Choosing a domain name
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Here are some simple steps how to choose a good domain name to get a better
search engine ranking
Choosing an effective domain name is just as important as choosing a company
name or even the line of business itself. Domains are important because they
are the first thing people see in order to get to your site. Simple, descriptive
domain name with relevant keywodt is the best start to get a better search
engine ranking.
Domain names can contain letters, numbers and hyphens, but no spaces. Also you can’t use hyphens as the first or last characters of your domain.
Domain names are not case sensitive, so www.domainname.com is the same as WWW.DOMAINNAME.COM.
The most well known TLD (top level domain) extensions is .com. If
you can't find your preferred .com domain name you could always choose the
same domain name with a .net extension, check that .com isn’t either
a competitor or that the .com site content is acceptable! Always try to get
the
.com, your
country TLD or .net in that order. Web users are still not used to .biz or
.info. In some search engines .com domain is prefered and websites with this
domain often get better search
engine ranking.
Domain names must contain a minimum of two characters but no more
than 67. The
more memorable your domain name is the easier it will be to remember it. Also
people don’t want to type long addresses, especially if they are hard
to spell. Short and easy to remember and spell domain names are the best to
use.
Use descriptive domain names. Try choosing a domain name
that is descriptive of your products. Try testing it with a hyphen as well
as using just one word. Single word domain names can be easier to explain,
use on header paper and lend themselves to brand names very well. Single word
domains
are
in very short supply. Hyphenated domains names can be slighltly more
difficult to explain, may not look as well on headed paper and possibly harder
to establish as a brand name. The
single biggest advantage a hyphenated domain has is that searche engines can "read" the
domain more easily. A well chosen hyphenated domain name can be just as effective
as a single word domain name.
Make sure that potential web users will remember your domain name and
that they can spell it properly, so keep the spelling easy. If
your visitor dont remember your domain name, he maybe never come back to your
website.
Keep it legible. If your domain name has more than two words,
use dashes '-' to separate the words. If the name is two words or less you
can just mash the words together.
Use keyword domain names. Domain names containing keywords
applicable to your industry will help the customer to identify what your line
of business is and also in search engines such as Google or Yahoo. If your
domain name contains keywords that you have in your title tag, you could achieve
better search engine ranking.
Use of numbers. The next step how to get a better search
engine ranking is using of numbers in your domain. This optimization technique
can help your website when being included in directories, because directories
often list your website numerically and alphabetically. Also numbers can psychologically
influence
your customer into thinking you are the best.
Branding vs business name. There's no one right answer
to this question. You need to choose what makes most sense for you, your website
and your business in general. But make sure that if you are new on bussiness,
only a few of internet visitors will know your company name and also if your
company name is not a keyword of your bussiness, it will be hard to get a
better search engine ranking.
Own your domain name. If you use a web designer or third party for your domain names, ensure they are registered in your name and that you have a signed agreement with the company that they will release all the details (including password) to you, quibble free, if you choose to move to another design or hosting company.
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