EDU Domain Registration

https://seodesignchicago.com/seo-blog/what-is-seo-consulting/EDU domain registration is known for being very hard to acquire, but it comes with its own benefits. But what is an EDU domain? EDU is a top level domain, or a TLD, in the domain name system of the internet. Some examples of other top level domains or .com, .int, .net, .org, .gov (specifically held for the government), and .mil (specifically held for the military.) 

Each top level domain serves a specific purpose. For example, .org is typically used by nonprofit organizations and .int is for intergovernmental organizations. This article will discuss everything you need to know about EDU Domain registrations. 

History of EDU Domain Registration

There is some history you need to know about EDU domain registration. The EDU domain was originally meant to be available for anyone who had the means to educate all over the world. However, most of the domains that took EDU resided in the United States anyway. Until 2001, The United States Department of Commerce was in charge of giving out all EDU domains.  However, Educause has been the registrar for all EDU domains since 2001. Now, EDU domain registration is charged with a yearly administration fee and it can only be obtained by universities and college systems in the United States. 

Sites that were already eligible for EDU domain registration before 2001 are now considered “grandfather domains.” Such sites do not have to follow the current rules for EDU domain registration, but still have to pay the yearly fees. 

EDU Domain Requirements

To be eligible for EDU Domain registration, you’ll have to fulfill the requirements as posted on the Educause website. We’ll list them here anyway. 

As mentioned earlier in the article, to be eligible for an EDU domain registration, you must be an accredited US based postsecondary institution. That’s a lot of big words in a tiny sentence so we’ll break it down for you. To be accredited means to be recognized by the United States Department of Education. They hold the list of the United States nationally recognized accrediting agencies. And yes, the entire school or campus must be accredited, not just a single program. Examples of postsecondary institutions are universities, community colleges, and other entities with similar purposes. However, high schools, middle schools, elementary schools, magnet schools, charter schools, and similar entities are not eligible for an EDU domain registration. Each entity may only be registered under one EDU domain. 

Grandfathered EDU Domains

The only exception to this eligibility rules are the grandfathered domains, who were registered before Educause took control of EDU domain registration. If you do not fall under any of these two categories, it is impossible to obtain an EDU domain to avoid violating the terms of the cooperative agreement. 

If you are eligible for an EDU domain registration, you must make sure that the domain is unique (has not been used before by anybody else) but it must also be similar to or represent the name of your institution and it should not be a general name. The Educause website actually has a useful “look up tool” so you can easily determine if the name you desire is available. 

Note that your institution does not have to join Educause in order to be eligible for an EDU domain registration and is unrelated to any names you may hold in other top level domains. It is also illegal to sell or lease your edu domain to anyone else. If you are caught violating the cooperative agreement, your EDU domain will be revoked if not corrected within 45 days of notification. 

Benefits of an EDU Domain

That being said, there are many benefits to obtaining an EDU domain. It actually has a supply and demand theory to it. Because not everybody can be eligible for an EDU domain registration, that instantly makes it more valuable to have. 

Credibility

Also, considering that only specific postsecondary institutions can obtain EDU domains, they are considered to be very credible sources, sometimes even if they are “undeserving.” Because of its credibility, more people will click on the site, and because more people click on the site to use it as citation for their research and theories, it will establish more credibility. It is an endless cycle of SEO. 

Improves SEO

If you are eligible for an EDU domain registration, you should definitely take the chance because it is actually prioritized in Google searches. Having an EDU domain automatically improves your Google rankings as opposed to other top level domains (with the exception of .gov domains.)

EDU Emails

Anyone affiliated or registered with the organization that holds the EDU domain can also receive an EDU email. This is especially beneficial for students and professors, because an EDU email will often come with many discounts and deals at stores. For example, Amazon gives out free Amazon Prime memberships to students who show proof of having a .edu email. 

Beneficial For Other Domains Too!

We know that not everyone is eligible for EDU domain registration. But EDU domains can actually benefit other domain holders as well! Most postsecondary institutions have student-run blogs, and any blog writer will include external links for their search engine optimization since it’s a big part of on-site SEO. These students may reach out to your company and ask you about linking a page from your site into their blog. Since students know that being linked to an EDU site is valuable, they’ll probably sell it to you instead of just asking. However, know that your link will appear under www.saiduniversity.edu/student blog and not www.saiduniversity.edu. 

How often will I even be presented with an opportunity like that? To tell you the truth, not so often. However, linking goes both ways. You should try and link an EDU domain into your company’s blog (if you have one) because it will still be recognized by Google, and ultimately improve your rankings. 

Don’t Have EDU Access?

Having an EDU domain is great, but if you can’t be eligible for one, don’t sweat it. There are other opportunities for your business to still succeed and show up on Google. 

Education Marketing

If you are still an education company or have an education site, there are still numerous ways to go about educational digital marketing and be considered legitimate, as well as improve your Google rankings. Some methods to implement are:

• PPC Advertising
• Social Media Advertising
• Link Building
• Google Business
• Content Creation
• Website Development

You may also want to consider getting a professional SEO analysis. SEO Design Chicago provides ongoing SEO consulting and optimization with proven digital marketing strategies and on-site and off-site SEO strategies. SEO Design Chicago helped one national education organization increase their organic search results by 294 percent!

Target Other Domains

You can always target the COM domain since it is used for commercial purposes and is widely recognized. However, you may also want to consider gTLD’s (generic top level domains). Generic top level domains give you the opportunity to choose a domain that best describes your business. This is also an option if the domain name you want has already been taken and is being used with a top level domain. Some example of generic top level domains are:

• .administration
• .tv
• .lawyers
• .flowers
• .realtor
• .trade
• .university

And there are thousands of more! A great alternation for the EDU domain is the EDUCATION gTLD. It sounds too good to be true, but it actually does exist, and would perfectly represent an education website. Make sure you choose a gTLD that actually makes sense for your website. A TV company choosing the UNIVERSITY domain would make no sense at all, and would not help your rankings. 

Google even claims to have changed their algorithm to recognize most of these gTLDS, so they will definitely help in SEO and higher rankings. Plus, if someone were to just search the domain, your site will come up (if other SEO tactics are implemented properly.) 

EDU Domains and SEO Design Chicago

Whether you’re eligible for an EDU domain registration or not, SEO Design Chicago can help. SEO is necessary to ensure the success of any website, regardless of its domain. Contact us for a consultation today. 

1. Who is eligible to register an EDU domain and what are the requirements?

Only accredited US-based postsecondary institutions are eligible for EDU domain registration. This includes universities, community colleges, and similar entities that are recognized by the United States Department of Education. The entire school or campus must be accredited, not just individual programs. High schools, middle schools, elementary schools, magnet schools, and charter schools are not eligible. Each institution may only register one EDU domain, and the domain name must be unique and represent the institution’s name rather than being a general term.

2. What are grandfathered EDU domains and do they follow the same rules?

Grandfathered EDU domains are websites that registered for EDU domains before 2001, when Educause took control of EDU domain registration from the US Department of Commerce. These domains don’t have to follow the current strict eligibility requirements but still must pay yearly administration fees. Originally, EDU domains were available to anyone with educational purposes worldwide, but most were US-based anyway. These grandfathered domains are the only exception to current eligibility rules.

3. How do EDU domains improve SEO and search rankings?

EDU domains are prioritized in Google searches and automatically improve Google rankings compared to other top-level domains (except .gov domains). This happens because Google recognizes EDU domains as highly credible sources since only accredited educational institutions can obtain them. The limited availability creates a supply-and-demand effect that makes them more valuable. More people click on EDU sites for research and citations, creating a cycle that establishes greater credibility and improves SEO performance.

4. Can businesses benefit from EDU domains even if they can’t register one?

Yes, businesses can benefit from EDU domains through link building strategies. Student-run blogs on university websites often include external links for SEO purposes, and students may reach out to companies for link opportunities. While your link would appear under a subdirectory (like university.edu/studentblog), it still provides SEO value. Additionally, you can improve your rankings by linking to credible EDU domains from your own website, as Google recognizes and values these educational references.

5. What alternatives exist for education companies that can’t get EDU domains?

Education companies can use generic top-level domains (gTLDs) like .education, .university, or .administration that specifically describe their business. The .com domain remains widely recognized for commercial purposes. Google has updated their algorithm to recognize most gTLDs, so they can help with SEO and rankings when chosen appropriately. Other digital marketing strategies include PPC advertising, social media marketing, link building, Google Business optimization, content creation, and professional SEO consulting.

6. What additional benefits come with having an EDU domain?

Beyond SEO advantages, EDU domains provide significant credibility benefits since they’re associated with accredited educational institutions. Anyone affiliated with the organization can receive an EDU email address, which often comes with valuable student and academic discounts – for example, Amazon offers free Prime memberships to users with .edu emails. The credibility factor also means more people are likely to click on and cite EDU websites, creating a positive cycle for traffic and authority.

7. Is it legal to buy, sell, or lease an EDU domain?

No, it is illegal to sell or lease your EDU domain to anyone else according to the cooperative agreement with Educause. If you’re caught violating this agreement, your EDU domain will be revoked if the violation isn’t corrected within 45 days of notification. EDU domains must be used exclusively by the eligible institution that registered them. This restriction is part of what maintains the credibility and exclusivity of the EDU domain system.