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Have I bought the wrong domain name?

by John Henderson
14 replies
Hello everyone, I'm in a bit of a tailspin....

I've bought a ".com" domain name (and a number of spelling/punctuation/TLD variations) that describes my audience and product in two words (along the same lines as "HousewifePodcasts", "GardenerVideos" or "NovelistEbooks").

However I've just read my first book about SEO, and that has shown me how to do a Google Keyword search on the two words in my domain name... and I've established that no-one ever searches for them! But! I have discovered the phrases that people do use when looking for what I'm developing.

So I have 2 choices:
  • Ditch the ".com" domain name(s) that I've bought, and buy something equivalent to "popular-search-keywords" with a less-desirable ".tel" or ".uk.com" TLD.
  • Keep the domain name that I've got, build a brand around this domain name and optimise the rest of each webpage for the keyphrases that people are using.
I suppose that this decision hinges on just how influential a domain name is, compared to a page title or body text, in the ordering of SERPs.

I naturally want the products that I'm developing to feature the URL of my website -- but as I'm not sure if I should stick with the domain(s) that I've bought, product development is being slowed down by this dilemma.

Has anyone else been in the same situation? What would an experienced warrior do?
#bought #domain #wrong
  • Profile picture of the author miniwangja
    SEO is more delicate than just domain name.
    If you are worried at this level, just with the domain name, i suggest you diggggg deeper into SEO. =)
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    • Profile picture of the author John Henderson
      Originally Posted by miniwangja View Post

      SEO is more delicate than just domain name.
      I'm sure that it is Miniwangja, but every site needs all of the help that it can get.
      Originally Posted by miniwangja View Post

      If you are worried at this level, just with the domain name, i suggest you diggggg deeper into SEO. =)
      I'm happy to keep learning, but in the meantime I'd like to create a product and try to sell it...
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  • Profile picture of the author Dave Kingston
    Good SEO gets you ranked for your keywords no matter what the domain words are.

    However,

    1. Keep that one and build a feeder site on your product or
    2. Go back to the registrar and tell them you got it wrong (most have a few days grace)


    I choose 1 every time.
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    • Profile picture of the author John Henderson
      Thank you, Dave.
      Originally Posted by Dave Kingston View Post

      1. Keep that one and build a feeder site on your product
      ...
      I choose 1 every time.
      That sounds encouraging. By "feeder site" do you mean a site whose domain name contains those popular search terms and links to my original site?
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      • Profile picture of the author Dave Kingston
        Originally Posted by John Henderson View Post

        Thank you, Dave.

        That sounds encouraging. By "feeder site" do you mean a site whose domain name contains those popular search terms and links to my original site?
        No. I'd use the 'heavily searched' worded domain for my product (might get some direct type in traffic) and the one I bought thinking it was good as a blog etc and use articles to find searchers on longtails and point them to my main product site with the content and ads.

        Hope that is clear.

        EDIT: i am assuming the heavily searched term .com is available..is it?
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        • Profile picture of the author John Henderson
          Originally Posted by Dave Kingston View Post

          No. I'd use the 'heavily searched' worded domain for my product (might get some direct type in traffic) and the one I bought thinking it was good as a blog etc and use articles to find searchers on longtails and point them to my main product site with the content and ads.

          Hope that is clear.
          Yes, that's perfectly clear Dave, and gives me some strategy to work with.

          Originally Posted by Dave Kingston View Post

          EDIT: i am assuming the heavily searched term .com is available..is it?
          Oh, no. I'm down to the likes of ".mobi", ".uk.com", ".com.eu"..... Yuk!!! :rolleyes:
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  • Profile picture of the author John Henderson
    Thanks for your vote, Traffic-Bug.

    It's only a two-word domain name... and neither of them are being used in the search terms that people use when looking for what I'm offering. As you suggest, I just hope that I can make it up with content.
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  • Profile picture of the author Roger Mayne
    Hi John

    I absolutely hate domains with .uk.com, .mobi etc. Even .info names are a bit of a push. That's probably why they're still available.
    Signature

    "If you don't quit, you can't fail"
    Success will follow.

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    • Profile picture of the author John Henderson
      Originally Posted by swiftdeal View Post

      I absolutely hate domains with .uk.com, .mobi etc. Even .info names are a bit of a push. That's probably why they're still available.
      I don't like them either Roger, and as you say, it explains why they're still sat on the shelf. :rolleyes:
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  • Profile picture of the author Jack Duncan
    John,
    I'd start over and grab a keyword domain that is being searched and is ending in .com.

    If you'd like some help with this, PM me and I'll run a bulk search and see what is out there. (free of charge of course...just to lend a fellow Warrior a hand. )

    Unless you are just going to target the UK...I think you could be hanging yourself there.

    Cheers,
    Jack
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    • Profile picture of the author John Henderson
      Originally Posted by Jack Duncan View Post

      I'd start over and grab a keyword domain that is being searched and is ending in .com.

      If you'd like some help with this, PM me and I'll run a bulk search and see what is out there. (free of charge of course...just to lend a fellow Warrior a hand. )
      Thank you for your kind offer, Jack.

      Originally Posted by Jack Duncan View Post

      Unless you are just going to target the UK...I think you could be hanging yourself there.
      No, I'd like to target all of the English-speaking world, so I'm keen to use an "international" domain, such as ".com" or ".net".
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  • Profile picture of the author BrainDance
    just supporting what those have said about SEO being key. the words in a domain name might help, but what is truly important is the content of the site itself. Gardener Videos, that's a GREAT domain name, I would never think of searching for that, BUT i can guarantee, the gardeners of the world would love to be able to show off their work via video. dang man, set up a community for gardeners to show off their work, to swap stories, helps and whatever.
    If I was into gardening and had a major issue with ..let's say a tomato I couldn't figure out. I could video it, upload it and people could comment,offer suggestions and so on.

    OR just use it as a video hosting site specifically for gardening, then promote it on gardening forums and groups, monetize however it suits you.
    Opportunities are there, think outside what you normally would. not everything in the world is about an ebook.
    get on that one, spring is coming
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    • Profile picture of the author John Henderson
      Originally Posted by BrainDance View Post

      just supporting what those have said about SEO being key. the words in a domain name might help, but what is truly important is the content of the site itself.
      Thanks for that, BD. I just hope that the stuff between the <HEAD> tags counts as much as a domain name.

      Originally Posted by BrainDance View Post

      Gardener Videos, that's a GREAT domain name...
      Oh, I just used that as an example to show how my own domain name was constructed of two words that described the audience and the type of product. That's not the name that I've bought...
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