When you buy a domain name, you are investing your money in something in which you expect some returns. The domain name identifies and distinguishes your business from other websites on the Internet. Choosing a good domain name can be compared to having a well stocked brick and mortar store. The domain will either drive or hinder the development of your business. There are many individuals who have undertaken the selling and buying of domain names as their business. If you need a domain name, you do not want to buy a domain that is either overvalued or undervalued.
The following are the 5 most important SEO factors to consider when you are attempting to buy a good domain name:
Length of Domain Name
First impression and image is everything in business. The length of the domain name or business matters a lot. Certainly, online reputation is centered around many factors, and the domain name is just one of them, albeit an important one. The shorter the name, the easier it is for people to remember it. If you can get a one word domain, it will be easier for surfers to remember the name. For example, it would be easier to remember money.com compared to getmoneypaid.com. Short descriptive names are ideal. A short domain name also prevents Tweeter from auto-shortening the URL when it is tweeted.
Keyword Rich Domain Name
The domain name can only be effective if the name is descriptive of the product, service or business. Whatever the niche market you may be targeting, you need to get keywords that are related with the niche. You will need to perform research on the best keywords for your niche. For example, if you intend to provide services or products for weight loss, you need to find a domain name with the two keywords “weigh loss.”
Domain Name Level
You should target the top level domain names. There are many top level domains, but the best to use are .com, .org and .net. The three top level domains offer better search engine rankings. The .com domain is the best choice if you are targeting an international market. However, if you intend to do business within your country, you can use country code TLDs such as .ke, .uk, etc.
No Numbers and Hyphens
The domain name should be devoid of hyphens and numbers. If you buy a domain name with a number, you may have to buy some other domain name that you do not intend to use just to cover different spelling posibilities. For instance, buying the domain Give5.com might compel you to buy GiveFive.com as well. If you share the domain name verbally, you will avoid having to answer some questions by having both of the domains.
The Domain’s Age
The older the domain name, the better it may be for your business. Old domains rank higher in search engines. An older domain is likely to have built a reputation and will probably have some backlinks attached to it as well.