Why Does My GoDaddy Domain Redirect to GoDaddy on Google Without www?

If you search your GoDaddy domain on Google without including the www, it can lead to the GoDaddy website rather than your intended site. This phenomenon is attributed to technical configurations within your domain settings, specifically related to URL canonicalization and DNS configuration. Here, we will explore these concepts and provide a detailed guide to ensuring your GoDaddy domain directs correctly.

Understanding URL Canonicalization

When you have multiple variations of your website's URLs, such as with or without the www, this is known as URL canonicalization. Google and other search engines prefer a single, canonical version of your website URL to avoid duplication issues. If the search engine detects both www. and versions of your site, it may rank the www. version or even serve the GoDaddy domains page in the search results.

Exploring DNS Configuration

The DNS Domain Name System (DNS) settings for your domain play a crucial role in how the domain behaves. If your DNS is configured to redirect the non-www version of your domain to the www version, then when you search for your domain without the www, it is automatically redirected to the GoDaddy website. This can be due to either default DNS settings from GoDaddy or misconfigured DNS settings that point to GoDaddy servers.

Default DNS Configuration

By default, GoDaddy's DNS settings are often configured to redirect non-www versions of customer domains to the GoDaddy website. This behavior can occur if you have not explicitly configured your DNS settings to point to your own website or hosting provider. To verify or change these settings, you can access your domain's DNS management settings within your GoDaddy account and ensure that the DNS records correctly point to your hosting provider.

Adjusting DNS Settings

To adjust your DNS settings and have the non-www version of your domain lead directly to your own website, follow these steps:

Log in to your GoDaddy account, navigate to the domain management section, and open your domain's DNS settings. Find and modify the DNS records that correspond to your domain (A records or CNAME records). Specify the correct IP address or domain name as directed by your hosting provider. Save the changes to your DNS records. Monitor the DNS propagation process. DNS changes can take some time to propagate fully, and it is a good practice to verify your DNS settings periodically.

After making these changes, it is essential to test the URL manually and through search engines to ensure that your non-www domain is correctly directing to your website.

Conclusion

If you find that your GoDaddy domain redirects to the GoDaddy website when accessed without the www, it is crucial to review and adjust your DNS settings. By doing so, you can ensure that your domain behaves as expected and that search engines can correctly index and display your content. If you need further assistance, consider consulting GoDaddy's support resources or reaching out to a professional webmaster for guidance.

Correcting your DNS settings is a simple yet effective step to ensure that your GoDaddy domain is properly recognized and linked to your own website. If you have any additional questions or face further issues, feel free to explore more resources or seek professional help.