The Hacker News post asks why someone would buy domains and 301 redirect them to their main site. The author wonders about the purported SEO benefits, specifically if it's worthwhile given the cost of domain registration and potential negative impact from associating low-quality or unrelated domains. They question if this practice is truly effective for increasing search engine ranking and driving traffic, or if it's a largely outdated SEO tactic.
The Hacker News post titled "Ask HN: Why buy domains and 301 redirect them to me?" poses a question about a common practice observed by the original poster (OP). The OP seeks to understand the motivations behind acquiring multiple domain names and subsequently configuring them to redirect visitors to a single, primary domain using 301 redirects, which signify a permanent move. The OP acknowledges understanding the basic concept of redirecting traffic, but expresses confusion regarding the potential benefits beyond this surface-level functionality. They wonder why someone would invest in multiple domains solely for the purpose of redirecting them, questioning if there are hidden advantages or strategic purposes that they are overlooking. The underlying implication is that there must be some perceived value in this practice beyond the simple act of consolidation, and the OP is seeking clarification on what this value might be. They are essentially asking the Hacker News community to illuminate the potential reasons, whether technical, marketing-related, or otherwise, that drive individuals or organizations to engage in this seemingly redundant domain acquisition and redirection behavior.
Summary of Comments ( 83 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42812779
The Hacker News comments discuss various reasons why someone might buy domains and 301 redirect them to their main site. Several commenters suggest SEO benefits, such as consolidating link juice and potentially ranking for more keywords. Others point to branding and defensive strategies, like acquiring misspelled versions of a domain name or variations to prevent competitors from using them. Some discuss the potential for acquiring expired domains with existing traffic and backlinks. A few caution against overdoing it, as excessive redirects or low-quality backlinks could harm SEO. Finally, a couple of comments mention using redirects for personal branding or consolidating multiple projects under a single online presence.
The Hacker News post "Ask HN: Why buy domains and 301 redirect them to me?" generated a significant number of comments discussing the practice of buying domains and redirecting them. Several commenters offered various reasons, both legitimate and less so, for this practice.
A prominent theme was SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Multiple users explained how, historically, backlinks from other domains were a significant factor in search engine rankings. Therefore, acquiring domains with existing backlinks, particularly in a related niche, and 301 redirecting them could boost the ranking of the target website. Some commenters noted that while this tactic may have been effective in the past, search engines have become more sophisticated at identifying and discounting manipulative link-building schemes.
Another common reason given was branding and user experience. Owning similar or related domain names could prevent competitors from using them, protect the brand from typosquatting, and offer shorter, easier-to-remember URLs. For example, a company might redirect a shorter, catchier domain to their main website for marketing purposes.
Several users pointed out the use of redirects for consolidating web presence. If a business rebrands or changes its domain name, redirecting old domains to the new one ensures that users accessing bookmarks or links to the old domain still reach the intended content. This also helps preserve any SEO value associated with the old domain.
A few commenters mentioned lead generation and marketing campaigns. Specific domains might be purchased for targeted advertising campaigns, redirecting users to specific landing pages related to the campaign. This allows for more granular tracking and analysis of marketing efforts.
Some comments highlighted the less reputable uses of domain redirects, such as masking the true destination of a link, potentially for phishing or spreading malware. A user might click a seemingly innocuous link only to be redirected to a malicious website.
The discussion also touched upon the importance of redirect types. The difference between 301 (permanent) and 302 (temporary) redirects was explained, with emphasis on the SEO implications. 301 redirects generally pass on link equity, while 302 redirects do not.
Finally, some commenters suggested that the question poster may be seeing redirects from link shorteners or affiliate marketing links. These services often use redirects to track clicks and attribute sales to specific affiliates.
Overall, the comments provided a comprehensive overview of the motivations behind buying domains and redirecting them, ranging from legitimate SEO and branding strategies to potentially malicious practices. The discussion underscored the complexity of the issue and the importance of understanding the context of the redirect.