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Marketexpert · Dec 5, 2007, 21:47

To achieve high ranking in the serps is it very important for the website to be several years old? Or can new sites get top rankings just as easily?

dvduval · Dec 5, 2007, 21:59

A new site CAN rise relatively quickly (6 months to a year), but there has to be something driving that rise (amazing idea, new popular news item hub, etc.). Age definitely helps, but you can make it without age.

felgall · Dec 5, 2007, 22:11

All other things being equal the page that has been there the longest will get the higher rank. All things are never equal though (except for exact duplicates where the duplicate pages will not be listed at all).

programPHP · Dec 6, 2007, 10:38

The age is quite important.

speda1 · Dec 6, 2007, 12:24

I am not convinced that age is that important.

stymiee · Dec 6, 2007, 12:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by programPHP

The age is quite important.

Age is not important.

worldofchat · Dec 6, 2007, 13:30

Nope age isnt important, if that was the case, people could just buy an old domain or website, to make it easier to get to the top of serps.

Although the longer you have a site open, the more time you have had to gain backlinks, so there is some benefit !

Woc

cheesedude · Dec 6, 2007, 14:50

Don't forget about the Google Sandbox effect.

stymiee · Dec 6, 2007, 14:52

Sandbox or no sandbox, age of a domain has nothing to do with relevance of a webpage. That's is why it is not a ranking factor.

felgall · Dec 6, 2007, 18:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by stymiee

Sandbox or no sandbox, age of a domain has nothing to do with relevance of a webpage. That's is why it is not a ranking factor.

It is a factor when it comes to duplicate content as a search engine is extremely unlikely to list a page that it just found if the content exactly matches to one it already had listed some time ago.

edongzkisiete · Dec 6, 2007, 18:26

Age is not that important in getting top rank.

harsha22 · Dec 7, 2007, 04:50

Age doesnt matter in getting top rank. However, it adds to the authority of the site.

stymiee · Dec 7, 2007, 08:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by felgall

It is a factor when it comes to duplicate content as a search engine is extremely unlikely to list a page that it just found if the content exactly matches to one it already had listed some time ago.

Even then it still doesn't affect a page's ranking.

(Also, age isn't the sole deciding factor when determining duplicate content. But you can be sure it is one.)

ParkinT · Dec 7, 2007, 08:54

As I read these posts an important question comes to mind:
Is there a differene between age of the domain name registration and age of the content wrt Search Engine Ranking?

In other words; if we all agree that age of the domain is not singularly important. Is it not almost the inverse as far as the content? Stale content should not be well ranked but, being a long-standing resident in the database, it may appear in a SERP before newer content.
I am really just "thinking out loud" here.

stymiee · Dec 7, 2007, 08:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by ParkinT

As I read these posts an important question comes to mind:
Is there a differene between age of the domain name registration and age of the content wrt Search Engine Ranking?

In other words; if we all agree that age of the domain is not singularly important. Is it not almost the inverse as far as the content? Stale content should not be well ranked but, being a long-standing resident in the database, it may appear in a SERP before newer content.
I am really just "thinking out loud" here.

That's a great question and I don't think anyone can give you a solid answer about it. Although I am sure you can find lots of opinions.

petertdavis · Dec 7, 2007, 09:51

There is a roundabout way that age is important, and some people have taken a more liberal interpretation of that.

Websites that were founded in the 90s found it much easier to get links. People in those days were link-happy.

Many of the websites that were link-happy in the 90s are now today's most trusted and highly trafficed websites.

Google values links from trusted and highly trafficed websites, and that those links have stayed around for so many years is a signal to Google.

Websites that Google interprets as 'trusted' find it easier to come by good rankings in the search engine.

Thus, old sites are very important.

It's kind of a strained logic, but that's where this myth (if we can really call it a myth) came from.

shzor · Dec 7, 2007, 10:36

age is not important is many ways but it has some worth

stymiee · Dec 7, 2007, 11:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by shzor

age is not important is many ways but it has some worth

What kind of worth, from an SEO perspective, would you say it has?

cheesedude · Dec 7, 2007, 13:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by stymiee

Sandbox or no sandbox, age of a domain has nothing to do with relevance of a webpage. That's is why it is not a ranking factor.

If the Sandbox is dependent on age (and it is), and the Sandbox prevents you from ranking, then in this instance age does play a role. As age is the reason for the Sandbox and the reason for not ranking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ParkinT

Stale content should not be well ranked but, being a long-standing resident in the database, it may appear in a SERP before newer content.

Some content never gets stale. A biography of George Washington published on a website in 1996 is no less stale than one published in 2007 as the subject of the biography has been dead for 300 years.

stymiee · Dec 7, 2007, 13:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheesedude

If the Sandbox is dependent on age (and it is), and the Sandbox prevents you from ranking, then in this instance age does play a role. As age is the reason for the Sandbox and the reason for not ranking.

Actually there is no definitive criteria for the so called sandbox effect. It seems everyone has there own experiences which vary widely. In fact if you go by what Google has had to say PR is more likely a culprit then time.

But we're more or less arguing semantics on the concept.

kenneth.robert · Dec 8, 2007, 02:43

i don't think so that age is so important but if your website is old and with good optimization. its PR will improve with the time.

stymiee · Dec 8, 2007, 16:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenneth.robert

i don't think so that age is so important but if your website is old and with good optimization. its PR will improve with the time.

Only if it gets more links.

JJMcClure · Dec 9, 2007, 05:35

Age of the domain is NOT a factor in how a site ranks?

This is contrary to everything I've read and learned about domains and SEO and also contradicts what it says in the Sitepoint SEM kit but it's being said by people who obviously know what they're talking about.

Dontcha hate it when that happens, now I'm not sure what to believe.

petertdavis · Dec 9, 2007, 17:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJMcClure

....now I'm not sure what to believe.

Welcome to the murky world of search engine optimization, where everyone has an opinion and there are no facts.

andrewdawson · Dec 10, 2007, 02:39

Age of site does matter. if you continue to follow Google guild lines, PR of that site will continue to increase.

Dec 5, 2007, 21:47	#1
Marketexpert SitePoint Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 26	How important is the age of a website? To achieve high ranking in the serps is it very important for the website to be several years old? Or can new sites get top rankings just as easily?

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Dec 5, 2007, 21:59	#2
dvduval phpLD Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Atlanta Posts: 3,259	A new site CAN rise relatively quickly (6 months to a year), but there has to be something driving that rise (amazing idea, new popular news item hub, etc.). Age definitely helps, but you can make it without age.

Dec 5, 2007, 22:11	#3
felgall SitePoint Mentor Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,617	All other things being equal the page that has been there the longest will get the higher rank. All things are never equal though (except for exact duplicates where the duplicate pages will not be listed at all).

Dec 6, 2007, 10:38	#4
programPHP SitePoint Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 49	The age is quite important.

Dec 6, 2007, 12:24	#5
speda1 SitePoint Evangelist Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 440	I am not convinced that age is that important.

Dec 6, 2007, 13:30	#7
worldofchat SitePoint Addict Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 272	Nope age isnt important, if that was the case, people could just buy an old domain or website, to make it easier to get to the top of serps. Although the longer you have a site open, the more time you have had to gain backlinks, so there is some benefit ! Woc

Dec 6, 2007, 14:50	#8
cheesedude SitePoint Wizard Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 1,114	Don't forget about the Google Sandbox effect.

Dec 6, 2007, 14:52	#9
stymiee He's No Good To Me Dead Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Slave I Posts: 24,090	Sandbox or no sandbox, age of a domain has nothing to do with relevance of a webpage. That's is why it is not a ranking factor.

Dec 6, 2007, 18:26	#11
edongzkisiete SitePoint Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 40	Age is not that important in getting top rank.

Dec 7, 2007, 04:50	#12
harsha22 SitePoint Zealot Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 100	Age doesnt matter in getting top rank. However, it adds to the authority of the site.

Dec 7, 2007, 08:54	#14
ParkinT SitePoint Evangelist Join Date: May 2006 Location: Orlando Posts: 588	As I read these posts an important question comes to mind: Is there a differene between age of the domain name registration and age of the content wrt Search Engine Ranking? In other words; if we all agree that age of the domain is not singularly important. Is it not almost the inverse as far as the content? Stale content should not be well ranked but, being a long-standing resident in the database, it may appear in a SERP before newer content. I am really just "thinking out loud" here.

Dec 7, 2007, 09:51	#16
petertdavis Intoxicated with the madness Join Date: May 2002 Location: New England Posts: 8,830	There is a roundabout way that age is important, and some people have taken a more liberal interpretation of that. Websites that were founded in the 90s found it much easier to get links. People in those days were link-happy. Many of the websites that were link-happy in the 90s are now today's most trusted and highly trafficed websites. Google values links from trusted and highly trafficed websites, and that those links have stayed around for so many years is a signal to Google. Websites that Google interprets as 'trusted' find it easier to come by good rankings in the search engine. Thus, old sites are very important. It's kind of a strained logic, but that's where this myth (if we can really call it a myth) came from.

Dec 7, 2007, 10:36	#17
shzor SitePoint Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 6	age is not important is many ways but it has some worth

Dec 8, 2007, 02:43	#21
kenneth.robert SitePoint Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 18	i don't think so that age is so important but if your website is old and with good optimization. its PR will improve with the time.

Dec 9, 2007, 05:35	#23
JJMcClure Site Point Gnu Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: UK Nr Manchester Posts: 2,335	Age of the domain is NOT a factor in how a site ranks? This is contrary to everything I've read and learned about domains and SEO and also contradicts what it says in the Sitepoint SEM kit but it's being said by people who obviously know what they're talking about. Dontcha hate it when that happens, now I'm not sure what to believe.

Dec 10, 2007, 02:39	#25
andrewdawson Non-Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 8	Age of site does matter. if you continue to follow Google guild lines, PR of that site will continue to increase.