Need your opinion and suggestion on registering a domain name. May I know what is the upmost priority to look for? I know that keyword is important to be IN THE domain name. What about extensions? eg: .com .net .org .cc (I do have some .cc domains) What about dashes in a domain name? eg: computer-tips.com (Use them when your domain name has 3 or more words?) What do you think?
It is better to have main keyword in domain name.It plays very little role in SEO but it can give you better CTR in serp.
Any ideas about the importance of domain name extensions and use of dashes for domain names which has 3 or more words?
Domain name extensions don't mean a thing to se's. Also it doesn't matter if you have keywords in your domain name or not. That's all old news. My suggestion is pick a .com that is short if possible with one descriptive keyword in it, 2 if needed. Why? If you plan to be around awhile or not you can sell your domain, .com's are worth the most. A descriptive domain, ie. one with your main keyword in it will give people an idea of what the site is about a.) if they see the domain in the serps and b.) if they see your domain name advertised in public. If your thinking about CTR in searches you might want to consider what would get peoples attention. If you searched for cheap sunglasses and you saw these 2 domains, which would you click first? hot-cheap-sunglasses.com spyoptics.com That's really not a good example but you get the idea. Choosing the perfect domain is a science and it really depends on what you plan to do with it.
I agree that domain name extensions are irrelevant for SEO purposes - in my experience, however, and based on tests I've seen done by others, it is important to include your keywords in your domain name. I always try to get a .com extension, based solely on the fact that this is what people are used to seeing, and thus are most comfortable with. If I can't get a .com, I'll go with a .net - I typically steer clear of the other extensions. Finally, if your keyword is actually a phrase comprised of more than one word, it's best to use hyphens to separate the words - SE spiders will see unseparated keywords, or keywords separated by underscores, as one word. HTH, Sam
I would also suggest not to include to many hyphens. Two at the most otherwise it just looks so spammy. From my personal point of view i would take 1 hyphen as a maximum. And yes keywords in a domain plays a very significant role in SEO and can make a very good contribution to overall SEO performance. I have always wondered if extensions could play a role? I have read numerous times that extensions don't have any influence. But something inside me tells me that .info or .edu could have some extra benefit for SEO performance. This is just a thought and i have no proof to back this up but since there a lot of factors to considder why could this not be one of them? Just wondering...
I'd go for a short domain including keyword if it was available, if not a short brandable domain. Keywords in the domain help a little for SEO, but not so much it's worth having an awful looking domain name.
Everything I've read has also indicated that the extension has no effect on rankings. I've yet to read anything to the contrary. In addition, anyone can buy a .info extension, so I doubt it will ever hold any sway with the SEs. The .edu and .gov extensions are possibilities, but based on the evidence at hand, that's purely speculation. Sam
I agree with this, purely because only accredited institutions can obtain them. This would probably lead to google giving more weight to the domain as it their eyes it's more trustworthy.
I've heard that .edu domain extensions are given the top priority. When it comes to keyworded domains. Firefox is a great example. The original owners of firefox.com gave way to Mozilla Firefox and provided a link to getfirefox.com Sometimes its really not keywords for search engines sake. I once hoped that Microsoft will buy InternetExplorer.com so we can go to that site and get updates right there that entering from their main site. Thanks.
the domain extension should not matter. Just make sure that the domain name does not have too many hyphens. I once read some place that google might be penalizing LONG domain names with too many hyphens and keywords stuffed in them, and are obtained just for SEO purposes. You would be surprised to look at some of the spammy domain names people are using... like www. printer-print-cartridge-ink-jet-laser-toner-refill .com www. discount-inkjet-cartridge-printer-refill .com
Would they penalize long wordpress slugs as well? I hope not like http://www.weblogdomain.com/this-is-such-a-long-and-hard-to-memorize-permalink/
I dont think seach engines would penalize long URLs. Some websites follow conventions and hence the URLs can obviously become long. like www.mydomain.com/dublin-hotels/hotel-one-complete-name.php Similarly, many other websites use more longer names.
I agree with Rosie. Unless the URL triggers the algorithm's spam filters (i.e. spam), the length should not be a determining factor in indexing. Sam