{"id":62686,"date":"2019-03-12T20:48:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-13T03:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/in\/\/?page_id=62686"},"modified":"2019-04-10T12:28:45","modified_gmt":"2019-04-10T19:28:45","slug":"topleveldomains","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/in\/topleveldomains\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose a Domain Name: 12 Tips to Pick the Right One"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you’re rebranding or just starting out, choosing a domain name is a key consideration. Good domain names are a factor in building your online presence. <\/p>\n

Wondering how to choose a domain name? It’s all about picking a domain name that truly represents who you are and what you do. There are a lot of things to take into consideration, though, on the path to URL bliss. <\/p>\n

Read on for 12 tips we recommend keeping in mind when choosing a domain name!<\/p>\n

\"Ready<\/p>\n

1. Choose a Domain Name that Reflects \u200bYour Brand and What You Do<\/h2>\n

It’s very helpful if visitors can determine what kind of site you are just by looking at your URL in the SERPs. If they\u2019re confused and not sure you\u2019ll meet their needs, why would they click through? <\/p>\n

Furthermore, your domain should be identical to your company name. Establish your brand and ease the user’s task of having to locate you online. For established companies, users will often assume your URL will be the same as your company name and put it straight into their address bar. <\/p>\n

2. Don’t Limit Yourself<\/h2>\n

Let’s say you sell cupcakes and are ecstatic to find that OnlyCupcakes.com is available (it\u2019s not, though \u2014 we checked). This may be a good match for you right now, but what about in five years when you decide to expand your business to include cakes, cookies and croissants? You may suddenly find yourself struggling to show relevancy. When picking a domain name, make sure you leave yourself a little wiggle room.<\/p>\n

3. Using Keywords Is Nice, But Not Required<\/h2>\n

Using a keyword in your domain name has value, but it’s no longer a golden ticket to the top of the SERP. The value is found in a domain’s ability to communicate (to users and search engine crawlers) what a site is about, thereby influencing the user’s click choice. If a keyword is legitimately part of your business name or reflects what you do, sure, include it. <\/p>\n

In October 2012, Google’s Exact Match Domain update marked the end of a time when a site could rank simply because their domains were exact match keywords. Previously, these kinds of domains could rank without quality backlinks or content. The EMD update changed all that, and helped level the playing field for sites to compete against sites whose only strength was their keyword-laden domain.<\/p>\n

4. Shorter Is Better<\/h2>\n

When selecting a domain, research shows that shorter names are the easiest for users to remember. When picking a domain name, keep things short and straightforward. The two main reasons for traffic diversions are users mistyping your URL and users who use the wrong extension. Combat mistyping by keeping things concise. Combat the second reason with factor #6!<\/p>\n

5. Own All the Extensions, Not Just the .com<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re launching a commercial site, it\u2019s really important that you snatch up the major extensions. You don\u2019t want to take YumYumScoreCupcakes.com and YumYumScoreCupcakes.org only to let someone else pick up the .net and .org. It\u2019s a reputation management crisis waiting to happen. Don\u2019t let it. Also it’s important to remember here is that .com is still the big winner.<\/p>\n

\"Best<\/p>\n

6. Consider Typos<\/h2>\n

Even with a short, clear URL, a user might still mistype your URL. A good idea, then, is to buy out all possible spelling and word-choice combinations, and then 301 redirect that traffic to the correct domain.<\/p>\n

7. Think Long-Term<\/h2>\n

Chances are you\u2019re going to be stuck with whatever site you\u2019re creating for a good chunk of time. When you pick a domain name, make sure it will stand the test of time and that you\u2019ll still love it three years from now.<\/p>\n

8. Consider How the Domain Looks <\/h2>\n

Your domain name should be visually appealing. Doubling up on letters in domains like marccupcakes.com can be confusing for visitors trying to parse it. You also want to be aware of how your words will look when connected together. MensExchange.com may sound like a good idea, but try typing that in all lowercase letters and see what you get. Are you comfortable with that association? Avoid domains with hyphens while you\u2019re at it. If you have to explain it after you say it, look elsewhere.<\/p>\n

\n

At BCI, we
\nhelp clients with not just the how-tos, but also the strategy questions
\nthey need to optimize their online revenue. Want to explore how we can help you? Request a conversation<\/a> or call us today.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\n
\n

9. Make Sure You’re Not Accidentally Infringing on a Copyright<\/h2>\n

Imagine how annoyed you\u2019d be if someone infringed upon your totally unique and successful domain name by creating one that looked exactly like it. Yes, now imagine how fast you\u2019d sue them and make them take it down. Copyright infringement is never a good idea. Going this route could cost you your entire business, so don\u2019t do it. Before you finalize your domain, do some research to make sure that no one else has it and that you\u2019re not going to be violating any trademarks.<\/p>\n

Domains can include trademarked or bizarre coined terms that may have pending legal matters attached to them. You do not want to involve your company in their legal mess \u2014 often these domains have a low value and are not worth the hassle. <\/p>\n

Generic names work better for URLs because trademark issues are far less common, and if there is an issue, it will be less restrictive. Unless you happen to be the one to own the trademark, in which case, capitalize on that.<\/p>\n

10. Be Aware of gTLD Options<\/h2>\n

There are more than 1,000 generic top level domains available, ranging from .pink to .dance to .yoga.<\/p>\n

If you choose a gTLD, remember that there is no SEO benefit tied to using a specific gTLD. Choosing .movie rather than .com, for example, provides no SEO effect. In 2012, Google\u2019s former Head of Web Spam Matt Cutts said that “We\u2019ve always wanted to return the best results we can to users \u2026 whether it\u2019s on a .com or a .de or a .whatever, and we\u2019ll try to return that to users.<\/p>\n

Bruce Clay, Inc. Vice President Duane Forrester, who used to work as \u200ba senior product manager at a search engine, warns to err on the side of caution and stick with \u200b TLDs, like .com and .org.<\/p>\n

“It’s tempting to try to grab a good, keyword-rich domain in one of those extensions. Don\u2019t. Search engines routinely watch spammers try to exploit the newest variants in the hope of gaming rankings, so sometimes entire top level domains are draped with the spam flag. Buying a new domain to learn, after fruitless hours and dollars invested, that it\u2019ll never really rank well is a real kick in the teeth,” said Forrester.<\/p>\n

11. Know the Domain’s History<\/h2>\n

Buying a slightly used domain name may be the easiest way to get many useful .com domains these days. But be sure to research the domain\u2019s history before buying it. Many sites have struggled after buying what they thought were thoroughbred domains, only to then learn \u2014 after months of frustration \u2014 that the history for the domain is littered with download spam issues, low quality content issues or even malware association issues. A few minutes at http:\/\/www.archive.org<\/a> could save you from a costly mistake!<\/p>\n

12. Own the .com Even if You’re Not Based in the United States<\/h2>\n

Even if you’re based in another country, own the .com for your domain in addition to your country code top level domain (ccTLD). In addition to providing international access, the TLD ‘.com’ has established itself throughout the world and can signal trust to a user \u2014 therefore it’s still useful for branding even if you’re doing local business in a foreign country.<\/p>\n

\u200b<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whether you’re rebranding or just starting out, choosing a domain name is a key consideration. Good domain names are a factor in building your online presence. Wondering how to choose a domain name? It’s all about picking a domain name that truly represents who you are and what you do. There are a lot of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101022,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62686","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"Bruce Clay IN - Search Engine Marketing - How to Select a Domain, Top Level Domains<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Bruce Clay IN Search Engine Marketing Company - How to Select a Domain. 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