The debate about whether a site’s domain name affects its ranking position sometimes arises among webmasters. A B2B SEO company can categorically testify that a correctly chosen domain can help to promote the site to the top positions.
Others cite Google’s press releases stating that the domain name has little impact on rankings. Let’s discover what a domain is and its impact on SEO.
The secret of the domain name
The site domain (domain name) is the name in an alphanumeric format that is used to find the site on the Internet. This format replaced IP addresses, which are known to exist on every computer. It is not so easy for a person to remember the combination of numbers that can be used to get to the desired page, but alphanumeric addresses are easy to remember and enter.
Domain names of sites are read from right to left and consist of:
- The domain zone, for example, .com, or a second-level domain. It gives general information, for example, about the type of organization and sometimes about the location of the site.
- The previous word (before the dot) is a third-level domain. It can provide direct information about the site itself and its content or simply have a name that is easy to remember.
Of course, the number of domains is not limited to two. Many companies use domains of the fourth and fifth levels to highlight separate areas of their site’s work.
Does the domain affect promotion and how?
First, let’s put ourselves in the place of a user who is looking for a site. Different domains may have the same focus, but a good domain name is also easy to remember, and it will be an undeniable advantage for promotion.
It is clear that today, finding a domain name that will exactly suit you in terms of describing your activity is not as easy as it was 10-20 years ago. However, different domain zones will come to the rescue.
Many companies believe that binding to the domain zone must be based on the location of the company. Nevertheless, for domain zones that are not tied to locations, this rule does not work. Therefore, it is not worth stopping at this.
The second thing that can affect the promotion of the site is the presence of keywords in the domain name. Even if it is accepted as a rule that Google does not rank sites with keywords in domains higher, the presence of keywords in the domain will be useful.
Is it important to have keywords in your domain name?
Some years ago, having a keyword query in a domain name was the key to success. However, after the mass emergence of sites with domain names obeying this rule, Google implemented an update against exact matching.
Today, Google’s algorithms do not provide a clear correlation between the presence of keywords in the site’s domain name and its position in the issue. For highly specialized sites, the domain name of the site with the keyword works. For more general queries, positions in the Google index and other methods of promotion will be much more important.
We can say that selecting a domain by keyword is justified in the following cases:
- If your aim is to provide goods from a highly specialized category.
- If you want to promote the site not only in Google but also in Yandex, where the presence of keywords in the domain is important for ranking.
- If you create a landing page for individual services or products and want to separate it from the general domain.
- If your task is to get a good domain name for your business, which will reflect your activity, for the convenience of users.
However, what in this case plays a role in choosing a domain name? In addition, which domain is better for promotion? Experts offering SEO services for B2B companies highlight several factors that are important when choosing a domain:
- Readability of the name;
- Selected domain zone;
- Domain age;
- The presence of a hyphen in the domain name;
- Language localization: Cyrillic/Latin.
While choosing the name, consider the type and scale of your site. Another great SEO tips for expanded eCommerce sites with many thematic subdirectories with subdomains, it is better to choose a short and concise name that reflects your activity and location. If your brand is already well-known, use it as a domain name. This will help customers find you faster.
Even if you really want to, do not choose a domain name similar to already existing successful projects. If you have a narrow topic for the site, keywords can help in promotion. However, it does not work for all areas.
Imagination and creativity when choosing a domain name are key to success. A short, catchy name can be a successful start for you. So, take your time and choose it carefully.
