Is there any SEO impact to using "www" vs. non-"www" preferred domain name?

[chill986]

My client has been using "www" with his domain and before I took over, has used it in marketing etc.  I typically don't use "www" in my wordpress setup, and set non-www as the preferred domain in google analytics and google search console.  Does it make any difference?  Especially when www resolves to non-www?

I appreciate some guidance with this.

[RobertFisher]

It doesn't matter which you use. When you set up the preferred domain in the search console (GWMT), if you set as www, it will resolve as www. If you set as non www it will resolve as that.

Either way, when you type in www if it is non www as preferred, you will land on the preferred domain.

Best

[chill986]

That's what I thought.  My contact seems to believe that the CEO is convinced that it DOES make a difference.  I would think that Google would give preference over making the UX better - typing in www doesn't seem to do that.  Just to be sure - non-www is better than www?

[RobertFisher]

No, it does not matter what you choose so long as you choose one. In my opinion (I am one of the last baby boomers), my generation is more apt to use www than millenials. But, I have used non www since I knew it was irrelevant a long time ago.

So if you type in drumBEATMarketing.com in the search navigation you will see our site resolve as www.drumBEATMarketing.com. If we had originally set the preferred domain as non www, and you type in www.drumBEATMarketing.com, it would have resolved without the www. Just choose one in search console - (GWMT) and all will be well with the world.

No better UI/UX either way.

Best

[chill986]

Thanks, that's what I thought!

[Tymen]

Hi Cindy, Going over to https://yourdomain.com DOES have a positive effect on SEO. Maybe it is wise to do that since you are changing anyway.

Regards, Tymen

[chill986]

Thanks Tymen, but the question was specifically regarding www vs. non-www.  Thanks anyway!