Summary: This article looks at whether you should target your primary keyword in your domain name, and why.
When deciding on a domain name, many business owners wonder if it is really necessary that it contains their main target keyword.
Well, the answer is yes and here’s why: having keywords in your domain name will improve your chances of moving up the search engine ranking quickly so that current and prospective clients can find your website before they find your competitor.
Before dashing off in a panic to snap up that domain name from a domain auction or registrar, put some strategic thought into the domain name you want to have for your business:
- Your domain name does not have to be your company name, especially if the company name does contain a keyword that reflects your product or service, such as copywriting or car sales, for example.
- If your company name does not contain a keyword, then it might be better to select a domain name that can include at least one keyword about the type of products or services you offer. For example, let’s go back to the copywriting example. If you are a small business owner who simply goes by their name, it might be better to add copywriting to the domain name alongside your name or pick something like “TheGlobalCopywritingExperts.com.” If you teach children how to play drums, maybe you pick something like “DrumLessonsForKids.com.”
- In case you find that the domain name you want that contains your primary keyword is already reserved, then it is best to have some other domain names ready to go. Brainstorming with keywords is always a good way of finding a great domain. Try different keyword combinations but be sure to minimize the number of words in the domain name. The two examples above have four words, which can be long, but were only used to illustrate how a domain can utilize primary keywords. A better option might be “CopywritingExperts.com” or “DrummingLessons.com” if they were still available.
TIP: Try using Google’s keyword tool to see what people actually search for when looking for products, services and businesses like yours.
Even if someone already owns the .com version of the domain name you want with your primary keyword, there are so many possible extensions (.tv, .info, .net, etc.) that you can still get what you want and be found on search engines quite easily. However, many SEO experts recommend you steer clear of .info domains – because companies like GoDaddy sell them for less than a pound each, many spammers have snapped these up and it’s thought that Google may take this into account when analysing your website and deciding where to rank it.
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