It is time to take that first technical step in starting your blog… buy a domain name from my favorite domain registrar, Google Domains. 

You’ve chosen your niche, you have a list of blog names ready to go, and you are ready to start that blog. 

Well, you have come to the right place because, by the time you are done with this tutorial, you will have your domain in hand and won’t be afraid to use it (to start your blog, of course).

In this post and video, I am going to walk you through step-by-step and click-by-click to get your domain. 

This post is all about how to buy a domain name from Google Domains.

How to Buy a Domain from Google Domains

Before We Get Started

If you haven’t done so already, grab my free how-to-start a blog checklist here. 

This is really going to help you as you move through the process of setting up your blog. In fact, purchasing a domain is step number three, and if you’re like me, there’s nothing better than being able to check an item off your to-do list. 

Why I Love Google Domains

Let me quickly explain why we’re using Google Domains. So here’s the thing… I’ve been using and recommending Namecheap for domains for the longest time, and honestly, I’ve been very happy with it. 

I still think that Namecheap is a great place to purchase domains, but after I wrote this blog post about the best domain registrars for beginners, Google Domains slowly started to edge Namecheap out. 

Here are the reasons why.

1. Their platform is so easy to navigate. 
2. I really liked their upfront pricing structure. 
3. You can buy your Google Workspace email account at the same tim./ If you’re creating a blog, you need a professional email address to go with it.  When you purchase your domain from Google Domains, you can purchase your professional email address as part of the process. I’m a HUGE fan of anything that kills two birds with one stone.
4. You are able to easily connect it with Google’s whole ecosystem such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Google Adsense, etc. 

So, for those reasons, that’s why we are using Google Domains. 

(Quick side note: If you would like to use Namecheap and you would like to see a tutorial about how to purchase a domain from Namecheap, drop a comment below and I would love to put that video together for you.)

Let’s Go Buy that Domain Name

I’m a huge fan of both video and written instructions, which is why I’ve included both for you. If you find a video tutorial helpful, follow along with the video above. And you can also reference the written instructions below.

Step 1: Go to Google Domains

Click here to go to Google Domains.

Note: if you already have a Gmail account, and you are logged in to that account while going through this process, your username and password for Google Domains will be the same as your email account.

If you don’t have one, you will be asked to create an account at checkout. Don’t worry. I will let you know when it’s time to do that. 

Step 2: Enter the domain you want to use where it says to search for your new domain

It might take a couple of tries until you find one that is available. 

The nice thing is that Google gives you some suggestions here as alternatives. 

Now you have a lot of options to go with for what’s known as the domain extension or what’s also called the top-level domain. The domain extension is simply the letters that come after the “dot”… so .com, .net., .info, .love, .family. There’s even a “.blog.” 

Google has said that choosing one of these atypical top-level domains will not affect your SEO, but I still recommend sticking with a “.com” because it is still the most commonly used domain extension, and it will be what your audience will be the most comfortable using. 

So let’s go with the “.com.”

Click on the selection you want. Then click on the shopping cart with the “+” sign. 

Step 3: Go to the Shopping Cart to Complete Your Purchase

Click on the shopping cart in the top right-hand corner. 

In your shopping cart, you will have some additional options. First, you will see “Domain Privacy” and you want this turned on. 

This is another nice perk of Google Domains (and actually one of the reasons I like Namecheap). They don’t charge you extra for this. Domain Privacy Protection ensures that your personal information that is connected to your domain is kept private. 

I also recommend leaving the auto-renew on. 

Next, if you want to get a professional email address, which is something I highly recommend, you can do that right here. 

Check the box, and I recommend going with the Business Starter, which is only $6 per user per month. (And just so you know, if this is your first Google Workspace account you will get the first 30 days free.)

Below that you can enter your first and last name and what you want the email address to be. This can be your first name or it can be something like “hello” or “info” or “questions” at your domain. Whatever you prefer. 

I also recommend leaving the box checked that says, “Allow this account to manage domain settings” so that your email address and domain are all managed in one place. 

Click Check Out. 

[This is where if you don’t already have a Gmail account, you will need to create one. When you create that account, be sure to write down your username and password. I’ve created a spot for you in the How to Start a Blog Checklist and Workbook to track your usernames and passwords.]

Next, enter in all your contact information, then click “Save & Continue”

Then, review your purchase, and enter payment information. Then click, “Buy.”

You have done it! You have purchased your domain!

That means you can go over to your checklist and check this item off of the list. 

Next Steps

A couple of housekeeping things to note. 

First, I recommend bookmarking this page so it’s easy to return to. 

Second, you will need to go to your email account and verify your email address. 

Third, I recommend toggling through the dashboard to familiarize yourself with the different sections because we will be referring back here as we go about setting up your blog. 

I also recommend clicking on security. If you haven’t done so already, I recommend turning on 2-Step Verification. This is a very easy way to add an extra layer of protection to your account. 

Last, let’s sign in to your professional email account. 

To sign in, go to the email address you used to sign up for your domain. And you should have an email from Google with a temporary password. 

Click on that and enter the email address you created and the temporary password. From there you will accept the terms of service and then it will prompt you to create a new password. 

Again, make sure you write down your new password. 

And now you are in your email professional email account. 

What to Do Next

If you have any questions, please feel free to drop a comment below or reach out to me through the contact form here. 

The next step will be buying hosting services and logging into your WordPress website for the very first time. 

Learn how to install WordPress with Flywheel here.

This post was all about how to buy a domain name for your blog from Google Domains.