All Entries Tagged With: "domain names"
What Of The Domain Name, Anyway?
Should you get a domain name with your keyword in it for your new blog? Search Marketing Standard’s Rebecca Appleton gives some good, and bad, advice about this issue. First, let’s dispel a rumor: All the good domain names aren’t taken.
There I said it. But is it true?
Ms. Appleton says that most of the good domain names with keywords are gone. It depends on what you mean by good domain names.
About once a year Google changes its ranking algorithm to put more weight on keyword-rich domain names. Later in the year the search giant reverses it. So keywords in the domain names do, at least for part of the time, affect your rankings. Even beyond anchor text. But, as she so aptly points out, anchor text can be a bigger benefit to you if you have that keyword in the domain name.
A part of the perception regarding domain names centers around people coveting shorter domain names. Yes, if you’re looking for a one-word domain name with your keyword in it then you’ll likely never see it. If you do, you’ll pay thousands of dollars for it. Likely, hundreds of thousands.
Nevertheless, you can still get a domain name with your keyword in it. You just might have to get creative. There is nothing wrong with coming up with creative variations of keywords that can also be branded. Not every domain name has to be Keyword_______.com where the blank you fill in is a related, but different, word that describes the same thing. Instead, why not fill in the blank with an unrelated keyword that you can use as a branding element. All kinds of examples abound:
- AutomotiveChickenHawks.com
- MattressPerv.com
- FlowerChild.com
- GreaseMonkey.com
- TheClockStruck1.com
- RealEstateHatTricks.com
OK, some of these may be far out, but think branding and marketing. You’ve got your keyword. You know what you want to target. Now come up with your version of the Marlboro Man. If I were Philip Morris, I’d secure TheMarlboroManSmokes.com and I’d brand it to the hilt.
Social Bookmarking Is Just A Fad
I said that. You can quote me. However I said it in 2004 and I was so totally wrong. I’ve made some pretty good predictions on the web in my 13 years doing Internet Marketing.
When I started out buying and selling and appraising domain names in 1995, many of my predictions about the domain name market and generic domain names are now standard practice for any domainer.
I predicted generic domain names would out-perform domains that were just company names. I was right on target even back when that was not the most popular opinion.
I was buying XM Radio related domain names before they even launched the 2 satellites “rock” and “roll” that power satellite radio.
But on social bookmarking I completely missed the boat. But no longer will I ever call social bookmarking a fad. I’m a convert.
On one of my blogs that I’ve owned for a few years, I was getting about 300 unique visitors a month and a few comments and participation. It’s a personal blog so I didn’t feel those numbers were all that bad with all of the blogs that are out there. I had a few readers and was happy with it.
The 300 uniques was in September 07. I started social bookmarking the posts on that blog in October. In december 07, that blog had more than 6000 unique visitors, a lot of comments and participation and my blog is a lot more fun to write now.
If you are not taking advantage of social bookmarking or think it’s a fad still, then you are missing the boat now. Me? I’m sold.
