You must choose a domain name wisely when creating a solid and powerful website for your business. Your brand, your business offers, and your relevance to search should all be reflected in your domain name. Choose a domain name that is brand-centric as well as SEO-friendly.
We’ll go through how your domain name affects SEO and how to choose an SEO-friendly domain in this article.
WHAT IS A DOMAIN NAME?
A domain name is the name of your website. Your website’s domain name is the address at which online visitors can find it. In most cases, domain names are used to identify one or more IP addresses. Let’s use the website www.example.com as an example.
SHOULD YOU CONSIDER SEO WHILE CHOOSING A DOMAIN NAME?
When choosing a domain name for your business, you want people to be able to recognise your brand, your company, and your products. An SEO-optimized domain name may be the best option because it not only complements the brand but also communicates the website’s goal and content.
If you want to increase your SEO ranking, don’t put keywords in your domain name. Search engines are very aware of keyword stuffing in domain names and shun exact match domains right away (EDMs). Rather, choose a domain name that is well-branded and appropriate for your company.
ALSO READ: Domain Authority – All You Need to Know (2021)
HOW DOES DOMAIN NAME AFFECT SEO?
If you combine several branded terms to create a short, snappy, and click-worthy domain name, you will almost certainly enhance your rating in search result pages. However, a name that contains exact-match keywords and is over-optimized can make your website appear spammy and lower your search engine ranking.
DO DOMAIN NAMES HELP WITH SEO?
You must carefully select your domain name, as it will serve as the company’s identification. Because a good domain name can only give you,
- High Click-Through Rates (CTR)
- Ensures trust and authority
- Competitive edge over rivals
- Increase brand awareness
- Positive user behavior that can impact search engine rankings
You must strike a balance between an overloaded domain and a well-branded domain if you want to get the maximum SEO value out of your domain name. Exact-match domains can be penalized by Google if they don’t match the site’s content. As a result, whenever possible, use an SEO-friendly branded domain name for your company.
TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS (TLD)
These are the most often used domains on the internet. Anyone can create a TLD because they are not confined to industry or localities. You may make your domain more SEO-friendly by using country code top-level domains (ccTLDs). ccTLDs provide a layer of information to the search engine that aids in the narrowing down of relevant results for the user seeking. If you use “. com.au,” Google will recognize that your company is based in Australia.
DOES A HYPHEN IN THE DOMAIN NAME AFFECT SEO?
The use of a hyphen in the domain name is strongly discouraged. Because hyphens are associated with a website’s spammy behavior, they will degrade the readability and fluency of the domain name. If you must use it, don’t use more than one at a time. Spammers frequently use a hyphen in the domain to create a duplicate version of the website. They register a hyphenated version to emulate the website and the brand because the original domain name is already taken.
HOW TO CHOOSE A DOMAIN NAME FOR SEO?
Instead of choosing a domain name focused on SEO, consider a domain name based on your services. If your domain name accurately represents your website and brand, it will also help with SEO. Here are some suggestions for choosing a domain name.
- Use your brand name properly
- Consider both relevant and on-brand keywords
- Keep the focus on your location
- Avoid exact match domains
- Stick to original TLDs
- Avoid vagueness
- Select a domain name that is easy to recall
- Keep it crispy and pithy
- Don’t use hyphens while choosing a domain
To build a domain name for SEO, choose a name that is appropriate for your company and brand. Exact match domains are discarded by Google’s algorithm since they imply spammy websites.
If you want to get the most out of your domain name, you must transmit the appropriate signals. You should develop an SEO-friendly domain that emphasises your brand and services. You should think about your clients before choosing a domain name. Your domain name should contain the following words:
- Not give any indication of a spammy site
- Be memorable, recognisable and understandable
- Be legitimate and relevant
- Portray your business and brand utterly
This post provided sufficient information on how to choose a domain name for your business and how the domain name you choose will impact SEO.
Also Read: Black hat SEO techniques in 2022 | Things to avoid
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