16 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
16 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Keywords in domain name do they count?

by Anne Laidlaw
14 replies
  • SEO
    • |
I know this has been asked before but I can't get the search to work.
My question is... Do keywords make a difference in the domain name?

I'm starting a new niche am I better to use keywords in the domain name or pick a catchy short name?

thanks in advance,
Anne L
#count #domain #keywords
  • Profile picture of the author loaf1011
    Hi Anne,

    There is definitely a correlation between EMD (exact match domains) and better search engine rankings, although all of the latest announcements and changes from Google suggest that it's becoming less of a factor.

    Every year Moz (one of the most respected SEO agencies and software providers on the planet) runs complex correlation matrices for a wide array of search terms to determine what factors correlate with better rankings... you can check their annual findings out here: 2013 Search Engine Ranking Factors Survey & Correlation Data - Moz

    Just remember... correlation doesn't mean causation. The number of sheep in Scotland could very well correlate with global temperatures, but it doesn't necessarily mean that one causes the other.
    Signature
    BRAND NEW for January 2016: Want to grow your business to six-figures in 2016? Take the quiz to see if your business is ready to make six-figures this year!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9287832].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Anne Laidlaw
    Thanks for the link to the search data. I noticed that you are penalized for hyphens in your domain. It is a very small penalty but still a penalty.
    Signature
    Giant Plugin Biz High Quality WP Plugin Package
    WP Plugins Are Hott!! Claim Your Piece Of The Pie Today!
    Free Squeeze Page Creator - FREE Instant Access To Alou's Killer Squeeze Page Creator.
    Alou.com - Wordpress SEO - Latest free WordPress SEO, Plugins, Themes and more!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9287935].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author AffEngineer
      Originally Posted by Anne Laidlaw View Post

      Thanks for the link to the search data. I noticed that you are penalized for hyphens in your domain. It is a very small penalty but still a penalty.
      I think an excessive use of hyphens indicates a dodgy site hence the penalty. One hyphen should be ok I would think.
      Signature
      $82,000 in 19 Days, Say What?!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9288015].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author craighakwins
    It's not what it used to be now. They say that you have to go more of a brand name nowadays instead of just going for keywords in the domain. Things have changed.
    Signature
    RANK DOCTOR - PREMIUM High Quality, High Authority DA+PA+ Links. 3 Links for $35/m (Currently 20% OFF)
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9287960].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author IrisMKH
    Originally Posted by Anne Laidlaw View Post

    I'm starting a new niche am I better to use keywords in the domain name or pick a catchy short name?
    How about both?
    That's what I'm trying to do. My main keyword is "art": artforbreakfast, smartart, artcanon, ... Well, everything I can think of is already grabbed by someone, but you catch my drift!
    Back to brainstorming about my domain name now ;-)

    Iris
    Signature

    Currently drawing: http://irishopp.com/

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9287965].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Robert X
    Google searches search for theme based websites, meaning, that it starts with the domain and goes through the entire "theme" of your site, pages, posts, titles and content, and that includes the domain. They all should be of a certain theme.

    Robert C
    The Warrior Syndicate
    Warrior Forum Underground
    Signature

    [

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9288005].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Anne Laidlaw
    I agree one hyphen should be ok but 3 or 4 you get the penalty. Good domains are hard to come by these days. Back to the drawing board.
    Signature
    Giant Plugin Biz High Quality WP Plugin Package
    WP Plugins Are Hott!! Claim Your Piece Of The Pie Today!
    Free Squeeze Page Creator - FREE Instant Access To Alou's Killer Squeeze Page Creator.
    Alou.com - Wordpress SEO - Latest free WordPress SEO, Plugins, Themes and more!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9288908].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author BBEX
      I was wondering where you read this information, could you please send me the article of the hyphens rule?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9289329].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TrustedSEO
    Hi,

    EMDs work very well. What Google said was this:

    They will not tolorate LOW-QUALITY EMDs.. A low quality EMD is a site that is being used for low quality spam activities.

    If you use an EMD, but build a quality focused site, something of some value -- you're fine. There's nothing wrong with this.

    I can't count the number of times I've had to correct others who've misunderstood this EMD issue. It's sad.

    Focus on building a quality based website and forget about the rest.

    Greg
    Search Simplicity
    Signature
    Visit My Reputable SEO Company -> Either Click here OR Here OR To Email me click here!! :)

    A Top 20 Local SEO Blog: Check out our FREE SEO and Internet Marketing Tutorials! An awesome SEO Blog just for you!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9289807].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      I often wonder if you people live on a unique network, like the old fashioned AOL...

      Nobody seems to have ever heard of
      zillow, zap2it, amazon, ebay, craigslist, kayak, trulia, okcupid, zoosk, go,
      wikipedia, imbd, imgur, xhamster, o,alibaba, digitalpoint, warriorforum, digitalriver,
      webmonkey, twitch, tigerdirect, steampowered, hattrick,

      Paul
      Signature

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

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9290370].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ragavns
    Yes Keywords do count ..It shows How your page structured and Google Crawls web page according to it based on authentic
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9291751].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author VivekThakur
    Keyword rich domain name is a plus point in order to get in serp your site to that keyword. Keyword rich domain makes high possibility & you have to do minimum effort to get in serp comparing to other domain.
    Signature

    Enjoy Life.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9293922].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author altonroot
    If you have a quality website with high relevancy then EMD is also fine. The EMD with most spammy queries like pay day loan put you in trouble.
    Signature
    Compare Energy Prices | Compare Life Insurance
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9294572].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author savyeman
    Originally Posted by Anne Laidlaw View Post

    I know this has been asked before but I can't get the search to work.
    My question is... Do keywords make a difference in the domain name?

    I'm starting a new niche am I better to use keywords in the domain name or pick a catchy short name?

    thanks in advance,
    Anne L
    Google ranks more branded websites. So pick a name that will show a real business not EMD
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9295069].message }}

Trending Topics