Hi Everyone, I buy alot of domains - Always looking for new ideas. If my main target keyword is Shopping Malls, is it better to get shoppingmalls.com or shopping-malls.com? Or alternatively are they treated the same? I see in some SEO programs they seem to like the hyphen to separate the keyword. It sounds stupid that the SE can’t pick up the same way without a Hyphen. If you think the hyphen is better based on current algorithms. Since hyphens are easier to get, do you think this will change in the near future? Thanks everyone for your input. Cheers Roland
IMHO hyphens are very slightly better for search engines, but without hyphen is way better for users. I prefer the version without hyphen everytime I can choose.
Hi, seo benefits aside, you should always buy them both. I remember someone who had to switch a domain because someone put up a porno site on the hyphenated version of her real estate site. She offered to buy it off them but they were holding out for big money. Cheers, Paz.
From a SEO perspective with hyphens is better, from a marketing and branding POV then without is better. I agree with Paz though, get them both.
Thanx for your input - Now if I get both and point them to the same hosting - then I should just build popularity on the hyphen domain? I get concerned sometimes that natural links may go to the no-hyphen then etc - so it messes with my link building strat. Also then if you own both and point them - sometimes i find that G drops my focused one in link building (duplication) and only indexes the lesser one.
Personally I'd build the site and links to the hypenated domain and do a 301 redirect with the non-hypenated domain. If any links get built to it they will be credited to the hypenated one. It should solve all of your problems.
With google the domain is not very important, it is a good idea to have keywords on the title but google usually looks for other sites linking to you, your title and keyword density.
I'd suggest you buy both. Infact, if you should also go for buying the regional domain, like mysite.com and mysite.de, especially when you are doing business.
Im seeing now a days google is not listing parked domains so whats the use of buying more then one domain ?
The basic reason would be for protection, such as Paz's example, you could also still generate revenue through type ins.
Repeat visitors will forget to put in the hyphen so if you think you will be getting many, go without.
what ever you buy, host the in mini-sites, only parking them do not build value for the domain in aging or back links. let me know if you need any help, plz pm me.
absolutely correct, I second your idea because users really forget to keep hyphen in their mind.. second, IMHO if you are making something specifically for search engine then forget users and make it for search engine.. but don't use illegal stuff..
I thinks if your are going according to high traffic keywords with less competition and make them as a URL without hyphen it will rush high traffic to your site...
I don't like to use special characters and mostly use keywords in my domain. If I use a one word domain though - then I make it a "name". Such as mashable etc. I've also written an article SEO aspects of domains - Domain Name Registration.
If I was looking to launch a commercial site of any kind I'd expect to spent at least a few hundred $$ buying all domain name variations I could think of or imagine and point them all to the chosen domain... I would use the one without hyphen for the ease of customers personally, but again, while without the hyphen is more memorable for a customer when being given the url verbally, I find that WITH a hyphen is more memorable if being given a url visually as the two seperate word components are clear and ergo more memorable, particularly if both/ either worrds are long. I hope that makes sense!