When planning a new website, one of the factors that will have a major impact on its success is your choice of domain name. It is, after all, your online identity so be sure to choose it with care. Here are some issues you need to consider.
Exact Match or Brand?
A few years back, getting an exact match domain (EMD) was one of the tactics used by companies to ranking well in the SERPs. However, the Google Penguin update has negated the beneficial effects of EMDs. You won’t be penalised for an EMD (unless your whole site is spammy or over optimised), it’s just that they don’t have the SEO boost they once had.
The Benefits of Branding
Today, the trend is towards creating a domain name based on brand. If you’re already well-know and the domain is available then using your brand name is a smart choice. Just think, if Google had chosen bestsearchengine.com for their domain name, they might not have been so successful.
One major concern is to avoid infringing on the copyrighted domain names of others. Even if you’re a business dealing in the products of some famous brand, including their brand name in your domain could lead to problems.
Keyword Rich
Though EMDs lack their former power, including your main keyword in your domain name could still have value. However, don’t try and force it in as keyword focused domains often look spammy.
TLD Choices
To add to the old staples of .com, .org and .net, a host of new top level domains (TLDs) have emerged such as .jobs, .travel and .biz. The general advice is to stick to a .com if possible or to choose your country domain such as .com.au if that’s where you carry out most of your business. However things are changing as the new TLDs become better known and accepted.
Your aim with online commerce is to provide a smooth and consistent experience for your visitors. So to avoid confusing your customers, make sure your domain name and site name are the same. For example, if your company name is Bob’s Floorings, and your domain name is bestsydneytiles.com.au, it could confuse a visitor and make him wonder if he’s arrived at the right site. You want a domain that’s distinctive and easy to remember.
As with everything related to marketing and online commerce, always have your target customer in mind when developing your domain name. For every day you get, ask yourself if it would resonate with him. Using your company or business name is often the best approach or basing it on a concise summary of your product or service.
A Key Task
Choosing the right domain name is a key component of effective Sydney SEO so make sure you get it right. For expert help with all your online marketing and search engine optimisation needs, contact Smart SEO today.
