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Google to consider “page experience” in rankings

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Experience metrics to be used in rankings.

A Google sign with the words "new ranking signal"

Google is going to start using “Core Web Vitals” as a ranking signal for websites.

Core Web Vitals measure critical aspects of the user experience. These include load time, interactivity, and the stability of content as it loads.

Google said the changes wouldn’t happen until at least next year, and the company will give six-months’ notice.

It’s worth noting that Google uses hundreds of signals to determine rankings. It will always prioritize good content over things like Core Web Vitals. The company noted:

While all of the components of page experience are important, we will prioritize pages with the best information overall, even if some aspects of page experience are subpar. A good page experience doesn’t override having great, relevant content. However, in cases where there are multiple pages that have similar content, page experience becomes much more important for visibility in Search.

I’ve found that much of the concern over penalizing sites that are not mobile-friendly was overblown. You can expect the addition of this new signal to be modest at first.

Interview: Dofo aims to fix domain search

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Domain search company wants to make it easier to find domains to register or buy.

The word "domain search" with a magnifying glass inside a search box

 

Finding aftermarket domain names is difficult. The two big domain marketplaces, Sedo and Afternic, don’t have search functions that help domain investors find domains that fit their metrics.

Dofo is trying to change that. I asked Dofo Founder & CEO Macit Tuna via email how his site can help domain investors and end users find available domains on the primary market and aftermarket. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Domain Name Wire: What is your background with domains and what’s the origin of Dofo?

Tuna: I started to be interested in domain names at the beginning of the 2000s. At first, it was just a hobby to check if a domain name was available or not. I wasn’t buying domain names, only making lists in Excel and checking their availability when I could use the Internet. Then I started to register domain names, then buy a few domain names for our own projects with my brother, Sacit.

After seeing the potential of buying and selling domain names, I started investing in domain names, of course, with a limited budget at that time. I also started a blog about domaining in 2007 and published more than 200 articles in Turkish. I also gave some courses in the universities about domain names and domain name disputes. Click here to continue reading…

New site shows available one-word domain names

by — Services 4 Comments

There aren’t many available, it turns out.

Screenshot of oneword.domains

OneWord.Domains shows available one word domain names.

A new website helps people find available one-word domain names—and proves just how rare they are in popular top level domains.

Steven Tey, a data science student at the Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute, launched OneWord.Domains to show available one-word domains in a handful of popular extensions.

The site currently shows domains in .ai, .app, .co, .com and .io.

While the site certainly identifies some great domains, there is a big problem: many of the domains have registry premiums.

For example, Million.co is an excellent domain and is available for registration. But it has a registry premium on it and will set you back a few thousand dollars to add it to your portfolio.

You can register .io and .ai domains that are on the site at regular rates, but you’ll notice a dearth of good names.

In many ways, rather than helping you find good domains to register, the site is another reminder of how difficult it is to find great domains to register. Maybe a two-word domains site would be more helpful.

MarkMonitor parent Clarivate cuts costs and revenue guidance for Covid

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Company will slash costs this year to keep earnings on track.

Picture of stock chart with the words earnings report

Clarivate Analytics (NYSE: CCC), parent company of MarkMonitor’s domain name business, released earnings today.

Revenues were up 2.8% year-over-year for the first quarter of 2020, coming in at $240.6 million. The company had a net loss of $74.0 million but its Adjusted EBITDA number climbed 32.% year-over-year to $78.2 million. Adjusted net income was $25.5 million.

The company expects a revenue hit this year due to Covid-19 and is slashing costs to compensate. It has lowered its annual adjusted revenue guidance from $1.16 billion to $1.19 billion down to $1.13 billion to $1.16 billion.

It plans to cut costs $30 million this year due to Covid, on top of the $70-$75 million it cut in 2019. $5 million of the $30 million will be permanent savings. This should keep its adjusted measures on track to meet prior guidance.

Its guidance is predicated on the virus being brought under control by the end of Q2, a gradual lifting of restrictions/movement of labor in mid-to-late Q3, and a recovery starting in early Q4.

NamesCon Europe postponed, virtual conference possible

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Covid-19 forces delay.

A graphic showing that NamesCon Europe has been postponed

NamesCon will head to Budapest in 2021.

NamesCon Europe, originally scheduled for Budapest this August, has been delayed due to Covid-19. Organizers have already booked July 15-17, 2021 for the new date.

The move comes as no surprise. Conferences that attract people from around the world are unlikely to proceed this year. It will be interesting to see if NamesCon Global 2021 can be held in January as usual.

The new date might be better than the old one. I heard some rumblings that the planned August dates aren’t great for the area given regional vacation schedules. Also, UEFA Champions League will run through July 11 in 2021, giving people more reason to attend. (Yes, I had to look that up. Yes, it’s soccer/football.)

NamesCon is considering organizing a virtual event for this summer.



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