gTLD SEO Performance Study
A controlled experiment comparing descriptive gTLDs against traditional .com domains.
In collaboration with...
WHAT WE FOUND
Descriptive TLDs (e.g., .art, .design, .florist, .club) generally outperformed or matched traditional .com/.net domains in search rankings.
Keyword-relevant TLDs can enhance SEO visibility, particularly when aligned with search intent.
While Exact Match Domain (EMD) results were mixed, Partial Match Domains (PMD) with descriptive TLDs consistently showed stronger rankings than traditional PMDs.
Some results were impacted by plural/singular mismatches or server stability issues, highlighting technical considerations.
Overall, modern, descriptive TLDs can compete with or surpass legacy domains in search performance, though traditional .com domains still often maintain a slight advantage for artificial or non-semantic keywords.
HYPOTHESIS
1Using Exact Match Domains (EMD) or Partial Match Domains (PMD) with descriptive TLDs will improve search engine rankings compared to traditional .com/.net domains when all other factors (content, indexing, SEO setup) are identical.
2Partial Match Domains leveraging a gTLD relevant to the search query will rank higher than equivalent PMDs using a traditional .com domain.
BACKGROUND
For the first time in ten years, ICANN is opening a new round of applications for generic top-level domains (gTLDs). This allows website owners to register URLs on domains other than the standard .com.
These studies aimed to answer: “Do alternative domains actually rank in Google?”
The focus was on comparing EMDs and PMDs using descriptive TLDs against traditional .com/.net domains.
Tests included both real keywords (aligned with search intent) and nonsensical/artificial keywords to isolate the effect of the TLD itself.
I reached out to a contact I had at GoDaddy to ask if they would supply the domains, then launched a series of studies to find the answer.
PLATFORM & CONFIGURATION
TEST PAIRS
EMD Test Examples
| Descriptive TLD | Traditional .com/.net |
|---|---|
| blanket.club | blanketclub.net |
| danos.design | danosdesign.com |
| designerb.us | designerbus.com |
| poptempo.art | poptempoart.com |
| bloomhaven.florist | bloomhavenflorist.com |
PMD Test Examples
| Descriptive TLD | Traditional PMD |
|---|---|
| blanket.club | makeblankets.net |
| danos.design | danosartwork.com |
| designerb.us | artisticbus.com |
| poptempo.art | popartpros.com |
| bloomhaven.florist | bloomingroseshop.com |
Artificial / Nonsensical Keyword Test Examples
| Descriptive TLD | Traditional .com | Query |
|---|---|---|
| dribzbc.us | dribzbcus.com | dribzbcus |
| sepliti.co | seplitico.com | seplitico |
| shanbolo.fit | shanbolofit.net | shanbolofit |
| canessordes.pet | canessordespet.com | canessordes pet |
| drodigonally.ai | drodigonallyai.com | drodigonally |
EMD vs PMD Site Setup
Exact Match Domain (EMD)
The full search query appears in the domain
Partial Match Domain (PMD)
Only part of the query appears in the domain
Singular vs Plural in ranking
Google reads this as "designerb" + ".us" not "designer" + "bus". The singular .us TLD breaks the keyword match.
Clean split: "poptempo" + ".art" matches "pop tempo art" exactly. No singular/plural conflict.
RANKINGS
EMD Test – Rankings (US Desktop)
| Search Query | EMD Domain | Rank | Non-EMD Domain | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| blanket club | blanket.club | 34 | blanketclub.net | – |
| danos design | danos.design | – | danosdesign.com | 2 |
| designer buses | designerb.us | – | designerbus.com | – |
| pop tempo art | poptempo.art | 1 | poptempoart.com | – |
| bloom haven florist | bloomhaven.florist | – | bloomhavenflorist.com | – |
PMD Test – Rankings (US Desktop)
| Search Query | Descriptive TLD | Rank | Traditional PMD | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| blanket club | blanket.club | 34 | makeblankets.net | – |
| danos design | danos.design | – | danosartwork.com | – |
| designer buses | artisticbus.com | 2 | designerb.us | – |
| pop tempo art | poptempo.art | 1 | popartpros.com | – |
| bloom haven florist | bloomhaven.florist | – | bloomingroseshop.com | – |
ARTIFICIAL KEYWORD / EMD & PMD TEST UPDATES
| Query | Domain 1 (TLD) | Rank | Domain 2 (.com) | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dribzbcus | dribzbc.us | – | dribzbcus.com | – |
| seplitico | sepliti.co | 14 | sepliticotsk.com | – |
| shanbolofit | shanbolo.fit | 1 | shanbol.net | – |
| canessordes pet | canessordes.pet | 5 | canessordes.com | – |
| drodigonally | drodigonally.ai | – | drodigonally.com | – |
| Query | Domain 1 | Rank | Domain 2 | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dribzbcus | dribzbc.us | – | dribzbcus.com | – |
| seplitico | sepliti.co | 10 | sepliticotsk.com | – |
| shanbolofit | shanbolo.fit | 1 | shanbol.net | – |
| canessordes pet | canessordes.pet | 9 | canessordes.com | – |
| drodigonally | drodigonally.ai | – | drodigonally.com | – |
| Query | Domain 1 | Rank | Domain 2 | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dribzbcus | dribzbc.us | – | dribzbcus.com | – |
| seplitico | sepliti.co | 6 | sepliticotsk.com | – |
| shanbolofit | shanbolo.fit | 1 | shanbol.net | – |
| canessordes pet | canessordes.pet | 3 | canessordes.com | 23 |
| drodigonally | drodigonally.ai | – | drodigonally.com | – |
CHART
Bars sized by rank position (lower = better = longer bar). Unranked shown as –.
Observations
Descriptive TLDs (.art, .design, .pet) frequently outperformed traditional domains, especially in PMD tests.
EMD advantage was inconsistent; .com domains often outperformed in artificial keyword tests.
Plural vs. singular mismatches impacted results (designerb.us vs. designerbus.com).
Server stability affected rankings, highlighting the importance of hosting reliability.
Partial Match Domains leveraging descriptive gTLDs consistently outperformed traditional PMDs.
ANALYSIS FOR AGENCIES / SEOS
Keyword Alignment Matters
Descriptive TLDs aligned with search intent can provide SEO advantage (e.g., .art for art businesses, .florist for florists).
Strategic EMD & PMD Use
EMDs do not automatically guarantee higher rankings, but tend to perform well. Context, intent, and exact keyword match matter.
PMDs with descriptive TLDs often outperform traditional PMDs, balancing SEO and branding flexibility.
Content & Technical SEO Still Critical:
Even with descriptive TLDs, poor content, slow sites, or indexing issues limit performance.
Branding & User Perception
Modern TLDs improve memorability and CTR, indirectly boosting SEO.
ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS
How to choose a TLD for SEO
Identify Target Keywords
What queries does the site need to rank for?
Match a Descriptive TLD Does a gTLD align with the keyword? (.art, .florist, .pet)
Check for Mismatches
No singular/plural conflicts? Clean word split in the URL?
Register & Track
Launch with solid on-page SEO. Monitor for 90+ days.
This test was made by Kyle Roof for IMG Courses with domains provided by Godaddy