How Domain Age Affects SEO: Does an Older Domain Rank Better?

The Domain Age Myth

"Older domains rank better" is one of the most persistent beliefs in SEO. Like many SEO myths, it contains a grain of truth wrapped in a lot of misunderstanding.

Let's break down what domain age actually means for your search rankings.

What Google Has Said

Google's John Mueller has stated directly: "Domain age is not a ranking factor." Google's algorithm does not look at when a domain was registered and give it bonus points for being old.

However, this doesn't mean domain age is irrelevant. It's not a direct factor, but it correlates with things that are.

Why Older Domains Often Rank Better

Accumulated Backlinks

An older domain has had more time to earn backlinks from other websites. Backlinks are one of Google's most important ranking signals. A 10-year-old site has simply had more opportunities to build links than a 1-month-old site.

Content Volume

Older sites typically have more content. More content means more pages indexed, more keywords targeted, and more internal linking — all of which help SEO.

Brand Recognition

A domain that's been around for years has more brand awareness, which leads to more branded searches. Branded search volume is a positive trust signal.

Trust Through History

Google's algorithms assess site quality over time. A domain with years of consistent, quality content has demonstrated reliability. A brand-new domain is unproven.

Crawl History

Google has been crawling older domains for longer, building a more complete understanding of their content and authority. New domains start from scratch in Google's index.

What Domain Age Doesn't Do

It Doesn't Compensate for Bad Content

A 15-year-old domain with thin, outdated content will be outranked by a 6-month-old domain with excellent, comprehensive content. Age doesn't override quality.

It Doesn't Protect Against Penalties

Old domains can be penalized just as easily as new ones. In fact, older domains may carry penalties from previous owners or outdated SEO practices.

It Doesn't Matter If the Domain Was Parked

A domain registered in 2005 but parked (unused) until 2026 has no SEO advantage over a domain registered in 2026. Google cares about when the site was first indexed with real content, not when the domain was first registered.

The Google Sandbox: Real or Myth?

Many SEOs believe Google places new domains in a "sandbox" — a probationary period where rankings are suppressed for the first few months. Google has never confirmed this.

What's more likely: new domains simply lack the backlinks, content, and trust signals needed to rank competitively. As these signals build, rankings improve. It looks like a sandbox, but it's really just the normal process of earning authority.

Typical Timeline for New Domains

Months 1-3: Minimal organic traffic. Google is crawling and indexing.
Months 3-6: Some long-tail keywords start ranking.
Months 6-12: Broader keyword rankings begin if content and links are strong.
Year 1-2: Competitive keywords become achievable.

Should You Buy an Old Domain for SEO?

Buying an expired or aged domain specifically for its SEO value can work, but it's risky:

When It Works

The domain has legitimate backlinks from real websites
The content history is clean (no spam, no penalties)
The domain is relevant to your business topic
You plan to build a real, quality website on it

When It Backfires

The domain has spammy backlinks from its past
It was used for a Private Blog Network (PBN)
It has manual penalties in Google Search Console
The previous content was in a completely different industry

How to Evaluate

Check Wayback Machine for content history
Analyze backlinks with Ahrefs or Moz
Search "site:domain.com" to see what Google currently indexes
Look for sudden drops in backlinks (indicates penalty or cleanup)

Focus on What You Can Control

Domain age is not something you can change — but everything that makes old domains rank well (content, backlinks, brand recognition) is within your control. Start building these signals today and your domain will be the "old, trusted domain" of tomorrow.

The first step: secure the right domain name. Use BrandScout to find an available domain that matches your brand across all channels — domains, social handles, and trademarks.