Should I make my domain private vs public registration. FAQs.

Should I make my domain private vs public registration. Quick fire FAQs.

There are pros and cons to both private and public domain registrations. So how do you decide which is best for you?

Here are some frequently asked questions to help you make your decision:

Q: How long has my domain been registered?

A: If it’s registered for more than 6 months, consider making the registration private. If it’s brand new, leave it public! You can always switch your registration back to public later.

Q: Is my registration current or will I let it lapse soon?

A: If you’re letting your registration lapse, make it private. If you’re currently on your registration, keep it public.

Q: Am I using my domain for a personal website or a business website?

A: If you’re using your domain for a personal website, keep it public. If you’re using it for a business, consider making the registration private.

Q: How much do I care about my privacy?

A: If you’re not sure, it’s probably best to err on the side of caution and make your domain registration private.

Making your domain registration private is a good way to protect your privacy, but there are some drawbacks.

For one, it prevents ‘cybersquatting’, which is when another company purchases your domain name with the intention of using it for their own business.

Private registration also makes it more difficult to transfer your domain if you ever want to sell or move it to another service provider.

If you prefer convenience over security, having a public registration is the better choice.

What is the difference between public and private domain registration?

It’s a question many who are new to domain name registration ask.

The answer may seem complicated, but it isn’t. Domain name registrars have different policies regarding what is public and what is private information when you register a domain name. Understanding the difference between the two can save you some money.

When you search for a domain, nameserver is a term you sometimes see. This is the information telling what server hosts the website for that domain name.

If you have a public domain, the nameservers are made public when you register it. These allow anyone to find out who your host is and allows them to contact your host about things related to your domain name with ease.

Nameservers for private domain names, however, are kept private. When you register a private domain name with the registrar.

It is possible to use the same email address for your business and personal domains. With Private Domain Registration, interested parties can contact you about your domain while keeping their personal contact information private.

The email address mywebsite.com@contactprivacymywebsite.com is shown in WHOIS lookups when someone performs a WHOIS search on widgetdesigns.

These name servers usually contain information that is only used by computers and it’s important to remember that they don’t affect how your website works or how it looks.

They are simply used by computers to find where the host is for a specific domain, which makes the entire process of finding your website faster.

Another difference between public and private nameservers is what you get with each type of registration.

When you register a private domain name, that information will be available only to the person who registers it, others hosting your site and all of their staff. It is impossible for them to give anyone else this information.

However, public domain names are available publicly, which means any search engine or other organization can access it without having to worry about not getting permission.

“So which do I choose?”, you may be asking.

If you want to keep your domain name private, then a private registration is something you should consider taking advantage of.

Keeping the nameservers for your website hidden from search engines will help make sure that nobody can hack into it or use it without permission.

Public domain registration may seem advantageous because of how easy it is for anyone to find your nameservers, but if you want the most secure name registration possible, choosing private is far better.

If you are looking for a domain name to use for your site today, do not forget that Namecheap provides free WhoisGuard privacy protection with all their domain registrations. Just select ‘Privacy’ in the advanced search options when buying a domain.

Is it worth paying for private domain registration?

This is a question many webmasters ask when they decide to launch their personal or commercial website. At this time, it can be a difficult question to answer.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to paying for private domain registration, but ultimately, it all comes down to what you’re trying to achieve with your site.

But, if you’re looking for greater privacy and to cut down on those pesky spam emails and spam snail mails that creep into all your mailboxes, both physical and virtual, then private domain registration can help you with that.

When you register a domain name, who owns it?

You never truly “own” a domain. Domains need to be renewed yearly. Though many Domain Name Registrars do offer multi-year registrations. Some even offer up to 10 year renewals paid in advance.

Does private domain registration affect SEO?

The answer to this question is possibly “yes”, and there are a few reasons why this may be so.

Especially, if you choose in your WordPress dashboard under Settings>Reading >>Search engine visibility: “Discourage search engines from indexing this site”.

When you register a domain name, you have the option of choosing whether or not to keep your contact information private.

If you choose to do so, your name, address, and phone number will not be visible to the public. This is called “private domain registration.”

There are a few reasons why you might want to use private domain registration. Maybe you’re concerned about your privacy, or maybe you don’t want spam calls and emails.

Whatever the reason, using private domain registration can help protect your identity online.

But what does this have to do with SEO?

Put simply, using private registration can affect your ability to show up in search results.

This can be extremely problematic for business owners who rely on consumers finding their website through search engines.

It’s also worth noting that keeping your contact information public can help improve local SEO efforts related to your physical location.

So why are search engines like Google penalizing websites that use private domain registration?

Google has over 200 criteria in their algorithms when it comes to indexing and ranking websites.

These are just 3 possible reasons why Google may penalize those sites that prefer private registration to public registration.

1. “Spam” Results: 

In an effort to combat spam domains, search engines like Google have decided to make certain results ineligible for indexing.

If a domain is listed as private, it means that any website hosted there will not be indexed or ranked by search engines. This can hurt your website’s ranking if you want to appear in Google search results.

2. Inability to Verify Ownership: 

One way search engines can verify that a website is owned by the domain registrant is by looking at the email address of the owner.

However, private registration makes it impossible for websites like Google to view the owner’s email address.

As a result, they are unable to properly verify the website’s ownership, which can also lead to a penalty.

3. Lack of Transparency: 

One of the main reasons search engines penalize websites that use private registration is because it creates a lack of transparency.

When potential customers are searching for a business online, they want to know who they are doing business with.

If a business’s contact information is hidden from public view, this can lead to a lot of confusion and mistrust.

The good news is that it’s relatively easy to keep your domain registration private while still appearing in search results. All you have to do is publish a privacy policy on your website that states your contact information will be kept private.

This will let search engines know that you are not trying to spam them, and you will still be able to rank in their results pages.

Besides, most find that getting WHOIS privacy protection is plenty for keeping the spam away, while allowing Google to index your site properly so you can compete in the Search Engines like every other website.

Should I make my domain private vs public registration. Summary.

Making your domain private or public is a decision that will depend on what you are looking for. If you want to keep the registration of your website secret, go with private registration.

On the other hand, if you are using this domain as an extension of your business and want people to see it without having to search through WHOIS records, then register it publicly.

Whichever option you choose, remember to register that domain today!