Tips for Picking the Perfect Domain Name
A domain name can make or break a website. Your domain name is the name of your business that people remember or forget, and whether or not you receive traffic to your website may very well depend on what name you choose. If you haven’t picked a domain name, the following tips from our San Diego SEO experts will help you avoid some of the common mistakes that could land your website in the dark corners of Google search results.
Short and Sweet
The best domains are those that can be easily recalled and typed in a URL bar. Try to use a domain name that is no more than two syllables and make sure you use a common spelling. Unless you have a ton of money to throw behind a brand campaign, misspelled domain names on purpose won’t do you any good.
Unless you use the name of your company or yourself, your domain name should directly relate to the type of business you’re in. Because the Internet has been around for over two decades now, the most basic of names are taken, or are on sale for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Narrow your niche to come up with something that is more unique, yet is easily identifiable with your business.
Keyword Brainstorm
Your website will be focused around a set number of keywords, and your domain name will be at the very core of your plan. Our San Diego internet marketing experts recommend using the Google Keyword Planning tool to help determine which words are popular enough, yet not too competitive.
Start with three to five strong, basic keywords that explain your website. For example, if you sell shoes, brainstorm around the words “shoes”, “sneakers”, and “running shoes”. These are all very broad terms that are too hard to win, but, when paired with a specific word, you can narrow your niche to a winnable size. For example, if you sell shoes in San Diego, options include sandiegoshoes.com and sandiegoshoesandsneakers.com.
Avoid the Use of Hyphens
Have you recently picked up a book on SEO that was published nearly ten years ago? The Internet marketing game changes on a daily basis, so you should rarely use internet advice from a source so old!
SEO experts that built websites over five years ago commonly used hyphens in domain names to separate the main keyword of the site from the rest of the name. While this trick might have worked before, it’s best to stay away from it now. Google is smart enough to read your domain name, and they care more about the content of the actual website than how you use hyphens in your domain. The hyphen is also a guaranteed way to lose customers who want to find you by manually typing your URL into the search bar.
Finding the right domain name can take weeks, if not months to complete. Tread lightly and never make split second decisions without performing extensive research. For more information about domain name selection, building a responsive website or marketing your business in the online world, reach out to Saba, Inc. at 858-278-1717 and schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consultation with one of our marketing experts today.