Step-by-step guide to adding a custom domain name in Blogspot

Wants to add a custom domain name in Blogspot?

But you are not sure about how to add or whether to spend money on a custom domain name or not. Then this post will make it clear whether you should opt for a custom domain name or not moreover, it is for your guidance.

In this post, I will not only provide you a step-by-step guide but will also provide you with the advantages and disadvantages of adding a custom domain name in Blogspot.

I have recently added custom domain names on my two Blogspot sites. Hence I will also share my experiences with you. Moreover, I will provide a step-by-step guide for you to avoid any mistakes.

Before that let's learn about custom domains.

What is a custom Domain?

A custom domain is a unique, personalized web address that you own and use for your website or blog instead of the default subdomain provided by a hosting platform. For example, instead of having a URL like yourblog.blogspot.com, a custom domain would be yourblog.com.

Key Features of a Custom Domain

Personalized Name: You choose a unique name that represents your brand or business. Better choose a catchy word related to your business or blog niche. Moreover, choose the word having keywords.

Ownership: You have full control over the domain and can manage it through a domain registrar.

Customization: Custom domains offer more flexibility in terms of creating subdomains (e.g., shop.yourblog.com) and custom email addresses (e.g., info@yourblog.com).

Advantages of adding a custom domain name in Blogspot

Adding a custom domain to your Blogspot (Blogger) blog has several advantages. Here are some key benefits:

1. Professional Appearance

The professional appearance of a blog involves several key elements to ensure it looks polished and credible. Furthermore, it should look professional and attractive and retain readers effectively.

This can be done by a clean layout, high-quality visuals, reading typography and much more.

Branding: A custom domain gives your blog a more professional look and strengthens your brand identity. It’s easier for readers to remember and recognize your blog with a unique domain name.

Trustworthiness: Custom domains often appear more trustworthy and credible to visitors, which can help attract and retain more readers.

2. Improved SEO

Search Engine Rankings: Custom domains can positively impact your search engine rankings. Search engines like Google may prioritize custom domains over subdomains (like yourblog.blogspot.com).

Keywords in Domain: If your custom domain includes relevant keywords, it can further enhance your blog's visibility in search results. I personally experienced this when a few of my blog posts started ranking high. Moreover, the impression has increased for a few keywords.

3. Ownership and Control

Full Ownership: With a custom domain, you have full ownership and control over your domain name. This means you’re not reliant on the Blogspot platform and can move your blog to another host if needed.

Customization: Custom domains offer more flexibility for customization, allowing you to create subdomains, use custom email addresses (e.g., info@yourdomain.com), and more.

4. Enhanced Email Capabilities

Professional Email Addresses: You can create professional email addresses with your custom domain (e.g., contact@yourdomain.com), which adds to the credibility of your blog.

Email Marketing: Custom email addresses are more effective for email marketing and communication with your audience.

5. Better Analytics and Tracking

With a custom domain, you can set up advanced analytics tools like Google Analytics more effectively, allowing you to track your blog’s performance and visitor behaviour more comprehensively.

6. Long-term Benefits

Domain Authority: Over time, a custom domain can build domain authority, which is beneficial for SEO and can result in higher traffic.

Consistent Branding: As your blog grows, a custom domain helps maintain consistent branding across all platforms and marketing materials.

7. Competitive Advantage

A custom domain helps you stand out from other blogs that use default subdomains, giving you a competitive edge in your niche.

8. Monetization Opportunities

Ad Revenue: Some advertising networks and affiliate programs prefer or require custom domains for participation, increasing your potential to generate revenue from your blog. Some advertising networks decline your application due to sub-domains.

Read

How to Monetize a Blog

Sponsorships: Brands and sponsors are more likely to partner with blogs that have custom domains, enhancing your monetization opportunities.

Adding a custom domain to your Blogspot blog is a worthwhile investment that can lead to significant long-term benefits, both in terms of branding and functionality.

Disadvantages of adding a custom domain name in Blogspot.

While adding a custom domain to your Blogspot (Blogger) blog has many advantages, there are some potential disadvantages to consider as well:

1. Cost Purchase and Renewal Fees:

Unlike the free Blogspot subdomain, custom domains require purchasing and renewing, which can be an added expense. Although nowadays a custom domain is more economical when purchased for 3 or more years.

Additional Services: Services like private registration, custom email addresses, and SSL certificates might incur extra costs.

2. Technical Setup Configuration:

Setting up a custom domain involves DNS configuration, which can be confusing for beginners.

Propagation Time: DNS changes can take time to propagate, during which your blog might be temporarily inaccessible.

3. Maintenance

Ongoing Management: Managing a custom domain requires ongoing attention, including renewals and potential troubleshooting.

Dependence on Registrar: You need to rely on your domain registrar's services, which can be a hassle if their support or interface is subpar. Although you can change from one domain provider to another domain provider. However, transferring the domain is also a time-consuming process.

4. Potential for Downtime

Configuration Errors: Mistakes in DNS settings can lead to downtime, making your blog inaccessible until the issue is resolved.

Registrar Issues: Problems with the domain registrar (e.g., outages or business closures) can affect your domain's availability.

5. Complexity

Learning Curve: There is a learning curve associated with understanding and managing DNS settings and domain configurations.

Email Configuration: Setting up custom email addresses linked to your domain can be complex and might require additional services.

6. SEO Implications

Temporary Drop: Switching to a custom domain might result in a temporary drop in search engine rankings as search engines re-index your site.

Sometimes your custom domain may not get more attraction as compared to your sub-domain. I experienced a steep decline in traffic when I changed the domain name.

Hence you should keep this factor in mind before switching to a custom domain. Moreover, do keyword research before selecting a custom domain.

Redirect Issues: Improper setup of redirects from your old Blogspot address to your new custom domain can lead to broken links and lost traffic.

7. Commitment

Long-Term Commitment: Purchasing and maintaining a custom domain is a long-term commitment, requiring regular renewals and management.

Lock-In: Once you've built a brand around a custom domain, changing it can be difficult and disruptive.

8. Email Transition

If you have been using a Blogspot email address, transitioning to a custom email address can be challenging and might result in missed communications during the switch.

Conclusion While the advantages of adding a custom domain to your Blogspot blog often outweigh the disadvantages, it's important to consider these potential challenges. Being aware of the possible downsides can help you prepare and manage your custom domain more effectively.

Steps to add a custom domain in the Blogspot

Now when you finally decide to switch to a custom domain let's learn the step-by-step process to add a custom domain in Blogspot.

Here's a step-by-step guide to adding a custom domain name to your Blogspot (Blogger) blog:

Step 1: Purchase a Custom Domain

You can purchase a custom domain from any domain registrar like Bigrock, GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc. Recently I purchased promotebiz.in at Rs 9/- for the first year from Bigrock. Hence check all the options before purchasing.

Step 2: Log in to Blogger

Go to Blogger and log in with your Google account. Select the blog you want to add a custom domain to.

Step 3: Navigate to Settings

In your Blogger dashboard, click on Settings in the left-hand menu. Under the "Publishing" section, click on Custom Domain.

Step 4: Enter Your Custom Domain

Enter the custom domain you purchased (e.g., www.yourdomain.com). Click on Save.

Blogger will show an error message with two CNAMEs (Canonical Name records) and their destinations.

Error while adding a custom domain in Blogspot

Step 5: Configure Your Domain's DNS Settings

Log in to your domain registrar's account. Go to your account on the top. You will be redirected to your dashboard. Select and click on the domain name you want to configure if you have purchased two or more domain names.

Find the DNS settings or DNS management area for your domain.

Add the CNAME records provided by Blogger:

First CNAME: Name = www, Destination = ghs.google.com. I have marked it in the above image showing an error by Blogger.

Second CNAME: Name = the unique value provided by Blogger (e.g., abcd1234), Destination = another unique value provided by Blogger (e.g., gv-xyz1234.dv.googlehosted.com).

Step 6: Verify and Save Changes

After updating the DNS settings, go back to the Blogger settings page where you entered your custom domain. Click on Save again.

Step 7: SSL (Optional)

Blogger provides a free SSL certificate for your custom domain. In the Blogger settings, under the HTTPS section, enable HTTPS Availability and HTTPS Redirect.