Creating a website benefits many aspects of your business, such as your online presence, business reputation, and customer trust.
However, ranking your website on search engine results pages (SERPs) takes time and effort, even for professionals, not to mention search engines like Google change their algorithms frequently.
Therefore, it’s necessary to implement Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on your website, including SEO-friendly practices when choosing a website domain name.
In this article, we will cover five helpful tips on how to pick an SEO-friendly domain name, so your website will get a better chance to rank high in search results. Let’s get started.
The Connection Between SEO and Domain Names
SEO is an ideal way to boost your website’s incoming traffic while also improving conversion rates. Implementing SEO on your website from the start, such as when you choose a domain name, helps drive traffic and increase its visibility in search engines.
Having a brandable domain name is one way to improve SEO. For example, when users look for information online, they will most likely use your brand name. If your domain name is the same as your brand and the website is well-optimized, they will easily find your business.
Moreover, an exact match domain (EMD) is an alternative way to enhance SEO. As long as your domain name doesn’t look spammy, having an EMD is worth the effort.
However, keep in mind that a well-optimized domain name does not guarantee high ranks – SEO is a long-term strategy that requires working on different aspects of your website.
Now that you learned how SEO and domain names are related, let’s check some tips on how to optimize your domain name. You can check the international domain name with privacyenbescherming and privacyforkorea VPN review only if you want a private network.
5 Tips to Choose an SEO-Friendly Domain Name
There are several factors to consider when creating an SEO-friendly domain name. The following list will cover five recommendations:
1. Choose the Right Top-Level Domain (TLD)
It is important to consider the different top-level domain (TLD) or domain extension options when coming up with a domain name. Choosing the right domain extension helps your domain name look professional and easy to recognize.
As of 2021, there are over 367 million registered domain names, where .com is the most used domain extension.
Having a domain name with a .com TLD is considered 33% more memorable than other domain name extensions. Thus, when people look for your business website, they will likely use your brand name and the.com extension.
Moreover, websites with a .com TLD are perceived as more legitimate, making users more likely to click on them.
When it comes to SEO, Google favors websites with a .com TLD. Thus, going for a .com extension is an excellent strategy.
2. Consider a Brandable Domain Name
A brandable domain name doesn’t specifically tell your business’s purpose as the term is often made-up, such as Google, Amazon, or Yahoo!. Yet, you can use your business brand as the domain name. Also, a brandable domain name is easier to trademark as the name is original.
Moreover, using your brand on the domain name makes it sound catchy and unique, which helps increase customers’ trust and recognition of your business.
Coming up with a brand name and using it as your domain name is challenging as you need to make sure that it represents your business identity. So, if you haven’t come up with a business name yet, consider using a business name generator to find ideas to craft the right brandable domain name.
However, keep in mind to avoid similarities with existing brandable domain names. For example, don’t use a domain name containing the word Facebook because you want to compete with facebook.com. Facebook and other brands are registered trademarks. So, the domain will be suspended, and you will be charged for violating trademark law.
3. Keep the Domain Name Short and Memorable
Having a short domain name is quite beneficial to your SEO. A website that has a concise domain name is usually easier to memorize. For example, using a name like dailynews.com instead of yourdailynewsupdate.com.
A short domain name is also easier to pronounce and read. When you promote your business on social media or through video advertisements, it will be easier to recall and will avoid misunderstandings when users type the domain name into their browser.
4. Consider Using Relevant Keywords
Optimizing your domain name with relevant keywords helps users quickly find your website and understand your business purpose.
For example, if your business offers writing services, you can implement a related term or target keyword on your domain name, such as content writing, copywriting, or writing solutions.
It will help search engines better understand the content of your website, and people who use search terms related to writing services are more likely to find your domain name in search results.
Keep in mind that you don’t need to use the exact search terms people use. Researching keywords also helps you brainstorm name ideas and better understand your audience.
5. Avoid Numbers and Hyphens
Using hyphens may decrease the readability of your domain name, and numbers may need to be clarified for users. Thus, it is recommended to avoid them.
For example, avoid registering a domain name such as my1website.com or my-web-site.com. Instead, prefer a domain name like mywebsite.com as it is concise and looks more professional.
Moreover, users may forget to use the hyphens, where they are located, or mistakenly spell the number as a word. As a result, they will not find your website.
Conclusion
Choosing an SEO-friendly domain name is your first step to building a successful online business. Having the right domain name also affects your website in many aspects, such as the incoming traffic, business reputation, and customers' trust.
Therefore, considering the five important tips for choosing an SEO-friendly domain is highly recommended:
- Selecting the right top-level domain name.
- Considering a brandable domain name.
- Keeping the domain name short and memorable.
- Applying relevant keywords when possible.
- Avoiding numbers and hyphens.
Ranking your website on SERPs is undoubtedly challenging, but you can start your journey by implementing these practices. Good luck!
