So, you have decided to start a business but what domain name should you register for your business? Domain names are the unique, human-readable Internet addresses of websites. Choosing a good name is important because it sets the foundation ground for your Search Engine Optimisation activities. There are also different domains structure such as subdomains and subfolders. So how do you go about picking the best SEO-friendly domain name for your business?
Firstly, you can consider these questions in relation to domain names:
Must the domain name match your business?
If you run a physical business (with a store front), it makes sense that your domain name is the same as your registered business name. However, if you are a business focused on branding or is purely online, you should consider a better name that would be suited for your brand.
Is it compulsory to have domain/website names with SEO keywords in them?
It is not compulsory but highly recommended. When you have exact match keywords in your domain name, it signals to the browser that it is the specialty of your business. While there is doubt whether it adds value to SEO ranking, there is no doubt that if you are a browser searching for a specific solution, you are likely to click on a search result link with the exact keyword you are searching for.
Has the website name been previously registered?
This might be important because Google penalizes domain names that are associated with Blackhat SEO strategies and that sticks with the domain even after it has been unregistered. This means that when your business registers that same name, you will likely face a huge difficulty in ranking your website for any keywords. One way that you can check if the domain has been previously registered is to check using Adssential Hosting Checker.
Should I consider registering variants of my main domain name?
Yes! If you can, you should consider the different ways your users will search or type for your domain name. A quick example would be that if your website name is “thebicycleexpert” people may type in “thebikeexpert” or “thebicycleexperts” in order to not lose that traffic, you will want to consider registering these additional domain names to redirect to your main website.
Here are some additional good practicing tips for picking domain names
Keep the name as concise as possible
This helps people to easily remember your domain and also humans are often lazy creatures, if your name is too long or complicated, they might just forgo visiting your website.
Try not to use hyphens in your domain names
Hyphens in domain names can make it look sketchy or spammy, it also adds unnecessary style to your name. Unless you feel that it is necessary, you should avoid hyphens at all costs.
There are a few considerations points you should think about before deciding on a name, remember that what you register now might greatly affect the efficacy of your website in the future so choose wisely! If you are having issues registering your domain name or would like to source for someone to build an amazing user-friendly website for better conversion rates, contact Adssential Marketing today!