Does .com Really Matter? What Every Small Business Should Know

If you're trying to figure out whether having a .com domain is essential for your business, you're not alone. With so many website builders and domain options out there, it’s a valid question. The short answer? No, not having a .com or .net domain won't prevent you from showing up on Google. And yes, even if you're on a subdomain like wixsite.com or framer.website, you can still rank. But there’s more nuance worth understanding. Let’s dig in.

Google's View on Domain Extensions (TLDs)

From Google’s own words, the domain extension you choose is not a direct ranking factor. That means .com, .net, .studio, .io, .co are all treated equally by search algorithms.

“Overall, our systems treat new gTLDs like other gTLDs (like .com & .org). Keywords in a TLD do not give any advantage or disadvantage in search.”
- Google Developers Blog

Only country-specific extensions (like .uk or .ca) slightly influence search results in terms of geographic relevance, but even those don’t impact ranking authority or content quality.

What does impact your SEO?

• Quality, helpful content

• Matching the user's search intent

• Internal and external links (backlinks)

• Mobile-friendly, fast-loading pages

• Consistent branding and trust signals

So yes, yourbusiness.io or yourbusiness.design can rank just as well as yourbusiness.com if everything else is done right.

Subdomains: Wixsite, Framer, and SEO Limitations

Google absolutely does index and rank subdomains like:

• yourbusiness.wixsite.com

• yourbusiness.framer.website

These are treated as separate sites from the platform's root domain (like wixsite.com or framer.website), meaning you’re not benefitting from the SEO power of the larger site, you’re building from scratch. Subdomains can rank, but they come with some caveats:

• You're not building your own domain authority

• Backlinks and traffic help only that subdomain, not your future website

• You’re not in full control of your domain’s long-term equity

In other words, subdomains can work short-term, but they limit your ability to scale, build brand trust, and retain traffic over time.

The Real SEO Issue: Trust and Click Behavior

From a purely technical SEO perspective, Google doesn’t care about .com or subdomain vs custom domain. But people do.

• Users are more likely to click yourbusiness.com than yourbusiness.wixsite.com

• Branded domains tend to get higher click-through rates

• Higher CTR (click-through rate) indirectly boosts rankings over time

So while a platform subdomain can rank, it’s not optimized for credibility, clickability, or long-term brand equity. SEO is not just about being seen, but being trusted and chosen.

Free Domains Often Restrict Your SEO Tools

Here’s a technical caveat that many DIY builders miss: free domains often come with limitations that affect your SEO potential.

Even if Google can crawl and index your free domain site, your ability to customize advanced SEO settings might be blocked. This includes:

• Adding markup schema (structured data that helps search engines understand your content)

• Inserting custom header or meta tags

• Controlling indexing behavior

• Connecting Google Search Console

If your platform restricts access to these tools on a free plan, you're technically “findable” but far less optimized than your competitors.

This doesn’t mean you won’t rank, but it does mean your SEO is less precise, and potentially less effective, which matters over time.

When Not Having a .com Doesn’t Matter At All

This may surprise you, but there are plenty of successful businesses even here in Kentucky (our home base) that never had a .com. Some grew entirely through:

• Instagram or Facebook

• YouTube or TikTok

• Local community presence

• Strong in-person word-of-mouth

In fact, at Pocket Office, we believe real-life networking is one of the strongest ways to grow a business, especially early on. These businesses usually only realize much later that they’ve built a reputation, without ever needing a site.

So when they finally launch a website (even on a free subdomain), the existing trust and attention they’ve built cushions any SEO or credibility gap.

That said, this is the exception, not the rule. If you’re just starting out and don’t yet have a strong online presence or reputation, your domain and branding choices matter more. That includes the trust and memorability that come with a clean, professional .com or custom domain.

What Google Actually Cares About

Forget about .com. Here’s what Google is really looking for:

• A clear, helpful site that satisfies user intent

• Fast loading speed and mobile usability

• Pages with structure, hierarchy, and meaningful internal linking

• Business details like About, Contact, privacy policy, etc.

• A strong signal that you're a real business

A weak .com will lose every day to a helpful, well-built framer.website site. But a strong .com with great content will usually outperform subdomains in the long run.

Practical Advice for Small Businesses

Still not sure if you need a custom domain yet? Here’s when it’s okay to stick with a platform subdomain:

• You’re testing a new idea or product

• You need something live, fast

• SEO isn’t your primary focus yet

But here’s when you should move to your own domain:

• You want your SEO to compound long-term

• You want to build backlinks that help your brand

• You want full control over your digital identity

• You’re ready to grow, scale, and be seen as professional

Bottom Line

• Not having a .com doesn’t hurt your SEO

• Wix and Framer can rank on subdomains

• Subdomains limit trust, control, and growth

• Custom domains are a long-term advantage, not a short-term necessity

If you’re not sure whether you should stay on a free subdomain or move to your own domain, Pocket Office can help you audit your business and guide your growth strategy.

You don’t need to overcomplicate it, but you do need to think long-term.