To compensate for the missing keyword you have to heavily use that word in your backlink's anchor text. Remember to vary your anchor text but heavily favor the missing keyword you are talking about if you want to rank for it.

I really don't think that a keyword in the domain is that important.

Sure it helps, but it is not a must.

Simple example: go to google and type 'Search Engine' what results do you get?

Yahoo.com, Bing.com, Dogpile.com, ask.com etc'

not one of those contain the word/s 'search' or 'engine' meaning, it is not that important.

I have many sites ranking for keywords that are not relevant to the domain.

But the content on the pages that are ranking and backlinks pointing to those pages are very relevant...

Hope this helps

Having the keyword in the domain helps, but it isnt essential. People go after them because they are easy to remember, natural, and makes it a little easier to rank.
However, in the end, it really doeant matter.
Heck, your domain could be dog,com and rank your site #1 for the keyword:cat

when it comes to ranking a site, you need too have some major things,,,,, Keyword in domain name, keyword in description 2-3 times, keyword density of each page 3.5%, and quality backlinks, preferably edu and gov and some high ranking PR6-9

Im sure you could rank without it in you domain but it's like extra points if you can, if organic traffic doesn't work for you then you'll need to set up a sales funnel using social media and ppc on facebook and google., make sure you have an opt in form on any site you make to capture your leads and send new offers to them along with quality content. If you need some beginner free tools the toolbar in my sig is loaded with resources including an email opt list you can get up too 100 people before you pay, also free hosting for your websites ect. sales funnel try the link on top sig.

anyway to your success it's a tough job but it's well worth it in the long run !! best wishes.

-Shane

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Keywords in the domain means less than most people think. Does it help? Sure. I'll take an exact match domain over a domain without keywords 99% of the time. (Unless I can get a high quality aged domain.)

Just make sure your keyword density is up to par and your backlinks are using your keywords as the anchor text. Also, if you're creating a page within a domain, you can still use the keywords. Ex: domain(dot)com/your-keywords-here

Thanks everyone, more questions to come once the site is up. Thanks again

Unless you can get an Exact Match Domain (EMD)
Blue widgets = bluewidgets.com bluewidgets.net. bluewidgets.org. etc etc

IMO it makes no difference to put the kw in the domain name as far as ranking

i had a domain with keyword in url, it reached the first page though i had to make a lot of work on it. then i make another site in the same niche using url keyword and what i noticed is that it ranked quickly comparing to my first site

Is not that important to have keyword in your domain name cos as long your content have the important keywords, you'll be okay but please don't flood it, 2-3% will be good enough. When doing backlinking please have your keyword in your anchor texts but same thing don't flood it, try to rephrase your anchor text for your backlinks.

Thanks, you guys just saved 3 domains that were going to get the axe, lol.

Search engines use about 100-200 factors when ranking a website. Sure, having the keyword in your domain matters, but it doesn't mean that you can't rank for a keyword just because it isn't in your domain name. This is like PR, a lot of people place so much importance on it, but a properly optimized PR0 can beat a PR4 in rankings.

It's a factor. It helps, but it isn't that debilitating if you don't have it.

There are many reasons why having a keyword in a domain name is helpful the least of which is the potential boost for SEO.

Keywords in your Domain identifiy what your site is about. When people link back to you they will often AND HERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT - A U T O M A T I C A L L Y - USE THE KEYWORD TO LINK BACK TO YOU BOOSITING YOUR SEO.

If you are not using a Keyword in your domain you have an opportunity to BRAND your site. After all who would think of Google or Yahoo without Branding.

Keywords make it easier for people to identify what they are searching for.

Look for the additional benefits when choosing to create a business plan. Your name is very important. People remember things that are related, easy to spell, end in .com, and create some kind of visual tie in their brains.

This is why Tag lines can also be so beneficial. Look at the big businesses and see what they have done to create Branding and Taglines.

Hi Rocky,

Since it seems no one has given you a clear explanation, I will attempt to bring a little clarity to the issue brought up by your question.

To be clear, it isn't the keyword in the domain, but keyword in the URL that is an important influence in ranking. Yes there are more than a couple hundred ranking factors, but please try to understand, they are group into 4 primary ranking factors, one of those 4 being relevancy of the URL.

Having a keyword domain name ensures that your keyword is always include in every URL on your website. Despite not having a keyword domain, you can include keywords in the URL by using it in a file name, a directory, or a sub-domain. With a little diligence you can easily compensate for the lack of keyword in the domain by including elsewhere in the URL. Otherwise, you may compensate with the additional promotional cost of a branding campaign.