need stronger proof than what your friend says? Gee, I don't know. That right there is pretty solid evidence.

I guess I will just chuck away all my years of experience and consult you and your "friend".

What does you friend charge?.

.INFO Domains - Waste Of Time?

If anyone here's still having any luck with .info domains - care to share any tips, etc. on how to get them indexed faster? Are .info's pretty much just a waste of time when it comes to wanting to rank for terms/keywords and long term SE rankings?

Perhaps it would be to you and your friends benefit to go back and reread the original post and subsequent posts.

 

[gwkg]

Well it would be a lot of time and effort trying to find them because they don't exist, so I don't blame you for not wanting to waste your time trying to find them.

And I'm sorry if I can't take your "because I said so" case and put it in my real world findings.

I've researched this subject, you haven't, so I'm not going to clutter this thread going back and forth with you. You are taking this way too personal, anyway.

Are .info's pretty much just a waste of time when it comes to wanting to rank for terms/keywords and long term SE rankings?

I have found the problem with .info to be short term (quick) rankings, not long term. All the .infos I have seen ranking well in Google are well established sites, so long term rankings don't seem to be a problem.

It's getting that initial trust love from Google that isn't as easy.

EDIT: I don't know where you keep getting me and my friend from. It was your friend I was referring to.

 

[Gerry]

Well it would be a lot of time and effort trying to find them because they don't exist, so I don't blame you for not wanting to waste your time trying to find them.

And I'm sorry if I can't take your "because I said so" case and put it in my real world findings.

You are taking this way too personal

I am not taking it personal. Far from it.

I am totally baffled and bewildered by your insistence that it does not happen and does not exist. This is not a spirit or outerworldly force we are dealing with. You are given a specific and then its "naw, that isn't good enough. I want more."

As for wasting my time, I won't bother because there is no point now.

If you totally discount the point to begin and have the stance that it does not happen then why waste the time on you and your friend.

I would much rather waste that time on myself and development.

Good luck to you and your "friend" in your domain quest and SEO expertise.

 

[phoenix88]

There's no doubt .info sites can do well, just look at spain.info and their rankings for the term "spain", which is a massively competed term.

This article will explain many things... from an employee at Google.
Google Answers some Tricky Questions

Ohye answered this way: a site's reputation can be a indicator to search engines, but of course, it's not everything. Having a site for a long period of time can establish credibility with users, and as a search engine we also want to reflect this type of credibility.

http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/11/10/google-answers-some-tricky-questions

 

[wussadotcom]

Matt Cutts and other "big names" from Google, clearly stated that there is no difference between tld's.

The trouble is that .infos are so cheap that spammers would register hundreds making them low quality websites. A well developed and maintained .info website would weight as much as any other .com, .org or whatever...

Well said, was just gonna explain and add that info
That caused SE to look down on .info a "bit"k:
///added
I did reg a .info -setup a simple 2,3 pages HTML site - got a PR2 after PR update with good SERP too.
Some of my .com didn't do that

 

[PRED]

I was in Sydney recently and noticed that the main rail service there uses the domain cityrail.info – which is printed on the back of every ticket and must been seen by hundreds of thousands of people each year. I guess they didn't consider it a 'waste of time'.

- Rob

Thanks Rob
yes, nice little pagerank 7, 33k alexa site there

it makes sense to use. with the millions of tourists they have .info may be even easier to remeber as it means the same in about 37 languages someone said recently

heres another interesting thing. they own the .com www.cityrail.com
but promote the .info k:

 

[ZHANG FELIX]

I would think so. It is going to depend on relevant content, updated and fresh content, proper keywords and metatags.

Parking does well on some parking sites for .info [FONT=宋体]r4i gold[/FONT](Bodis.com for one)

But I am hell bent on "unparking" by developing my own sites.

And .info is part of that plan.

I am underway with UKY.info (University of Kentucky Information) and MYR.info, which is the airport code for Myrtle Beach. So, you guessed it - a Myrtle Beach Information site. And each site will be titled that and keyworded and meta tagged to those specifics.

For more on my current project click here.

I read your plan, I personally think it is very good. I have been in the SEO two years and there are many experiences to share with you. don't forget the goal is to make a web site promotion.