Should You Register an XYZ Domain (Are They Worth It?)

Last updated on February 9th, 2022 by Melinda Bartley

Wondering if buying a .xyz domain name is worth it? Do you want to know if it will damage your SEO or make your brand seem like spam?

XYZ domain extensions are trending and have gained popularity in a short span of time.

At Nameboy, we’ve helped our users register thousands of domain names including .xyz extensions.

So in this guide, we’ll answer all your pressing questions about XYZ domains and whether they are a good choice for your website.

Here’s what we’ll cover today:

Overview of XYZ Domains
Is an XYZ Website Legit?
Is an XYZ Domain Worth It?
What is .xyz Good For?
Is .xyz Bad for SEO?
Do XYZ Domains have Good Resale Value?

Overview of XYZ Domains

As the demand for domain names increased, there was a need to introduce more extensions to increase the supply of domain names in the market.

iCANN, the governing authority of the Internet, made XYZ extensions available in 2014.

XYZ domains are top-level domain names and made it possible for users around the world to have a wider variety of domain names to choose from.

This means you have a better chance of finding a domain name that suits your business or has strong branding value.

While .com was meant for commercial use, .net for networks and .org for organizations, .xyz domains don’t have an inherent meaning.

This makes XYZ domains a great choice for users who don’t fit neatly into one of these categories or want to stand out.

If you’re having a tough time finding a good domain name, use our Domain Name Generator to brainstorm ideas and find the perfect one that you can register right away.

Is an XYZ Website Legit?

In short, yes! XYZ domains are 100% legit and are categorized as top-level domains. This means .xyz domains are reliable but before you buy this extension, there are other things to consider.

Is an XYZ Domain Worth It?

In most cases, the .xyz extension costs just as much as a .com. However, when they were first made available, they were sold for $1 which meant you could get one-word domain names for a steal!

You’ll find that there are plenty of established companies and reputable brands using this extension.

For instance, there’s abc.xyz which belongs to Google’s parent company Alphabet. Another one worth checking out is starship.xyz, started by the founders of Skype.

If you’re looking for more examples of websites using .xyz TLDs, you should check out the blog on gen.xyz.

So this proves that the .xyz domain names work like any other domain and can be beneficial.

But here’s the kicker. Since XYZ domains were sold for cheap, many of them were picked up by scammers. Over the years, thousands of .xyz scams have popped up and these domains got a bad reputation for it.

Now, there are plenty of scam sites with .com, .net, and other popular TLDs. But the general feeling among people is that a serious website owner would pick a .com extension. It carries an invaluable trust factor. People also seem to trust other gTLDs like .net, .org, .biz, .io and even country-level extensions like .us, .ca, and .uk.

So if you’re a small business trying to establish a new brand, then marketing and branding the website could be a challenge. Not to say it can’t be done. If you put in the effort and right strategies, a .xyz domain can be the perfect domain for you.

If you’re going to go ahead with a .xyz domain, we strongly recommend securing your website with an SSL certificate so that your website gets a padlock in the address bar.

This will be a good indicator to search engines and users that your website is safe.

Added to that, you can display trust badges from your security plugin and payment gateway. These badges help build trust with your users and they’ll know that your website is legit.

What is .xyz Good For?

XYZ domains remain uncategorized and aren’t meant for a particular domain or industry.

For instance, .club is meant for associations, communities, networks, and other groups. See:

XYZ domains are not associated with any area like commercial, non-profit, or technology so you can use .xyz domains for just about any website.

You can create a website to host a blog, establish an online presence, set up an online store, the list goes on.

Ideally, the .xyz domain helps you stand out from the crowd and if you can find a creative way to use it for your business, it can work well in your favor.

Need help coming up with a good domain name? See our list of the 19 Powerful Domain Name Generators for the Perfect Website Name.

Is .xyz Bad for SEO?

XYZ is a top-level domain name and Google always approves top-level domain name. As long as your website isn’t flagged for spam or hacks, you should be safe in terms of SEO.

Make sure you follow Google’s recommended practices to rank on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). You’ll want to stay clear of any black hat SEO techniques like keyword stuffing and paid backlinks to avoid being blacklisted.

Moreover, if you’re catering to a local audience, you can optimize your site to match local SEO requirements so that your site starts ranking in your area.

We also recommend check your potential domain’s history before you buy it. This will tell you if it has a healthy past or has been used for malicious purposes.

See our guide: How to Check a Domain’s History Before Buying it (Steps + Tips).

It would also be wise to see what the .com version is being used for. If it’s a similar venture, you could end up competing with the .com version for the same keywords. This could be incredibly hard to do.

If it’s being used for something completely different, then it shouldn’t affect your rankings. The only thing to keep in mind is that if it’s a well-established brand, people could mistake their site for yours.

Another thing to keep in mind is that people may automatically type in “.com” to visit your site and you could lose traffic that way. So in that case, it might be better to stay away from the .xyz version.

If everything is in order and you’re ready to register your .xyz domain, you can visit registrars like GoDaddy, Hostinger, and Namecheap. You simply need to use their search engine to find the domain name you want and then register it in your name by completing your purchase order. Hostinger even lets you register a .xyz domain name for free.

If you’re still on the fence and want to check other extenstions, you can use our Domain Name Generator to make sure it’s available.

Then you can register it for free on Bluehost when you opt for a hosting plan, or you can get 25% on Domain.com.

Do XYZ Domains have Good Resale Value?

You can buy and sell .xyz domains but the chances of getting a good price may be low.

Just like with .com domains, it would greatly depend on the value of the domain you choose. For instance abc.xyz is far more valuable than myfirstcoffeecafe.xyz.

We recommend checking the renewal prices and parking fees because this can play a big role in how long you can park the domain for till you get a good buyer.

You’ll want to learn more about domain brokering before you invest: Domain Brokers: What are They and Should You Use Them?.

Verdict: Should You Buy an XYZ Domain?

We wish there was a straight answer here but there isn’t.

XYZ domains are legit and you can set up a great website using this extension. Google recognizes it so you shouldn’t have any issues ranking on SERPs.

We suggest opting for the .xyz domain only if you can’t afford the .com version. It’s always better to go for a .com domain. It’s familiar and people trust it as the #1 safe choice.

If you find that the domain name is taken, you may still be able to get it at a good price. WPBeginner shows you how to do that here: How to Buy a Domain Name That is Taken (9 Pro Tips).

You may also want to read more on:

How to Check if a Domain Name is Available (5 Easy Ways)
3 Legit Ways to Get a Free Domain Name
5 Things You Need to Do Before Buying a Domain Name

If you’re finding it hard to settle on a good domain name, use our Domain Name Generator. All you have to do is enter your ideas or keywords, and the tool will automatically display available domain names along with other suggestions so you have plenty of options to choose from.

Should You Register an XYZ Domain (Are They Worth It?) - Nameboy.com (2024)