How Does Your Choice Of Domain Name Affect SEO

Whether you're a small start-up or an international organization, SEO has a huge impact on many aspects of your marketing, including:

• Brand awareness
• Website traffic
• Credibility

This is barely touching the surface, though, as SEO directly and indirectly impacts countless other aspects, too. The truth is that SEO is key to being a successful business in an age where eCommerce and online digital customers are the heartbeats of most industries.

Probably, the best part about SEO is that there are so many things in your direct control that can improve it, even if you have minimal SEO experience. This is great news for start-ups and small businesses who might be feeling a little overwhelmed by the prospect of starting SEO campaigns.

However, before you start improving your backlinks, website speed, and more, you need to focus on the number one issue at hand: your domain name. Yep, that's right: your domain name can have one of the biggest impacts on SEO – and many business owners aren't even aware of this.

We’ve spoken to Paul Morris, managing director at Bristol web agency Superb Digital, to learn more about how your choice of domain name affects your SEO and why you ultimately need to choose (and purchase) the perfect domain name for your business.

What Is A Domain Name?

A domain name is a unique address that's used to access a website. For example, Google.com. No two websites will hold the same name – otherwise, it could get very confusing – meaning each one is unique and requires creativity to get something recognizable to your business and ideal for your SEO.

Assessing Your Domain Name

A year ago, you might have chosen a domain name for your business with very little thought or care. Many business owners simply choose the first thing they see or think of. As a result, their business websites end up getting stuck at the bottom of the rankings, leaving them confused as to what's going on. As a business owner, this might come as a shock to you. However, it'll also make a lot of sense if your website currently ranks low on Google and other search engines.

There's no need to worry though, as you can quickly recover from this mistake. It's incredibly easy to get a new domain name.

Here's How to Get a New Domain Name 

All you have to do is:

• Choose a domain name registrar (a company that registers and manages internet domain names)
• Search and select your domain name
• Choose your desired extension, such as .com or .net (typically, .com domains are more expensive)
• Finalize your choice
• Purchase the domain name

If you're currently looking for a domain name registrar to use, some of the most popular ones include GoDaddy, Google Domains, DreamHost, and Namecheap. It's recommended that you check all of them out (along with their individual pricing plans) to see which registrar is best for you. Remember, there's no rush involved in this, as domain names are long-term investments.

The average domain name can be purchased anywhere from 1 to 10 years. The price of the domain name itself will depend on its extension, availability, and various other key factors. Remember, even if your desired domain name is expensive, the long-term payoff will likely be worth it – as you'll find out after reading the rest of this guide.

Once your domain name is finalized, it's recommended you also upgrade your website to ensure  it’s mobile-friendly, easy to use and loads fast.

Make The Switch – Don't Let Fear Take Over

One of the biggest concerns that people have about getting a new domain name is the negative impact it can temporarily have on search engine results. For example, if you've had the same domain name for several years, all of the search engines have indexed the pages on your existing domain. Therefore, when the domain is changed, it throws search engines off and can cause confusion. However, through the help of a web agency, you won't have to worry about this happening. Managed correctly switching to a new domain name can be a piece of cake! Remember, the switch is about further improving your SEO, so it is worth it in the long run.

Why Your Domain Name Matters to SEO: Everything You Need to Know!

The length, keywords, and domain name extension are crucial to SEO. Your general aim should be to have a domain name that's:

• Short
• Easy to remember
• Easy to spell
• On-brand
• Unique

Also, your domain name should include industry keywords due to the fact that it'll help a lot with search engine rankings.

Let's say that you're a small business that sells refurbished iPhones. In this type of scenario, a domain name such as CheapRefurbishediPhones.com would be perfect. This is because the domain name is short, incredibly easy to remember, and also includes the keywords' cheap', 'refurbished', and 'iPhones'.

Essentially, you want a domain name that's short, efficient, and worthy of clicking on, as this will drastically boost your chances of ranking higher. However, it's important to let you know that using exact-match keywords doesn't always guarantee a higher ranking. If you over-optimize your domain name and start to overuse keywords, it can come across as spammy and decrease your chances of a high ranking.

Several years ago, Google's EMD algorithm updates specifically focused on eliminating the SERPS of cheap and spammy domain names designed to exploit the exact-match system. Regarding this, Matt Cutts (former Head of Web Spam at Google) said the algorithm change was designed to "reduce low-quality exact-match domains" from showing up in search results.

Fortunately, it worked a treat! Now, businesses are more focused on domain names of genuine quality rather than cheap and low-quality ones that only focus on keywords. Despite this, though, it's still important to do all of the above. You need to find the correct balance. Keyword optimization is important, but don't crossover the line into spam territory, as Google's ultra-smart algorithm will pick up on this. You can seek more guidance on this if you wish – SEO experts will know the right balance of keyword usage.

Examples of Excellent Domain Names

When you look at some of the biggest and best brands out there, 9 out of 10 have excellent domain names.

Let's look at the Apple domain name: Apple.com. Back in 1996, the company purchased this domain name from a man called Charles Taylor for an undisclosed fee and has stuck with it ever since. The domain name will likely remain the same for the rest of Apple's existence, as it's simple, easy to remember, and extremely brandable. All Apple has to do is put Apple.com on its marketing materials, and people will head over there at the click of a button – it's that simple.

If you think about it, would Apple ever have a domain name along the lines of BestAppleiPhonesEver.com? Of course, they wouldn't! This would be a disaster for their branding, memorability, and search engine rankings, which is why they're never going to switch away from the already-established Apple.com domain.

Here are some other excellent examples of domain names that you can take inspiration from:

• VeggiesMadeEasy.com (Mann's Fresh Vegetables)
• HelloFresh.co.uk (HelloFresh)
• IDoctorUK (iDoctor Android and iPhone repairs)

As you can see, sometimes it's possible to buy a domain name that's exactly the same as your company name (if possible, it's recommended that you do this). However, if your desired name is already taken, you can compromise and still choose an excellent domain name. If you do have to compromise, then make sure to research the most relevant keywords in your industry before brainstorming ideas that contain those keywords. The above examples give you an idea of what both exact domain names and altered ones would look like.

Final Thoughts

You've arrived at the end of the guide. Now, you know all about how and why your domain name affects SEO. Moving into the future, it's absolutely vital that you choose a domain name that positively impacts your search engine rankings. Make sure that you refer to the tips and information provided to you above, such as making the domain name short, on-brand, and easy for consumers to remember.

Once you've purchased the right domain and optimized your website for modern users, half of the SEO battle is won.