There are two ways of selecting a domain name. You can choose the domain name first and use it as your organization name or vice versa. Most of the old organizations prefer to retain their brand name in their URL. Many startup organizations select their URL first and then name their organization. This is because of the non availability of the perfect URL.
Your website URL is your online identity that is visible to millions of internet users. It impacts your organization name, website seo and future business endeavors. All these factors should be taken into consideration before selecting a URL.
Boost Your Website SEO with the Following Domain Selection Tips:
1. Choose a Keyword Rich Domain Name: A keyword rich URL is a bonus for any website. It helps boost ranking in the search engine results pages. If the desired keyword rich URL is not available, you can add a prefix or a suffix to the keyword. A URL which contains a combination of keywords helps in drawing more traffic to the website.
2. Include Hyphens in the Domain Name: Search engines can distinguish between hyphenated keywords very easily. This helps in ranking better in search results pages. Hyphenated keywords in the URL are a good option if the desired keyword rich URL is not available. There is one pitfall in using hyphens in the URL. Your website visitor can land on the competitor’s website if they forget to add the hyphens. Webmasters should include hyphens as a last option to obtain the perfect domain name.
3. Select A Top Level Domain Name: A website URL should be selected based on the geographical location of the customers. If your website caters to the customers at a global level, a dot-com domain is suitable for you. If the dot-com domain is not available, you can opt between dot-net and dot-org. If your organization is based in United Kingdom, your top level domain should be dot-co-dot-uk. A non-profit organization should opt for dot-org as their top level domain.
4. Purchase a New Domain Name: A domain name should be researched well before purchasing. It is an important to get a URL related to your niche. Tips for purchasing a new URL:
a. The name should be easy to spell & remember.
b. URL’s are inexpensive. You can register multiple keywords rich URL and redirect them to the main domain. As a result, a lot of traffic will be directed to the main site.
c. Make sure that you are not infringing another organizations brand name.
d. If your organization belongs to a particular region, Purchase a geo specific URL. This helps in capturing the target audience.
5. Purchase an Aged Domain Name: Always check the background of an aged domain before purchasing it. Aged domains can give your website seo a good boost. Tips for purchasing an aged URL:
a. Check the domain age. This will give you an idea of how old the domain is. Google gives a lot of importance to aged domains in search results pages. Your chances of ranking well improve with the age of the domain name.
b. Note the page rank of the aged domain. As the page rank increases, the importance of the domain increases.
c. Calculate the number of backlinks of the aged domain. An aged domain should have a few hundred backlinks. If the backlinks are not sufficient or are of poor quality, move on to purchasing another aged domain.
A good domain name should not exceed 67 characters. Look for a reputed service provider to host your URL. Register your URL for a few years instead of one year. Your website will leave a good and lasting impression on Google.