Why a Domain Name Matters for SEO

Brandon Keller   •   April 2, 2018

When it comes to the competitive landscape of search engine optimization, every little detail matters. Minor changes and adjustments can be the difference between having your website featured on the all-important Google Page One and being all but invisible. One important but often-overlooked aspect is your domain name. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the name you choose for your website can have a significant impact on the success of your site and your business.

How Does a Domain Name Impact Website Traffic?

In a nutshell, a good domain name can increase your click-through rate, develop more trust between you and your potential customers, bring more attention to your business on a search results page, and increase the possibility of future branding opportunities. Read on for more information on how to choose a domain name that drives traffic to your website.

Domain Name SEO Best Practices for Success

There are a few key components to choosing the right domain name for your new website. In order to put your website in the best position to succeed, follow these domain name SEO best practices:

Get the Domain Name Essentials Right

First things first: Don’t get cute with the essentials of your URL. All websites for businesses should be a “.com” website. Other options potentially hurt your ability to attract traffic. That means no “.net,” “.biz,” “.co,” or any other variation besides “.com.” Also, you’ll want your default website to begin with “www,” rather than having a URL that just jumps right to the domain name.

Include Your Brand Name in the URL

Keep your branding strong for your business by including the name of your brand in the domain name. You want people to become familiar with the name of your business rather than a generic website URL. Even if you are launching a business that does not have much of a following or reach at this time, it will pay dividends down the road if you claim your brand name as a domain name now.

Keep Your Domain Name Short and Simple

Nobody likes having to type a complicated novel when they are trying to navigate to a website. Keep your domain name brief and as typeable as possible, preferably under 15 characters. Also, keep the URL to letters, and avoid symbols, numbers, or punctuation marks.

Don’t Use Multiple Domain Names and URLs

You don’t want to confuse your customers or Google search crawlers. Having multiple domain names all forwarding to the same site is not a recipe to increase your traffic, so make sure to only have one domain. Subdomains are also ineffective and inefficient.

Include a Keyword in the Domain if Applicable

If you have a very short company name or need to abbreviate your businesses name in order to keep it brief, consider adding a keyword to your domain name. For example, if you own a Hamburger restaurant called “Jon’s,” consider making your domain name www.JonsBurgers.com, or add the city, such as www.JonsSanDiego.com. Keywords can also be a necessary addition if the URL featuring your company’s name is already claimed by another business and you are unwilling to pay the cost to purchase that domain name.

Let the SEO Experts at Reader Digital Help You Choose an Effective Domain Name

You are an expert when it comes to running your business, but not necessarily when it comes to search engine optimization. Let the SEO team at Reader Digital in San Diego worry about all of the SEO details while you worry about making your business shine. We offer competitive SEO packages for businesses, including website builds and help to choose an effective domain name. If you’re interested in learning how we can help your business grow, contact us today by calling (619) 483-4600 or request a free audit.