Your poll doesn't have the 'both' answer. The older a domain gets the more eligible of getting backlinks it is. This translates in a better position in SERPS.
I know, I tried to hit back to supply 4 poll options, but the thread was already made. You think it helps both? By older, did you mean more people looked at it and so it would receive back links from that time? if that is the case, it was my dads site, and so it doesn't have any back links, just age. Would this still help PR? The reason I am wondering, is I am going to start a directory, and if this gives me an edge, I would definetly use a 4 year old domain I own.
SERPs only...and that you marginally...no major impact. Age of content and links also matters, along with age of domain.
so using a domain just from its age, to start a directory (that wont go for any serps), would be pointless waste of an old domain that could be used for something else?
Domain age does not affect serps or pagerank. You guys are getting mixed up with the age of a website. A 2 year old website will outrank a 10 year old domain that never had a website. Its how long the site has been online not the age of the domain. The reason is that older websites tend to have more backlinks build up over a longer period of time.
Agree with freespace. Domain age doesnot affect serps or PR. Rather the older the website, its better. IMO, if you have website older then March 2002, it has advantage from Google being grandfathered.
Improve serps that means it should be more stable, less 'dancing' with G., but nothing to do with PR.