Registering misspelled domains of popular brands to capture traffic (e.g., gooogle.com).
Have you ever accidentally typed “amzon.com” instead of “amazon.com” and landed on a weird website? I know that frustrating moment when a simple typo leads you somewhere sketchy. I want to share a crucial threat that can steal your traffic and damage your brand.
I am going to explain exactly What is Typosquatting? and show you how this malicious tactic works to hijack your visitors. I will give you simple, actionable tips for protecting your brand and ensuring your traffic lands on your real website. This focus on defense will keep your hard-earned traffic safe and sound.
What is Typosquatting?
Typosquatting is a deceptive practice where a malicious party registers a domain name that is a common misspelling or slight variation of a popular, legitimate brand’s URL. Think of it as setting up a fake shop right next to a popular one, hoping people will walk into the wrong door by mistake. The goal is to profit by cybersquatting on the mistake made by a user typing too quickly.
I view Typosquatting as a major security and SEO risk because these fake sites often display confusing ads, install malware, or attempt to steal user login information (phishing). Although it is a malicious external act, I must be proactive in defending my brand against this attack. I have to secure all logical spelling variations of my domain name.
Impact of Typosquatting Across CMS Platforms
Typosquatting is primarily a domain registration and defense issue, but I manage the response and redirects through my CMS.
WordPress
On WordPress, I secure all common misspelled domains and then use the platform’s redirect features or a simple plugin to send all typo traffic immediately to my main site. I make sure to use a 301 redirect, which tells search engines the move is permanent. This ensures I recover all potential lost traffic and authority.
Shopify
For my Shopify stores, I recognize that product purchases are often high-intent, quick actions, so a typo is common. I secure common misspellings of my brand and product names and then use Shopify’s domain settings to seamlessly forward all that typo traffic to the correct store. This simple forwarding ensures no potential sale is lost to a fake site.
Wix
Wix users should secure the obvious one or two misspellings of their business name when registering their domain. I then contact my domain registrar to ensure all typo domains are immediately forwarded to the live Wix site. The focus is on basic domain security to protect my small business’s reputation.
Webflow
Webflow’s hosting is excellent for speed, and I use this by securing all typo domains and pointing them to a main site. I then use Webflow’s integrated 301 redirect manager to seamlessly and instantly send the typo traffic to the correct page. This process is clean and ensures a good user experience for the mistaken visitor.
Custom CMS
With a custom CMS, I enforce a policy of purchasing all phonetic, visual, and common keyboard error variations of the main domain name. I configure the server to handle these many typo domains and instantly redirect them to the primary domain. This technical control is key for enterprise-level brand protection.
Typosquatting Application in Different Industries
I focus on securing the most valuable and frequently mistyped names in each specific business sector.
Ecommerce
In e-commerce, I recognize that people often mistype brand names when hurrying to checkout. I focus on securing all single-letter omission or addition errors (e.g., “shoppify” instead of “shopify”). This protects my transaction funnel from being hijacked by a malicious copycat site.
Local Businesses
For local businesses, Typosquatting often targets the service name combined with the location (e.g., “chicagooplumber”). I secure variations of the business name and key local search terms. This is a crucial step in protecting my local reputation and ensuring lead traffic goes to the correct number.
SaaS (Software as a Service)
With SaaS, I recognize that users often mistype the technical product name when logging in or searching for documentation. I secure all common spelling variations of my software’s name, as a successful typosquatter could use a fake login page to steal user credentials (phishing).
Blogs
For my blogs, I focus on securing the common misspellings of my brand name or my most popular keyword. This protects my traffic from being diverted to a spammy site that might display inappropriate ads. I use a simple redirect to ensure all typo traffic lands on my authoritative content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Typosquatting illegal?
Yes, Typosquatting is generally illegal under laws like the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) in the U.S. if the domain is registered in bad faith to profit from a recognized trademark.
What is the best way to prevent Typosquatting?
The best way is to proactively purchase and register all common misspellings, plurals, hyphenated versions, and alternative TLDs (like .net, .org) of my main domain name. I redirect all these domains to my primary site.
How is this different from keyword squatting?
Typosquatting specifically targets spelling mistakes of a brand name. Keyword squatting registers a domain based on a generic, high-value keyword phrase (e.g., “bestshoesonline.com”) and does not rely on a typo.
If I use a 301 redirect, does the typo domain still hurt my SEO?
No, using a 301 redirect is the correct fix. It tells search engines the move is permanent and transfers any potential link equity from the typo domain to your primary domain, neutralizing the threat.
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