The age of your website might seem like nothing more than a random number. In fact, it has quite a bit of relevance when it comes to your success in areas such as SEO. If you have a business website, you want to make sure that it’s informative and appealing to potential patients or buyers for your products. Whether you built your website 10 years ago or last week, what really counts is how old it looks.

Whatever the age of your site, there are certain actions you can take to make it more valuable over time. Let’s look at why it’s so crucial to have a website that looks young and up-to-date.

The Benefits of an Updated Website

In the old days of SEO, domain age was highly valued. More recently, however, Google has shifted its focus to other areas, such as the quality and relevance of content. Google uses many factors when it ranks websites. Domain authority depends on various elements, including backlinks and page-loading speed. Domain age is still a minor ranking factor. When older websites rank better than newer ones, however, it isn’t because they’ve existed longer. It’s because they tend to have more content, backlinks, and traffic.

What really counts today is to have a website that’s young in appearance, features, and relevance. Here are some features of an updated website:

• Mobile-friendliness – More and more people are accessing the internet via smartphone and tablet. Most website design today is responsive, meaning it automatically adjusts pages to fit all devices. But many older websites are non-responsive, which causes them to lose lots of potential visitors.
• Updated content – Google favors websites that are frequently updated. Visitors also like to see relevant news, tips, and stories. If people see that your most recent post is from 6 months ago, they’ll look elsewhere for the latest news.
• Visually interesting – People today like to absorb content in a variety of formats, including images and videos. It helps to mix things up and give visitors great written content along with visual stimulation. It also helps to have a professional and attractive layout and user-friendly navigation.
• Engagement – It’s important to engage with your visitors. If you sell products or services, customers want to feel confident that you’ll respond to their questions and comments. A good opt-in form is essential for capturing leads.

Your Website’s Age in Online Years

To find out your website’s literal age, you only have to consult your records. If you don’t remember, check with your domain registrar, website host, or Whois. There’s also a tool, however, that tells you the age of your website in online years. If you explore this tool, you’ll notice that it asks you not only when you built your website but also how often you update it.

When Google ranks websites, it uses a proprietary formula that includes hundreds of factors. When you improve in any of these areas, you increase your website’s value and rank better. Two websites that are in the same niche and built at the same time will still have different ages in online years based on factors such as appearance, navigation, the freshness of your content, and engagement.

It doesn’t matter how old your website is in actual days, months, or years. It’s never too soon or too late to rebuild it in a way that’s more visitor and search engine friendly. Make sure that you’re in touch with what your audience wants and expects. The most successful websites are young (in online years), adaptable, responsive for mobile devices and in touch with the needs of both customers and search engines. No matter what your industry, it’s important to show your visitors that you’re up to date with the latest news, trends, and technology. Make sure that your website conveys this message.

For help updating your website or with any aspect of digital marketing, contact us.