The thought that you can make up a word and have it become popular through the sheer force of your business acumen is an intoxicating idea. Google could have called itself Internet Search Engine, and Amazon could have called itself Amazing Online Shopping. Yet, these companies, through the strength of their product and marketing ability, saw their irrelevant domain names turn into household terms. It can be a great ego boost to be able to do it.
Yet, it can be a challenge. When you’re an unknown entity, placing in your company’s domain name the actual words that potential customers will search for your product by can be a tempting idea. Which way should your choice lie?
Understanding brand power
Some marketing experts look at the keyword rich-or-brandable debate as somewhat past its time. It may have been relevant five years ago, before Google brought in its Panda updates. Search engines have since evolved to the point that they do not pay much attention to the keywords present in URLs. If you are an unknown business selling high heels, Google isn’t going to give you a boost just because you call yourself HighHeels.com. When someone searches for high heels, Google will still send them all the well-known names, not a no-name.
It can be a matter of trust
According to SEO experts, consumers have long found out through exposure to spammy keyword-rich domain names that they aren’t to be trusted. Businesses with their own unique brand names instantly earn more respect than keyword-based names.
There are other reasons
A business that calls itself High Heels is simply not memorable; rather, it is generic. It’s a name that could cover practically any shoe store. When thinking of business name ideas for your startup, a unique brand name, on the other hand, creates its own character in the consumer’s mind, and stays memorable.
Keyword-based names tend to be expensive to buy, as well. Buying something like HighHeels.com can cost hundreds of thousands. Unique brand names, on the other hand, are practically free. Highly specific website names can also turn out to be an impediment when product line expansion is called for down the line. Apple did officially change its name from Apple Computer to just Apple once it began to diversify away from computers.
Are keyword-rich domain names a good idea in any way?
Indifferent as the search engines are to keyword-rich domain names today, a slight search engine ranking boost still is available — the weightage is placed at 7%, to be precise. It is subject, though, to the ability of the site to provide value to visitors over time. If links from other authoritative sites are not forthcoming, the advantage could quickly evaporate.
Keyword-rich domains could still be a good idea for micro-niche sites — entire sites devoted to very specific topics. Domains such as HowOftenShouldYouBatheYourDog.com and DigitalCamerasForBabyPhotography.com are likely to get a boost for searchers going for those specific things. Such micro-niche domain names tend to be of little use to businesses, though.
How should you pick a domain name?
A good name should be easy to produce, easy to spell, short and catchy, and not similar to other popular names in the business niche. It shouldn’t sound generic, either. Podcast.com and Slideshare.com may sound generic and keyword-centric; their highly original concepts more than make up for the shortcoming, though.
It makes sense to pick a domain name that offers the best of both worlds — a unique name, and also a keyword or to add on.
So how should you pick a domain name?
Success online for businesses only depends in small part on the name chosen. Businesses that get SEO help from Appiloque in Singapore, a search engine optimization major, receive sage advice — it’s far more important to focus on the entire SEO picture, rather than worry about effects of a specific domain name. The following tips can go a long way towards helping find a domain name that works.
- Find a .com. Whether you depend on type-in traffic or not, a .com is seen as more trustworthy by the majority of consumers. It doesn’t even make sense to choose one of the modern, highly specific naming conventions that allow URLs such as ILove.HighHeels. To most consumers, such names don’t register as places that can actually be visited.
- Use a powerful Ajax domain selection service that helps you find a better name. You don’t need to buy through these sites.
- Try to create expectations through your name. Names like WebMD and CareerBuilder do more than just describe the concept; they help create excitement.
In the end, finding a good domain name is only one part of what needs to be done. With the right concept and the right marketing, any name can be successful.
