Which URL is better?

Discussion in 'Search Engine Optimization' started by pictureboarduk, Jul 28, 2007.

  1. #1
    I have the choice of two domains, and would like to know which one is better for SEO etc.

    martialartsfighter.com

    OR

    martial-arts-fighter.com

    Do the '-'s help in anyway with SEO or anything or is the first the better?

    Thank you.
     
    pictureboarduk, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  2. qwestcommunications

    qwestcommunications Notable Member

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    #2
    Definately the top one. You should try to avoid unnecessary characters in the domain.
     
    qwestcommunications, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  3. mafrussian

    mafrussian Peon

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    #3
    Yeah, when I'm optimizing the domain name for a specific keyword (which I guess is what you are doing), dashes are always a second choice.
     
    mafrussian, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  4. glendowney

    glendowney Notable Member

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    #4
    The first one. The Hyphens are bad for any domain name imo.
     
    glendowney, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  5. rcj662

    rcj662 Guest

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    #5
    First one for 2 reasons. It is better for SEO and easier for people to remember.
     
    rcj662, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  6. mafrussian

    mafrussian Peon

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    #6
    Eh, Are you sure its really better for SEO? I thought google didn't care if it had dashes or not. Dashes are only bad for people to remember.
     
    mafrussian, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  7. bobmeetsworld

    bobmeetsworld Well-Known Member

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    #7
    I've read somewhere that with the hyphens, SEO will improve because it will be seen as three different words. What do people type in Google? martialartsfighter or martial arts fighter ?
     
    bobmeetsworld, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  8. Skinny

    Skinny Peon

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    #8
    First one for sure. Hyphens don't carry as much weight as they once did and people will forget that they are there and type in the first one.

    Skinny
     
    Skinny, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  9. pictureboarduk

    pictureboarduk Well-Known Member

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    #9
    Thanks everyone, I thought the first as well, but as bobmeetsworld mentions, the whole dash thing was because I know Google views dashes as spaces.

    Seems consensus is the first though.

    Couple more comments and I'll order I think :)
     
    pictureboarduk, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  10. bobmeetsworld

    bobmeetsworld Well-Known Member

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    #10
    bobmeetsworld, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  11. ajsa52

    ajsa52 Well-Known Member

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    #11
    Better the first without dashes. Easier to type, and with equal SEO value as dashed sitename.
     
    ajsa52, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  12. pictureboarduk

    pictureboarduk Well-Known Member

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    #12
    Thanks everyone.

    Just ordered it, without the dashes.

    I have a similar domain name for another site, but had to have a dash in the URL as the one I wanted had already been taken by a competitor.

    I know it's hard to orally describe the dash to non internet people.

    Thanks for the advice.
     
    pictureboarduk, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  13. Hyipgrace

    Hyipgrace Peon

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    #13
    no doubt first one if available
     
    Hyipgrace, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  14. Dan Schulz

    Dan Schulz Peon

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    #14
    You really want honest advice? Go with the second one. Google and other search engines treat the dashes as keyword delimiters (for example, if your domain name was expertsexchange.com would you want your site to show up for people looking for experts exchange or expert sex change?). Not only that, but given the choice of words you've used in your domain name, the second will be easier to remember, given that the dashes indicate which words are what (as the expertsexchange.com example shows).

    Oh and if you haven't heard, Google will soon be accepting the underscore (_) character as a keyword delimiter.
     
    Dan Schulz, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  15. mji2010

    mji2010 Active Member

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    #15
    which url out of these is better.... subdomain.domain.com or domain.com/subdomain ?
     
    mji2010, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  16. Dan Schulz

    Dan Schulz Peon

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    #16
    subdomain.domain.com gets treated as a separate site by the search engines and is used to separate major parts of a Web site (like separating a forum from the main site)

    domain.com/directory (which you have incorrectly listed as subdomain) is just a folder in the main site and is treated by the search engines as a folder on the main site
     
    Dan Schulz, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  17. trichnosis

    trichnosis Prominent Member

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    #17
    martialartsfighter.com is better because people will not remember the option with -
     
    trichnosis, Jul 28, 2007 IP
  18. Aliniuz2

    Aliniuz2 Member

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    #18
    Go with the second one!
    Martial, Arts and Fighter will be treated as keywords for your site, and it will be great for your SEO, because they are in your URL.
     
    Aliniuz2, Jul 29, 2007 IP
  19. mji2010

    mji2010 Active Member

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    #19
    I was just indicating that the folder would have the same name as the subdomain ... not that it was actually a subdomain. I should have been more clear
     
    mji2010, Jul 29, 2007 IP
  20. Dan Schulz

    Dan Schulz Peon

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    #20
    I know. I just said what I did (about the directory/subdomain) for the benefit of others who may not have known that. :)
     
    Dan Schulz, Jul 29, 2007 IP