How much weight does domain name have on SEO?

Imo keyword in the domain has some value but can be beaten it should be %10-%15.Dashes in the domain name makes no difference for the eyes of the bots but will make a diffence for brandability.

 

Keywords in domains don't carry any direct benefits, but since the majority of your IBLs will use your domain name in the anchor text, there is a major indirect benefit. That is why they work, and have always worked.

 

The domain name + age count very mutch

But 80% actor is the backlinks

 

you'll have better chances on SERP's if your keyword is in the domain name.

 

Keyword in domain helps a lot in MSN but not much in Google i believe. If the competion is too high then keyword in domain definitely helps in google serps and if the competition is less then keyword in domain doesnt matter at all. Good backlinks and content will get ur site on top.

 

So the consensus seems to be that it does matter but we're not for sure how much?

 

Only Google knows how much, but we can do without knowing because in serious projects it's just one of many factors.

Many posts above point out other aspects of a domain, including how brandable or readable offline it could be important for the domain to be.

 

it helps alot it can go to the top without many links.

 

I think the keywords are important in the domain name, but only as an over all approach to your topic. I have a site on "instant hot water" and the site performs well on google. The domain name, the content and all the links I've done point to this keyword. So the domain name helps if your site is really about that topic and your content support the keywords as well.

 

I have a website called http://www.how-2-make-a-website.comand it ranks no 1 Google, Yahoo and Live for certain keywords

 

Well, if this makes any difference...

My website is http://www.clevelandohiomortgage.com and i went live with it back in october. My main keywords are cleveland ohio mortgage and cleveland ohio refinance. As far as the 3 major SE goes, I was #1 on google the day it got indexed and have not left that spot since for Cleveland Ohio Mortgage. I am #1 in yahoo and msn too, but it was not on the first day it got indexed. This is why I was curious to ask about googles relevancy vs the other 2 with domain names.

 

Well i think the domain name counts more in situations where 2 sites stats are almost the same...
For example for the word games. If 2 sites have almost the same number of links, sites are optimized etc. The one which has Games in the domain name is ranked better. But as people before me said, it counts, but not that much, is not a critical factor.

 

Shaun (and I really am sorry you got threadjacked earlier), your site is ranking so well on Google not because of the domain name, but because of the keyword rich content which has the keywords placed appropriately. In other words, you're doing something right.

 

Thanks for the input

 

IMO keywords in the domain is very helpful in terms of SEO........
Off course it is one of many factors but does help.

 

They are a small factor, for the reasons already mentioned.

But if you think a keyword domain alone is going to cut it in a competitive area, you're in for big disappointment. A site without a keyword domain but with high quality links will blow away any keyword domain sites that don't have the same quality IBLs.