How to Choose the Best Domain Name for SEO and Branding

Introduction

The selection of the domain name is a very critical as it will be your online identity or brand name. Apart from adding value to your brand image, domain name also has a major influence in the SEO of your website. In the following article, the practical recommendations and rules for choosing a domain and its integration into the SEO and branding concepts will be described.
Understanding Domain Names

What are the Domains of Computers?

A domain name is the online address of your web site. It is what users input in their browsers to get to your site or a specific page on your site. By having a web address, one can look at it as being equivalent to the business’ physical address on the street.

Elements that make Up a Domain Name

A domain name typically consists of two parts: name (for example, ‘example’) and the domain name extension (for example ‘. com’). Combined, they comprise the entire domain name, such as example com.

How Domain Names Help in SEO and Branding

Your domain name works as visitors’ first look at your company, website, and your brand in general. It influences the keyword and branding thereby affecting the SEO. A proper selection of the domain name contributes to a higher click-through ratio and, consequently, higher positions in search engines.

Domain Names and SEO

Keywords in Domain Names

It is also advisable to incorporate relevant keywords situated in your domaining name because search engines shall take less time to identify what your website is comprised of. However, do not go overboard in the use of keywords to the point the text appears to be spamming.

Domain Name Length

It may be better to have shorter names in the domains you are creating. Thus, short URLs are easier to memorize, input using the keyboard, and transfer to other individuals. Ideally, the dot com name should be short while being as descriptive of the brand or business as possible.

TLDs commonly known as Domain Extensions (. com, . net, and so on)

Though “. com” remains the most popular and credible domain extension other extension such as, “. net,” “. org” and even those branded by country code also work. Select an extension domain that will suit your business kind and required clients.
Picking a brand name for a website or product requires consideration of the following domains:

Memorability

Your Domain name should be a easy to remember phrase. This means that when people can easily remember the developed domain name they are likely to visit the site and recommend other people to do the same.

Brand Alignment

Make sure that the domain name matches your brand’s vision, and it should have a positive connotation. It should also be appropriate to the name that you have given your brand and the general corresponding publicity.

Avoiding Trademark Issues

It is recommended that you search for the trademark of the intended name before you complete the registration process. Make certain your domain name has not already been taken by other firms and there is no trademark protection for it.

Tips to Getting the Right Domain Name

This we can write as KISS which stands for, Keep it Short and Simple

A short and simple domain is easy to remember and people type it in the address bar without mistake. Do not to use big words and phrases.
While designing a corporate identity using colors the following factors need to be considered Make it easy to spell and pronounce.

In other words, if it is easy to spell and pronounce the domain name, then it is likely to be passed viral from one individual to another. This is why word-of-mouth marketing, as an important way of reaching a wide audience, is also more effective when it is joined with other appealing offers and guarantees of success.
Use Relevant Keywords

Insert keywords that define the business you are involved in or the niche of the business you are posting on. This may be useful for SEO and will assist the visitor to comprehend the matter that your Internet site offers.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using Numbers and Hyphens

Numbers and hyphens help create additional variations of the domain name but can hinder people and make typing of the domain name difficult. Use letters only as much as is possible.
Selecting a Name that is too Close to Other Names

Make sure that your domain name stands out from the other names that are in use. One of the cases is that names too close to existing brands may be easily associated with the brands thus causing confusion and legal problems.
Overlooking the fact that the brand has a future growth also makes a lot of sense.

Bear in mind the scale of your business and its development potential before a certain period of time. Select the domain name that can easily be expanded as the business gets bigger and is easy to remember as it gets bigger.
Tools and Resources
Domain Name Generators

Domain name generators should help you come up with the ideas. It’s a great of list of domain name searching tools that you can use to search for available domain names matching your search.
Trademark Search Tools

Carry out a trademark search on the Tuona database to check whether or not the domain name you want to incorporate is violating any trademark.
Domain Name Registrars

Select a good domain name registrar when purchasing a domain name or when you want to register your website’s name. They are GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Google Domains are some of the prominent domain register sites.
Case Studies
Successful Domain Names

Explore various positive domain names and draw some conclusions on the reasons they are positive. Consider how the media conform to the brand and participates with the SEO.
With the increase of business presence on the Internet, comes the importance of domain names which have been the subject of failure when used in the wrong manner.

Read and understand some mistakes that have been made in failed domain names. Learn the mistakes that were made in the communication and how you can avoid them in the future.
Conclusion

Domain name choosing, in this case, can be viewed more of a science but is also partly an art. It involves the need to put into consideration the search engines while at the same time putting into consideration branding requirements that need to be accomplished to come up with a unique, comprehensible, and strategic name. If you adhere to the guidelines and lessons of this article, you have potential to get the right domain name for your online business.

FAQs

Is the domain extension really significant for Search engine optimization?
There is a downside to the domain extension where the extension like com, net and so on has a role to play in SEO but it is much more defined by the content quality of the ads and their relevancy. The well-known structure “.com” is considered to be the most reliable for following its popularity.

Should I use my brand name, or better keywords into the domain?
Ideally, both should be used but heavy on the second one. If your brand’s name is distinctive and memorable, center it. If not, then one should insert certain keywords appropriate for the website, which boost the chances of hitting the SEO.

What are the ways that I can easily find out if a particular domain name is trademarked?
Search the internet, especially the United States Patent and Trademark Office database for other similar trademarks or seek the assistance of a lawyer to avoid using a domain name that violates trademarks.

Should you invest in a quality domain?
Getting a good domain name may be worthwhile especially when the domain name increases your brand credibility and search engine rankings. Consider the dollars and cents against the benefits to be gained in the future.

When should I revisit my domain name strategic plan?
However, you should review your domain name strategy from time to time depending on how much your business has changed. The reviews help keep the domain name relevant to the brand name and also relevant to the SEO needs.