gTLD & URL Length Ranking Study
A controlled SEO experiment
In collaboration with...
WHAT WE FOUND
Across both tests, the results suggest shorter domains and shorter TLDs may provide early visibility, but the evidence indicates a possible trend rather than a definitive pattern and the dataset is limited. Highlights:
Short domains (Test 2A): Delivered the earliest visible win with blanket.club (#2), though other short vs. long domain pairs initially failed to rank.
Short TLD extensions (Test 2B): Produced early rankings for jumps.co (#1), while longer TLDs (.fashion, .cooking, .compare) appeared later or not at all initially.
Ranking trends: Longer domains or TLDs eventually appeared in SERPs in some cases, indicating that URL length is not a definitive ranking factor; content quality and SEO setup remain primary drivers.
KEY INSIGHTS FOR AGENCIES / SEOS
Early Visibility Matters
Short domains and TLDs may help clients achieve early SERP presence.
Branding & User Experience
Shorter URLs are easier to remember, type, and market, supporting campaigns beyond SEO.
Testing Is Essential
Small sample sizes mean trends are indicative; repeat across niches and keywords before final recommendations.
TLD or domain length alone is secondary
SEO fundamentals (content, structure, and technical setup) still dominate ranking outcomes.
Client Guidance
For new sites or rebrands, short domains and TLDs are recommended for early visibility, without negative impact on long-term SEO if on-page factors are solid.
HYPOTHESIS
1Test 2A: Shorter character-length domains may outrank longer ones, even if the longer domain contains the target keyword.
2Test 2B: Shorter TLD extensions (e.g., .co, .us, .tv) may rank higher than longer extensions (.online, .design, .florist), assuming identical domain names and page content.
BACKGROUND
For the first time in ten years, ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is opening up a new round of applications for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). Generic TLDs, like our own IMG.courses, offer website owners the unique ability to register their website URLs on domains other than the standard .com.
With this application window going live, we started to ask ourselves the question: “Do alternative domains actually rank in Google?” I decided to reach 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.
Specifically, we tested:
- URL length impact (Test 2A): Do shorter domains rank better than longer domains with identical content?
- TLD length impact (Test 2B): Do shorter extensions (.co, .us, .tv) rank better than longer extensions (.online, .design, .florist)?
THE SETUP
Test 2A – Domain Length
Three pairs of short vs. long domains were tested:
| Short Domain | Long Domain | Search Query |
|---|---|---|
| veg.cooking | veggiecookingathome.com | how to properly cook asparagus |
| blanket.club | sewingblanketclub.net | grandma's woolen blankets from the 20s |
| danos.design | danoswebsitedesign.com | freelance graphic artist |
Test 2B – TLD Length
Three pairs of short vs. long TLDs were tested:
| Short TLD Domain | Long TLD Domain | Search Query |
|---|---|---|
| cookveggies.us | healthyveg.cooking | how to properly cook asparagus |
| jumps.co | jumps.fashion | gymnastics custom printed holiday apparel |
| netteam.biz | team.compare | bargain deals for summer mosquito control |
TEST CONDITIONS
RESULTS SUMMARY
Test 2A – Domain Length
| Search Query | Short Domain | 11/21/25 | 12/17/25 | 01/19/26 | Long Domain | 11/21/25 | 12/17/25 | 01/19/26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| how to properly cook asparagus | veg.cooking | – | – | – | veggiecookingathome.com | – | – | 3 |
| grandma's woolen blankets from the 20s | blanket.club | 2 | – | – | sewingblanketclub.net | – | 1 | 33 |
| freelance graphic artist | danos.design | – | – | – | danoswebsitedesign.com | – | – | – |
Test 2B – TLD Length
| Search Query | Short TLD Domain | 11/21/25 | 12/17/25 | 01/19/26 | Long TLD Domain | 11/21/25 | 12/17/25 | 01/19/26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| how to properly cook asparagus | cookveggies.us | – | – | – | healthyveg.cooking | – | – | – |
| gymnastics custom printed holiday apparel | jumps.co | 1 | – | – | jumps.fashion | – | – | 1 |
| bargain deals for summer mosquito control | netteam.biz | – | 2 | 18 | team.compare | – | – | – |
ACTIONABLE ANALYSIS
This test was made by Kyle Roof for IMG Courses with domains provided by Godaddy