How To Find A Great Domain For SEO

Finding the right domain name can be a tricky business, and indeed, can mean the difference between success and failure in the online marketplace. As such, it is important to consider the following before choosing a domain name:

Tips for coming up with a great domain name

• FOR NEW SITES: Depending on your branding angle, pick a domain name that is either highly brandable (meaning that it can be easily and positively associated with your product or service) or one that has your primary keywords in it. Use a short and memorable domain name. It is fine if it does not have your keywords in it if it is memorable. For serious, long-term websites, a memorable domain name will be one of the key ingredients to success.

• If your domain name exactly matches your keywords Google places a relevancy bonus on your site. 

• If you are going to be working in competitive fields, or if you will have large sites, you may want to use a different domain for each different language you are targeting.

Domain registration and hosting

Once you have selected a domain name, you must make sure that it is available, and then register it. After your domain name has been registered, you must find a reliable host for your website.

• Register your domain with an ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) accredited registrar. I use GoDaddy and truehost.

• Register as a .com if possible, if you have a global market. If you cannot get a .com, but a great .net or .org is still available, it might be worth it to register one of those instead of registering a longer (and less memorable) .com domain.

• If you are targeting a specific country or language, register a domain name in that country’s top-level domain designation (e.g., buy a co.uk website for a U.K.-targeted site). Also buy the .com version of your domain name and point it at your country-specific location.

• Oftentimes certain directories and search engines will either be biased toward local sites will or only let local sites in the index. “Local” may mean ending with a local domain and/or being hosted on a server in that country.

• Host your site with a reliable host. I recommend DreamHost or Pair.com. • For dynamic sites, make sure your host supports the technology you will be using (such as ASP or PHP) before spending money