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Domain name with or without hyphen?

by LangeTroels
11 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Hi all,

A quick question: If you have the possibility to choose between two domains both containing the keywords you are targeting; one with a hyphen in between and one without.. Which one do you go for?

Like this:

keyword1keyword2.com
or
keyword1-keyword2.com


Cheers..
#domain #hyphen
  • Profile picture of the author DNChamp
    If the domain you want is for sale BUY IT..dont skimp....On ther other hand as far as SEO goes there is no difference BUT it will make it hard for typein traffic and print marketing.
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  • Profile picture of the author BaloneyTony
    I have seen domain with hyphens rank just as well as those without, but given the choice I would go without the hyphen. Looks more professional and trustworthy to visitors.
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    • Profile picture of the author Bingo123
      Yup, google doesn't care about they hyphen. It is more just a visual thing if you intend on marketing your site offline.
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  • Profile picture of the author HorseStall
    I'm partial to domains with hyphens. It allows google to see the keywords in the domain which gives you a *slight* advantage with SEO.
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    Horse Gifts :: Dog Gifts :: Wild Animal Gifts :: Mythical Creatures
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  • Profile picture of the author Lady Carole
    I've noticed almost as many #1 ranking key words with hyphens as without so it doesn't seem to bother Google. If someone looks for my website name, they would never remember to type in the hyphens, however.

    I personally would go for the keyword without hyphens, if it's available. If it is a popular keyword that's not available, adding a hyphen might make sense. You can check to whether the exact unhyphenated keywords are used on active sites. If no, go for the hyphened one.

    Best wishes, Carole
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  • Profile picture of the author DJ DeMarco
    I'll go with no hypens if its still available. Only use hypen as your alternative, not your main choice.
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    Celebrity Plastic Surgery
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  • Profile picture of the author leopi
    Thanks! Nice day!
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    • Profile picture of the author LangeTroels
      Thanks everybody for the valuable feedback.. I've bought the domain without hyphen..

      Thanks again..
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      • Profile picture of the author paulgl
        Hyphen work as well as anything. Why on earth would anyone think
        there is some magic? Voodoo SEO, once again.

        In fact, in many cases, you WANT to use hyphens. Especially in cases
        where words slur together. Especially if you are looking for some juice
        from the "right" domain. Many people end up with unwanted side effects
        by not using a hyphen in strategic places. Especially when you have a words
        ending in s, and the next one starts with ex. You don't want sex to be seen
        as a word. This could trigger filters. If your words blend and one can make
        new words out of the exact order, use hyphens.

        If you want type-in traffic, watch out for consecutive letters. Watched a show
        last night and a woman kept reiterating that her website was
        halloffame-yadyada.com TWO F's! It is quite awkward for people to type that
        in using double letters. Not a factor if you are looking for search engine traffic.

        Use hyphens. They are needed in quite a few cases.

        Paul
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        If you were disappointed in your results today, lower your standards tomorrow.

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  • Profile picture of the author Lady Carole
    LOL. Didn't think of that. A lot of times I look at a domain name and try to figure out what it says with much difficulty. Hyphens would certainly clear things up like you said! Thanks for your post. Carole
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  • Profile picture of the author discgolftraveler
    Interesting discussion. I think our fellow warriors are correct. The hyphen will not deter google, only those who want to type in your URL. I considered buying a hyphenated domain the other day, but stayed away because I did not want to deal with copyright issues with the un-hyphen domain (if that makes sense)
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