Switching from a .org to .io (301 domain redirect)

[w0lfiesmithUK]

I'm considering switching my main site from a .org to .io address; the .org is an exact match domain which helped to kickstart it a few years ago and now has about 50% repeat visitors, but was thrown off the Apple affiliation program for trademark infringement.

I've found and purchased a nice (non-infringing) .io domain, and I've read the advice here on how to properly 301 the old domain; but my question is - does it matter that it's .io? Is this going to significantly hurt my rankings, even when everything has been 301'd properly?

Another thought I had is that I may actually come out better off in the long run, what with Google penalties being applied to exact match domains.

Is this a ranking suicide? If so, I'm tempted to leave it as is; even without the affiliation, it's making a good amount every month in ad fees that I don't want to disrupt.

Thanks all!

[Adam.Whittles]

Can I ask, why are you looking at the .io domain extension? Why not a .com? Also what geographic region is your site targeting?

Personally, I would be looking at a .com rather than .io, unless you're business/site is targeting the British Indian Ocean Territory

[CatalystSEM]

I would recommend leaving it as it is because despite the general consensus about 301 redirects transferring all link equity and traffic, the truth of the matter is that you will experience a small permanent loss in traffic every time a 301 redirect is utilized.

I would simply not take that risk as there are many things that can go wrong.

[w0lfiesmithUK]

Purely because I couldnt find a suitable .com - thats partly why I had a .org in the first place. Targeting is not geographic specific; anywhere English speaking.

[w0lfiesmithUK]

Thanks; I'm ok with a short term minor loss. I'm quite worried about the long term implications of exact match domains too though; any losses I do could be offset, surely?

[Adam.Whittles]

In that case, I would probably just stay with the .org. Is being a part of the Apple affiliation program essential to your business? If so then I would consider trying to find a different domain.

You will probably struggle to rank in the main English language territories with a .io domain. I can't recall ever seeing one in the serps and hadn't even heard of it before this question was asked!

Don't be mistaken into thinking that 301 redirecting your old domain to the new one will instantly get the new domain to the same rank as the previous. It doesn't quite work like that. Of course, this will depend on many factors.

[CatalystSEM]

If you focus on brand building, then yes, you'll offset any losses. The EMD will pick out poor quality EMDs without the requisite quality content.

Also, the loss from the 301 is not a short term loss, it's a permanent loss.

[CatalystSEM]

I haven't seen a .io in the English SERPs as well, why not register a .io and see if you can get it to rank. The test should take less than a month and if it ranks then you can consider redirecting it to your .io domain.

[NakulGoyal]

James, after reading all the responses you have at the time of writing this answer, I strongly suggest trying to find another .com / .org and do the 301 redirect. That way you "might" have a minor short term loss, but you can regain the affiliation and be better off long term. I agree with Crimson and others, I would not go with the .io domain name. If you are targeting global, why not use a global domain. I hope this helps.

[w0lfiesmithUK]

That's an excellent idea; I'm in no hurry to move, so this will be a great way to test. Thanks!

[w0lfiesmithUK]

.io isn't country specific though; it's being used by tech start-ups mostly.

[Adam.Whittles]

It may well be used mainly by tech start-ups but it is a country specific domain. It is specific to the British Indian Ocean Territory.

For example, the .tv extension is used mainly by sites with video content but it is in fact a country specific domain for Tuvalu.