Custom Domain for Blogspot: SEO Booster or Waste of Money?

Is the free .blogspot.com subdomain holding us back? Or is spending $12 a year just a vanity metric that doesn't actually move the needle on Google?

Today, I’m putting my credit card on the table (metaphorically) to break down the real SEO vs. Cost analysis of ditching the free extension. If you are sitting on the fence about buying a custom domain for Blogspot, this is the reality check you need.

The "Free" Subdomain Stigma: Is It Real?

Let’s be honest with each other. When you see a link that ends in .blogspot.com, what is your first instinct?

For regular people—your mom, your friends on Facebook—they probably don't care. They just click. But for the internet savvy? For other bloggers? For potential advertisers? There is a stigma.

A free subdomain screams "Hobby." It says, "I wasn't willing to spend the price of a sandwich on this website."

In 2026, authority is everything. Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) are ruthless. While Google can rank a free subdomain (my homepage is indexed, after all!), the perception of authority is harder to earn.

Think of it like housing. Using the free subdomain is like living in your parents' basement. It’s free, it’s safe, and it works. Buying a custom domain for Blogspot is like buying your own house. You paint the walls. You own the address. People look at you differently.

custom domain for Blogspot

The SEO Argument: Does a Custom Domain Actually Help?

This is where the rubber meets the road. Does changing your URL from theblogspotexperiment.blogspot.com to theblogspotexperiment.com actually make Google rank you higher?

Technically? No. Practically? Yes, absolutely.

Let me explain that contradiction. Google’s algorithm does not have a line of code that says IF domain == .com THEN rank_higher. That doesn't exist.

However, a custom domain for Blogspot impacts the human metrics that feed the algorithm.

1. The Click-Through Rate (CTR) Factor

Imagine you are searching for "Best SEO tips 2026." You see two results:

  • Result A: bestseotips2026.blogspot.com

  • Result B: bestseotips.com

Which one do you trust? Which one do you click? Most users will click Result B. Higher CTR tells Google, "Hey, people like this result." Google then pushes that result higher. The custom domain wins the psychological war, which wins the SEO war.

2. The Backlink Dilemma

I recently wrote about how I used my other site Trick47 to link back to this blog. That was an internal experiment. But in the wild? It is incredibly hard to get high-quality websites to link to a .blogspot.com address.

Webmasters are snobs. They see a free subdomain and assume the site might disappear tomorrow. When you buy a custom domain for Blogspot, you are signaling longevity. You are telling the world (and other link builders), "I am here to stay." You get more links, and therefore, you get better rankings.

3. The "Sandboxing" Effect

We are currently stuck in the Google Sandbox. I believe that sticking with the free subdomain prolongs this period. Google sees millions of spam blogs created on Blogspot every day. They are all on the free subdomain. By moving to a custom domain, you separate yourself from the spam herd. You become a unique entity.

The AdSense Acceleration

If your goal is to make money (and let’s be real, that’s the goal of this experiment), getting approved for Google AdSense is the holy grail.

Can you get approved with a free subdomain? Yes. Is it harder? Much harder.

In 2026, AdSense approval bots are stricter than ever. They reject sites for "Low Value Content" constantly. While a domain name doesn't change your content, it changes the trust score of your application.

I have seen dozens of users on forums get rejected five times on a .blogspot.com address, then buy a custom domain for Blogspot, re-apply, and get approved within 48 hours. It’s not an official rule, but the pattern is undeniable. If you want to monetize fast, the $12 investment is basically a VIP pass to the AdSense queue.

Blogspot SEO 2026

The Cost Analysis: Is It Worth It?

We are doing this experiment on a zero budget. I get that. I haven't spent a dime yet. But let's break down the actual cost of a custom domain for Blogspot.

You aren't paying for hosting. That is the beauty of Blogger. Google hosts your files, your images, and your traffic for free forever. You are only paying for the name.

  • Average cost of a .com: $10 - $15 per year.

  • Monthly breakdown: $1.00 per month.

  • Daily breakdown: $0.03 per day.

Compare this to WordPress. On WordPress, you need a domain ($12) AND hosting ($50-$100/year). On Blogspot, the only expense is that $12.

If you cannot afford 3 cents a day to own your digital real estate, you probably aren't ready to run a business. A custom domain for Blogspot is arguably the highest ROI (Return on Investment) purchase you can make in the entire digital marketing world.

How to Connect It (The "Tech" Part)

The best part? Google makes this ridiculously easy. You don't need to be a coder.

  1. Buy the domain: Use a registrar like Namecheap or Google Domains (if available in your region).

  2. Go to Blogger Settings: Scroll down to "Publishing."

  3. Click "Custom Domain": Type in your new www.yourname.com.

  4. Update DNS: Blogger will give you two "CNAME" records. You paste these into your domain registrar account.

  5. Wait: It takes about an hour.

  6. Enable HTTPS: Flip the switch in Blogger to ensure your new domain is secure.

That’s it. You don't migrate files. You don't lose your posts. And—crucially—Blogger automatically redirects your old traffic. If someone clicks an old link to theblogspotexperiment.blogspot.com/post-1, they are instantly teleported to theblogspotexperiment.com/post-1. You lose zero traffic.

For a detailed technical walkthrough, check out Google's official guide on custom domains.

The Verdict: Will I Buy One?

This brings us to the crossroads of our experiment.

I started this site to prove we can rank for free. Buying a domain technically breaks the "100% free" rule. However, I want this experiment to be useful to you.

My advice: If you are just journaling for fun? Keep the free subdomain. It’s fine. If you are trying to build a brand, rank on Google in 2026, and make money? Buy the domain.

A custom domain for Blogspot removes the glass ceiling. It allows you to compete with WordPress sites without paying for WordPress hosting. It gives you the authority of a premium site with the safety of Google's infrastructure.

For this experiment, I am going to stick with the free subdomain for just a little longer. I want to see if I can force Google to index these posts purely on merit. But mark my words: once we hit a traffic plateau, the first lever I am going to pull is buying that .com.

Free vs Paid Domain

What Do You Think?

Are you running on a free subdomain, or did you make the switch? Did you see a traffic bump after buying a custom domain for Blogspot?

I want to hear your data points. Drop a comment below and let me know if the "Authority Boost" was real for you.

Until next time, keep writing, and keep checking those rankings.

This post is part of a live, public case study: The Blogspot Experiment.


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