Quick Question About Domain Names...

by Amelle
19 replies
Hi Guys,
I found a good keyword and want to register a domain name.
The only options I have are:
www.my-great-keyword.com (with hyphens) or
www.mygreatkeyword.org (no hyphens)

Which is better?:confused:
#domain #names #question #quick
  • Profile picture of the author SuppaDave21
    (no hyphens) is better, in terms of SEO as well as if you are wanting to sell your site one day, having the domains without the hypens I found to sell more
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  • Profile picture of the author feliciayapsl
    I'd go for the .org. It makes things easier.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jenny4u1
    Use the domain which is not having symbols. So, that will be easy to pronounce and to remember.
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  • Profile picture of the author dadamson
    Buy both and then 301 redirect one to the other.
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  • Profile picture of the author GaryBurke
    You will rank on the keyword not the extensoin so just go for the .org
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  • Profile picture of the author Link Money
    I have done both and it makes no difference as I can see. I always buy com. org, net in that order. Hyphens look goofy but they work.
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  • Profile picture of the author Eddie Titan
    The exact match domain with the .org extension is better than the domain name with symbols. However, Link Money has a point. You will get a boost in rankings using an exact match domain, but when it comes time to rank for the top 3 spots on the first page of Google, it is much more about proper search engine optimization than it is about having an exact match domain.
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  • Profile picture of the author owenlee
    I would vote for .org

    This is just a personal preference...if SEO is done right...you will still be able to be on page one of Google.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kavel
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author solutionspotlight
      the exact match .org name without dashes is the second best thing to a .com for SEO purposes.

      Try analyzing your competition as well and see how hard or easy it really is to beat the first 3 results in google, bing and yahoo.

      I use Market Samurai. it's a great tool and if you don't know it, you have a 15 day free trial with full functions.

      Hope this helps
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    I have no problem ranking .org. Go for the one with no hyphens
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      As Google and Matt Cutts so regularly and repeatedly confirm, neither hyphenation nor top-level domain extensions affect SEO at all, so from the SEO perspective it makes absolutely no difference either way. (If people advise you otherwise, you'd perhaps be well advised to ignore that and anything else they tell you, just in case all their "information" comes from the Urban Myth School of internet marketing ).

      So you can decide it according to other factors. The other factors you might want to take into account include ...

      (i) Is it the sort of site for which a ".org" extension will "look good" to potential customers? With some things it can be great; with others not so good. Many customers feel that ".com" looks "just like someone trying to sell something" and there may be real advantages in avoiding ".com" for that reason (many marketers are unaware of this - some, who habitually project their own prejudices onto their customers, even imagine the opposite. If the thread goes on for long enough, someone will probably be along who'll say you should use .com if you're selling things because it's perceived as commercial in intent, i.e. exactly the reason you might want to avoid it because that's what can alienate some potential customers - but hopefully you'll treat their "information" with the degree of respect it deserves, too );

      (ii) Resale value is almost always better with a ".com", partly because most marketers prefer them, not knowing how some potential customers look at them (and some are even poorly informed enough to imagine that they're better for SEO! :rolleyes: );

      (iii) Some words/domains look a lot better with hyphens, and it can look bad to leave them out (as the owners of Pen Island and the Mole Station Nursery perhaps discovered);

      (iv) There's nothing to stop you from buying them both anyway, but you'll still have to decide which to use and which to redirect to the other.
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      • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
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        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        (iii) Some words/domains look a lot better with hyphens, and it can look bad to leave them out (as the owners of Pen Island and the Mole Station Nursery perhaps discovered);
        There could be some traffic advantage in PenisLand without the hyphens. lol.

        I always prefer domains without hyphens because in the back of my mind is reselling somewhere down the road, and generally, people prefer them without hyphens when buying domains.

        But for ranking, there's no difference, as Alexa said.
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  • Profile picture of the author IceTeam
    Use no hyphens domain name. .org name is not bad.
    I had such situations with no hypens .net and with hypes .com
    I have chosen .net without hypens.
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  • Profile picture of the author renukoot
    I will go with what Alexa has said.

    To be on top of search engines is SEO what matter much rather than way the name has been registered. Both are Good. Peoples tends to go with out hyphens names as they are simple to understand & remember.

    It both the names are available then go for both & redirect as per your which & easyness.
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  • Profile picture of the author Fahu
    I find managing .org alot easier.
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  • Profile picture of the author Guru_Marketing
    Originally Posted by Amelle View Post

    Hi Guys,
    I found a good keyword and want to register a domain name.
    The only options I have are:
    www.my-great-keyword.com (with hyphens) or
    www.mygreatkeyword.org (no hyphens)

    Which is better?:confused:
    no hyphens is better, because if someone likes your site, it would be easier to communicate it to peers. Most people do this VERBALLY. It's a great strategy for VIRAL MARKETING.

    .com (commercial) is better over the .org, especially if you are planning to sell things and make money out of your website.
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    • Profile picture of the author syedakramreviews
      Originally Posted by Guru_Marketing View Post

      no hyphens is better, because if someone likes your site, it would be easier to communicate it to peers. Most people do this VERBALLY. It's a great strategy for VIRAL MARKETING.

      .com (commercial) is better over the .org, especially if you are planning to sell things and make money out of your website.
      Sometime you'l find people with .com doing nothing and they just park the domains. If you stil can purchase with .net or .org just go ahead and star building your web and get backlinks ASAP. I bet you still can win.
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  • Profile picture of the author Amelle
    Hello everyone,

    Thank you very much to each and every single one of you for being kind enough to take the time to reply to my question and providing reasons for each option.

    I really appreciate each and every single comment.

    Alexa, thanks for a very detailed and informative response, and in particular, providing fresh insight into the seo and customer perception angles of domain extensions. That was truly educational since many teachers I have come across teach that .com extensions rank better.

    Every time I come to this forum, I am humbled by how helpful and giving people are of their time, knowledge, experience, advice, and encouragement.

    Thanks again guys.

    Kind Regards,
    Amelle
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  • Profile picture of the author pnduy025
    If you have a domain name (without hyphen) available with .com, .net or .org, it is always better a hyphen one.
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