Goossips SEO: TLD, Structured Data

The .esports TLD offers no advantage

Google recently clarified that using the top-level domain (TLD) ".esports" offers no advantage in terms of organic search (SEO). John Mueller responded on the social network Bluesky to a claim that the ".esports" TLD would improve SEO, stating: " There is no positive SEO effect from a TLD like that ".

Source: Search Engine Roundtable

John Mueller's statement is not particularly surprising, especially since his position follows Google's previous declarations, which have emphasized for years that new TLDs, even if they contain keywords, do not provide any special advantage in search result rankings. The choice of a TLD should therefore be guided by branding or marketing strategy considerations rather than SEO expectations.

Goossip #2

Using structured data does not improve ranking

John Mueller recently reaffirmed that using structured data does not improve a site's ranking in search results. The Google spokesperson said on Bluesky: "Structured data will not make your site rank higher." He specified that these tags are primarily used to enable certain display features in search results, such as rich snippets, in accordance with the Mountain View company's guidelines. Google also indicated that incorrect use of these tags does not result in ranking penalties but may lead to removal of the associated rich features.

Source: Search Engine Journal

Even though structured data does not directly influence site rankings, it clearly improves their visibility in the SERPs. That alone should be enough to argue in their favor and motivate you to look into them, if you haven't already!