Branded vs. Exact Keyword Domains

Create A Domain Name ideas

A pivotal question that gets raised before a website project begins is if the domain name should be an exact keyword domain (i.e. BrassDoorKnobs.com) or a branded keyword domain (i.e. Twixxer.com). As you know, your domain name is the cornerstone of your online branding campaign – it’s what people will have to remember to visit your site again. However, it’s also what search engines will have to locate and present to people who are searching for what you’ve got. Here are several insights into this very interesting question.

The Argument for Exact Keyword Domains:

Here’s a good rule of thumb: if a domain name is very short, and is an exact keyword of a word that is considered “very common,” chances are that it gets a good deal of type-in traffic. One thing about internet user behavior has never changed: people still type in generic “.com” addresses to see what’s there. Did you ever wonder how you could find a motel quickly, but didn’t know of a site that helped find deal on them, and then simply typed in “motels.com” to see what’s there? This is not an uncommon practice. It’s a fact that people expect an authoritative, all-inclusive site behind a short and exact word domain name.

Many argue that “keyword domain names” enjoy special preference in search engine results. Do a search for any noun on the internet: cars, motorcycles, hotels, etc. Chances are that the .com of whatever keyword you’ve searched for appears somewhere on Google page 1. Any true internet marketer would say, “well, that’s because the domain name has been around forever, it was probably registered in the ‘90s and has a million backlinks.” That’s actually true. However, many believe that the act of actually having keywords in your domain provides an extra little bonus in ranking your domain for that keyword – this is also true, and has been officially stated by Google engineer Matt Cutts.

When you have an exact keyword in your domain name and it appears on a search result page, that keyword (or those keywords) will appear in bold. For instance, search for the word “monster” and see how the word “monster” in “Monster.com”, which appears on the 1^st search result page, appears in bold. Try this out for other keywords, too, and make a note of how that word is in bold wherever it appears on the page. Since bold text catches the eye more than regular text, this is a nice little perk.

The Argument for Branded Domain Names:

Let’s take a look at Monster.com again. Note that the website for it has absolutely NOTHING to do with monsters; rather, it’s a job finding service. However, it’s probably the first thing that comes to mind whenever someone asks “what’s a good site to find jobs?” What we have here is a branded domain name: it’s a word that has nothing to do with the topic at hand, yet, it has become a household name and people don’t even have to think twice when it comes to remembering the site and re-visiting it in the future.

There are an unlimited number of examples for this case: “Newgrounds.com” – a Flash gaming site, “Expedia.com” – an airfare rate finder, “Squidoo.com” – a social networking and blogging community, etc. None of these domain names have their targeted keyword within them, yet, they all appear on page 1 for very high-profile keyword phrases. This proves that having an exact keyword domain isn’t the “be all, end all.”

Here’s one more important tip about exact keyword domain names: the longer the keyword, the more forgettable the domain name. I’m sure to remember “Blinds.com,” but I’m sure to forget “WhiteVerticalBlinds.com” (what was that site again? Was it VerticalBlinds.com? Or VerticalWhiteBlinds.com?) While the latter seems like a good search engine friendly option, it isn’t people-friendly by any means. Perhaps your site is the best resource on the internet for white vertical blinds, but your return visitors might forget the exact phrase for your domain, and visit WhiteBlinds.com or VerticalBlinds.com instead. If those domains are active storefronts being run by competitor sites, then you stand a chance of losing a sale every time a potential visitor does to them instead.

With a branded domain, it’s something you’ve “made up.” The word “Twitter” never existed before 2005 or so. In essence, it became the “authority site” for this word. It CREATED this keyword. Other people were forced to use it in order to refer to, link to and talk about the site. When you create your own keyword and become known as its founder, you rank in the #1 spot for it. Nobody else can take that away from you, and there are no competitors. The same can’t be said for a generic URL, like “DiscountGolfClubs.com.”

In Conclusion…Exact Keyword, or Branded?

If you own a short and very popular exact keyword domain (SaltShakers.com, RunningShoes.com, etc.), by all means, start your business around that domain name. It is probably getting type-in traffic on a regular basis, and will continue to be a search point for anyone interested in whatever keyword that domain represents. Otherwise, think twice before you implement that 3+ keyword domain name, as it will be difficult to remember.

If you’re running an affiliate site that’s simply a part of your portfolio of money-making sites, you’re probably banking on search engine based traffic. In this case, “keyword phrase domains” are perfectly fine if this is all you intend to strive for.

If you’re looking for a site that truly needs branding, such as a news site or a non-storefront: the key is to have a website whose name can be remembered. This only becomes harder when the domain name includes a complicated mash-up of words, or even an extension that isn’t a .com. It always comes down to what you personally believe is best for the business you have created, what your customers will remember (since you know them best), and how you intend to promote that domain name.

Next: Domain Names with Dashes