Choosing a search engine friendly domain name for your website is crucial for your business.
Many online entrepreneurs think it’s impossible to find a good domain name that is not taken, and in a very competitive niche they are probably right.
However if you are prepared to do some market research and use your creativity, you can find a suitable domain name that the search engines will love.
Here are a list of tips to get you started on how to find a search engine friendly domain name for your online business that has great marketing potential.
A Search Engine Friendly Domain Name Can Be An Expired Domain
These expired domains are great if the domains have been on the internet for some time now. These expired domains have already been on the internet long enough to be indexed by search engines. Not only can they be search engine friendly but most expired domains have back links to the website.
This will help you start off your business with website traffic already built into the domain.
Make Sure You Choose A Top Level Domain Versus A .info Domain Name
Most people search for domain names typing in a .com extension. If you are from Canada and your market is Canada, the extension .ca may be something to think about since Canadians searching for your website may immediately try the .ca extension if they know you are based in Canada.
Buying Different Extensions Of The Same Domain Name Can Be Effective
It’s not uncommon for website owners to buy several versions of their domain name with different extensions. For example, if your domain name is something like country style boots and you are based in Canada, you can buy the domain extensions of .com and .ca with this domain if it was available.
This is a great way to market your domain name by using it with your different market demographics if there is more than one.
Always Have Your Own Domain Name Hosted By Your Own Hosting Server
There are many free website builders that offer free hosting but you will not have your own domain name. For example, if you were with Freewebs.com, it would be freewebs.com/andyourname here. This domain name does not look professional and it is too hard for your potential customers to remember.
You are also at the mercy of the free hosting company and if you have created a strong online business it could all be lost if they decide to close down.
Today, there are many web hosting packages that offer a free domain name registration. Take advantage of it so that you stand out from the rest.
You Can Sometimes Use Hyphens To Get The Domain Name You Need
Using hyphens is a little tactic that some website owners which are usually affiliate marketers use when you want the search engines to read your website. The hyphens act like spaces and it’s also easier for your customers to read and remember your domain name when it’s broken up.
If your domain name was ecofriendlybelts.com, it’s more eye friendly as eco-friendly-belts.com and easier for the search engines you want to find you, especially if that is the exact keyword you are targeting. Hyphens are generally used in domains that have three words or more in their name.
Using hyphens can be effective, especially if you are only targeting a specific product or service like many affiliates do. However if you are looking to build a solid platform to launch a proper online business I personally would recommend avoiding these. As you see with the URL above hyphenated domains would work if you are only going to be selling Eco Friendly Belts.
Another tip to see what the search engines want is to type in the search terms and see what domain names are appearing and whether there are any listed in the top ten results that are hyphenated.
Always Try Using The Correct Spelling Of The Words In Your Domain
There are many domain names that are taken and may be what you had wanted but it’s not a good idea to misspell a word just because you want the same name. Not only will this confuse your potential customers but it will lead them to the original domain name that is correctly spelled.
Very good advice.
If you want to enhance your rankings in search engines, it’s also a good idea to get a domain name that has your important keywords in it. That’s what I did, and I was quickly on page 1 for the keywords in my domain name on Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
.-= John Soares´s last blog ..Selling Information Products Weekly Reading =-.
Hi John…
Yes having a keyword rich domain name is the best way to get to the top of the search engines very fast… By also using some keywords in you link text of any articles that you write for marketing purposes all helps to get this done as well.
I’ve also had good luck in putting keywords into the title of my blogs.
.-= John Soares´s last blog ..Pay-Per-Click Marketing: How Well Is It Working? =-.
I couldn’t agree more with your suggestions. Definitely important to shoot for a .com or .org. Also, shorter is better, you want people to remember the url. And, try to incorporate the primary keyword you are trying to rank for within the url. Best of luck!
Yes the domain name is like your Brand on the internet choosing a suitable domain for your online business can have a very positive outcome not only for traffic but sales as well.
An important purpose of domain names is to provide easily recognizable and memorizable names to numerically addressed Internet resources.
Yes your domain name is not just about getting a keyword but needs to also help to brand your business on the internet many people forget about this and end up registering a domain name that makes no real sense to their business.
Really impressive and worthy article for beginners even for Pro too.. Thanks for sharing such information with us !