What are Root Domains? Does it Matter in Link Building?    

In the realm of link building, there is a commonly held belief that having unique root domains is a crucial factor. 

Additionally, it is often asserted that acquiring multiple links from a single domain does not yield a greater overall impact on rankings, traffic, or authority compared to obtaining a single link from that particular domain.

The prevailing perspective is that receiving a link from a specific domain, let’s call it X, diminishes the incremental value of obtaining additional links from the same X domain. 

The prevailing wisdom suggests that acquiring links from diverse and unique domains holds more significance.

Let’s investigate and determine whether this prevailing belief holds true or if it is a misconception.

What is a root domain?

To grasp the notion of root domains, it’s essential to first comprehend the fundamental concept of domain names.

A domain name serves as the address directing users to your website, essentially representing your website’s location on the internet. 

For instance, www.namehero.com functions as a domain name, with each domain being unique to a specific website.

A root domain, on the other hand, stands as the highest-level domain within a website’s hierarchy and holds significance for the website’s visibility in search engine rankings. 

For illustration, “namehero.com” serves as a root domain, while “help.namehero.com” represents a distinct subdomain derived from the root domain.

If you are in the process of planning a website and aiming to establish a robust online presence, having a grasp of the concept of root domains can be transformative. 

Analogous to the critical role played by a strong root system in the growth of a tree, a website’s root domain name serves as the fundamental support for its online existence. Understanding the mechanics of root domains is pivotal as it lays the groundwork for shaping and overseeing a website’s online identity.

In the context of online presence, the domain name itself is not directly regarded as a factor influencing search engine rankings. 

Nevertheless, various aspects of your domain name can impact your overall SEO endeavors.

These aspects encompass factors such as:

1. Memorability

A root domain should possess readability, memorability, and ease of pronunciation. This facilitates better comprehension for both users and search engines, aiding in higher rankings in relevant search results.

2. Length

Search engines exhibit a preference for shorter, more precise domain names, enhancing their rankings. Therefore, having a website name that is clear and concise contributes to the improvement of your search engine optimization initiatives.

3. Keyword in Domain

Incorporating relevant keywords into your base domain name can attract the appropriate audience to your website.

4. Brandability

Your root domain name should distinctly reflect your brand, simplifying the association for visitors with your brand identity.

A comprehensive understanding of the significance of the root domain empowers you to make well-informed decisions regarding the selection of a domain name, the choice of a web hosting service, and the implementation of effective measures for your website’s security and privacy.

Do multiple backlinks coming from the same website help with SEO?

Most SEO professionals are not concerned about the quantity of backlinks they receive from individual websites; instead, they prioritize the number of distinct websites (referring domains) linking to them. This inclination can be attributed to a couple of reasons.

Firstly, numerous comprehensive studies demonstrate a robust correlation between organic traffic and the number of backlinks originating from unique websites.

Secondly, there is a concern among some that acquiring an excessive number of backlinks from the same website appears unnatural.

However, recent findings from a small study conducted by Ahrefs challenge this perception. The study revealed that 79.23% of referring domains provide multiple links to the same website.

Moreover, the majority of websites establish 2-5 links. Consequently, having multiple links from a single website is considered entirely natural.

Despite this, there are compelling reasons to actively seek multiple links from each domain. These reasons include:

• Enhancing the ‘authority’ of your pages.
• Acquiring links for more pages.
• Generating additional referral traffic.
• Facilitating a more straightforward process of link building.

When Repeating Links May Be Dangerous?

Repeated links from the same domain become detrimental only when there is an attempt to manipulate the system.

Instances such as:

• Acquiring 15 links from a single domain.
• With identical authorship.
• Leading to the same URL.
• Utilizing the same anchor text.

These scenarios raise a significant concern as they are neither natural nor beneficial to users.

The negative impact of repeated links is evident only when they are deployed unnaturally across the internet. This principle extends to various aspects of link building.

Engaging in spam practices on platforms like Fiverr, forums, and directories can lead to issues with Google.

Conversely, if you focus on generating exceptional content, developing valuable tools, and establishing trust, substantial enhancements in performance will likely be observed.

How to Choose a Linking Domain Strategy?

Establishing a successful link-building strategy is a pivotal aspect of effective link-building.

Creating links without a clear purpose, merely for the sake of quantity, is considerably less effective than having a clear understanding of:

• The specific pages within your site to target for link building.
• The domains within your niche from which you should seek links.
• The subset of topics and articles that align with your link-building goals.
• The anchor texts to utilize in your links.

The proper implementation of internal linking on your site to transfer authority from one page to another.

Executing these considerations is what yields tangible outcomes in link building. Therefore, it is advisable to either completely outsource your link-building efforts or engage a dedicated link-building strategy team to complement your in-house initiatives.

To consolidate, what should be your primary focus in your link-building strategy?

• Prioritizing unique root domains.
• Prioritizing repeated domains.

In reality, neither should be the primary emphasis. The primary focus should be on acquiring the highest quality links, irrespective of whether they originate from unique root domains or repeated domains.

Accumulating a greater number of links, of superior quality, has a more substantial impact than concentrating on low-quality unique root domains.

Direct your efforts towards strategies that result in backlinks from authentic websites possessing significant traffic and authority.

Conclusion

Root domains serve as the foundational elements of a website’s online identity. While not a direct search engine ranking factor, the components of a root domain, such as memorability, length, the inclusion of relevant keywords, and brand-ability, can influence the overall effectiveness of an SEO campaign. 

Understanding the significance of root domains is crucial for making informed decisions regarding domain name selection, web hosting services, and managing website security and privacy.

Regarding link building, the consideration of root domains plays a pivotal role. Repeated links from the same domain can be beneficial when they serve as trust signals, indicating consistent acknowledgment from a website as a thought leader or expert. 

However, the harmful aspect arises when attempts are made to manipulate the system through excessive links with identical attributes. Engaging in such unnatural practices, including spamming across various platforms, can lead to repercussions with search engines. 

Therefore, the strategic focus should be on acquiring high-quality links, whether from unique root domains or repeated domains, to ensure a robust and impactful link building strategy.