How to choose the best domain for your website

Domain is the name of the website, which is entered in the address bar by the user who wants to view it. Right domain for the website is of paramount importance and it should be able to fulfill the following two requirements

Easy to remember – A domain should be easy for the reader to remember. Usually, a short domain name abc.com is easier to remember than a long domain name like thisisaverybigwebsiteforyourbusiness.com.
Keyword Optimized – The domain name should contain the keywords you are targeting. 60% of SEO experts believe that keyword usage in domain name is important for ranking in a search engine. e.g. if i am targeting “toilet paper”, then the website should contain toilet paper in its name like toiletpaperproducts.com or thetoiletpaper.com. Thus, if I use a domain like this, then the chances of getting my blog to the first page of google (for the keyword “toilet paper”) can become easier.

Target high traffic keywords

If you want a domain which is keyword optimized, you have to choose a suitable keyword beforehand. It is advisable to target a keywords which get lots of traffic but have little competition, because it will be easier for you to reach higher in the search engine rankings for a keyword which has lesser competition.

Steps for searching the best keyword:

1. Use the Google External Keyword tool

2. Search for your niche keyword ( a generic keyword such as java programming for java programming niche)

You will see a list of keywords with the list of global and local monthly searches and also the competition level for the keyword.

I searched for “java programming” and i got the following results

java programming search engine optimization How to choose the best domain for your website

As, you can see java programming tutorial has got 9,900 monthly searches and has a very low competition, so i will choose this keyword. If you find a keyword which has more traffic and less competition, go for it!

If you are targeting local traffic, then you should focus on the local monthly searches.

Buying the most suitable domain

After choosing the keywords, you have to buy a domain name from a site like godaddy. There you can search for the domain and check their availability.

I searched from javaprogramming.com and it was already taken!.

java programming search in godaddy website How to choose the best domain for your website

If the best domain is taken, you will have to use the next best option. You can try the recommendations given by the godaddy website but, you have to make sure that the website domain name is small.

Usually, you can use mydomainhq.com or mydomainsite.com (which are usually available) if mydomain.com is not available. Or if they are not available, then you can add a word to the ideal domain and search for it. I prefer .com because it is considered more professional. Although, you can use domains like .biz .info.

Now, after you have got the right domain, you just have to checkout and pay!

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domain names, keywords, search engine optimization

About the author

Gautam Hans is a freelance blogger and the owner of the Blog Godown where he shares Blog Tips and Social Media Marketing Tips. Check out his Wordpress and Social Media Marketing services.

+Gautam Hans

This entry was posted by Gautam on February 23, 2011 at 12:54 am, and is filed under blogging, blogging tips. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

http://www.journeydigitalmedia.com Seth Waite
Great tips. Something I have found that always helps me is to not rush the process. If I brainstorm a bunch one day I never buy the domain the same day. I give it a chance to marinate.
Then when I come back the next day I generally have even better ideas and I get the best domain possible.

http://www.bloggodown.com Gautam
Seth,
It is totally true, when you are buying a domain, a lot of planning and studying should be done so that you don’t mess up the whole thing. After all, it will determine your blog name, brand and traffic

http://dlysen.com dlysen
Its good to buy yourname.com for yourself if not taken. Some will buy it the future if you don’t buy it now. We cannot avoid people with the same or common name look for it. Take your chance, its an opportunity to have it.

http://www.bloggodown.com Gautam
dlysen,
yes it is time to book yourname.com, you may never know, someone might buy it before you do.

http://www.best-web-hosting-companies.com/ixwebhosting/ Kavya Hari
Hello Gautam, i agree with the first point of the article because every one would be easy to remember the keyword.And, high traffic with the less competition would be more important in the domain name.

http://www.bloggodown.com Gautam
According to many online businessmen who use mini niche websites, the keywords which have lower competition are the best business to enter in. Because, the competition will be less, you will earn more money through it because most of the traffic can be directed to your site.

http://blazingminds.co.uk Karen
I think the same could also be said about choosing a Twitter name, with the option for going with the same name that you may have chosen for your domain name, this way your Twitter will tie nicely in with your chosen domain name and hopefully marketing your “brand” that little bit further

http://www.bloggodown.com Gautam
Karen,
Twitter user names could be chosen in a similar way, but for a blogger or brand owner, he will choose the one which is closer to it’s domain or brand name. twitter user name is usually the second piece of the puzzle, first piece is usually the domain name

Pingback: BizSugar.com
http://www.windows8newsblog.com Ishan Gupta
hi gautam,
i think market Samurai is one of the best programs available to do all the keywords research and suggestions regarding the domain name.. it not only tells you about the competition you will face in the particular domain but the keyword analyzer may also give you certain good names you can use for your domain in case you want your website to be more successful in that particular domain..

http://www.bloggodown.com Gautam
Market Samurai is a good tool, but sometimes, you have to go with your gut with things.
These tools can assist, but the ultimate decision has to be taken by you and you should study a niche before you buy

http://www.bitdoze.com Bit Doze
Choosing a domain name with some keyword do you want to use in it is very important to reach first pages of search engines.
http://www.flashtemplatestudio.com/ Jon Silver
Good tips.
If my best suit domain is busy now “keyword1keyword2.com”.
What is the best solution, to chouse “keyword1-keyword2.com” or “keyword1keyword2.biz”?
I hear that .com is best domain for serch engines.

http://www.bloggodown.com Gautam
I would recommend .com domain – but it would be better if you could use keyword1keyword2hq.com or rather than keyword1-keyword2.com because, in my opinion, hyphens make it difficult for readers to remember the name of the website

http://www.linuxhosting4u.in/ linuxhosting4u
The domain name is one of the most important parts
of any website. Thanks for sharing this information it’s really use to find a good domain name
and keyword for any website.