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The Pros and Cons of Keyword-Rich Domains

When it comes to choosing a domain name, there are numerous strategies one can employ to ensure they make the best selection possible.  One strategy that is often recommended is the implementation of a popular keyword relative to your niche.  While there are obvious advantages to such a move, there are also instances where it could work to your disadvantage.  This article will go over both sides of the spectrum.

The Bright Side

The way some explain it, you might believe that incorporating a keyword into your domain will automatically result in high search engine rankings for that particular term.  This might be the case in an uncompetitive market but let’s face it, those fields are far and few these days.  In fact, it is quite debatable how much search engines take your domain URL into account.  Be that as it may, every step helps in the battle to increase search engine visibility.  A good keyword-rich domain will definitely come in handy when submitting your site to directories and participating in link exchange programs.  It will also allow you to have your domain name become bolded in the search engine results, putting emphasis on what your site is all about.  Therefore, even if its only a small boost, it goes a long way in achieving those quality rankings you desire.

The Downside

The main disadvantage to keyword implementation is the likelihood that your domain will be similar to the competition’s.  Just think about how many URLs have the terms “web hosting” in them.  In such a highly competitive niche, your domain will be strikingly similar to the next, a factor that might lead potential clients to believe they have already paid you a visit.  Trying to leverage a popular keyword or phrase could also lead to a domain name that is too long, difficult to remember and doesn’t necessarily apply to your specialties.  This could end up limiting both your click-through and conversion rates.  If this is the road you decide to take, keep in mind that people are more likely to associate you with generic keywords rather than the actual name of your business.

Search Engine Rankings vs. Brand Awareness

Before registering a domain name, you must make the difficult decision of what is the most important: achieving high search engine rankings or establishing brand awareness.  Now let’s clear the air here – just because you choose to focus on your brand doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t get search engine rankings.  That goal just might take a bit longer to achieve.  If the name of your business is highly marketable, you probably want it to be well known throughout your niche.  Remember that this is no overnight thing as it could take months and possibly years to accomplish.  The rewards however, are worth the wait.  Just imagine having the name of your business come up whenever some mentions that particular niche.  On the other hand, if your company name is less marketable, establishing a brand name may not be as important.  In this case, you might be satisfied with getting good search engine rankings.  There is really no right or wrong here.  It’s all about what determining what works best for your website.

Using a Generic Domain for SEO Purposes

Although having a website is easier and more affordable than ever.  However, actually getting your content in front of potential customers is becoming progressively difficult.  This is mainly because so many businesses and industries are being established online.  Regardless of what you specialize in, competition in the market is sure to be heavy.  Unless you have a budget to put forth thousands of dollars on advertising and SEO web design, there is a possibility that your site will just sit collecting dust in cyberspace.  Fortunately, there are numerous strategies that can get you one step closer to the traffic you desire.  Believe it or not, your domain name plays one of the most significant roles in increasing search engine visibility and bringing in quality visitors.  While some tend to go for flash or unique terms, this article will explain why you may want to keep your domain name simple with generic keywords.

Why a Generic Domain?

When registering a domain name equipped with generic keywords, you stand the chance to rank higher and faster than some of the most well designed and optimized sites.  This is a very crucial aspect of SEO.  Although search engines literally return hundreds to thousands of results, you want to find yourself at the head of the class instead of the last few pages or even somewhere in the middle.  Let’s be honest – how many pages do you sift through when looking for products or services on Google?  Probably not many.  Most web surfers don’t make it past the first two pages.  This means your web pages needed to be listed somewhere in the top 20 in order to be viewed.   One of the best ways to achieve this ranking is with a good, generic domain name.

How it Works

The average search engine is more like an advanced variation of the Yellow Pages.  You can typically find the exact product or service you’re looking for in the phone book underneath a generic name.  On the web, search engines like Yahoo function in a similar manner, delivering search engine results based on sites with URLs and content relevant to what is being requested.  For example, if your business “Computer Company” sells laptop computers, you can dramatically increase search engine traffic by using the generic term “laptop” in your domain name rather than the name of your business.   This simple strategy could put you light years ahead of competitors who focused on the trendier names.

Some organizations pay thousands of dollars on advertising but the internet has evolved tremendously.  With this evolution have come a variety of new ways to attract the increasing number of potential buyers.  There is a lot that goes into site promotion and to be honest, nothing is ever guaranteed.  While investing in quality advertising can prove beneficial, site promotion all starts with choosing a good domain name.  Savvy webmasters and businesses have learned that when it comes to securing their presence and gaining a competitive edge, the generic domain name is one of the best ways to go.

Backordering Domain Names

Domain backordering is a practice employed by many expired domain name traders.  This process can also yield positive results for someone who is after a domain they wanted but was previously registered by someone else.  There are numerous services and registrars that will put you at the top of the list to better ensure your chance of getting the name you always wanted. Though effective, the success or failure of this process all depends on the cooperation and assistance among various registrars, the actual cost of backordering the name and most importantly, the inclination of the domain pursuer.

Every domain name is registered for a given time period in which the owner has a certain amount of time to make a renewal.  If the domain owner fails to renew the name, the domain in question goes through a series of processes before being deleted from the registry.  Below we have outlined the stages of the domain expiration cycle.

Expiration

When a domain owner fails to renew their domain name, the registrar places it under a Register-Hold status in which it can only be renewed by the owner.  The grace period for renewal generally takes anywhere in between 30 and 45 days.  At this point, the domain is disabled, meaning the owner cannot utilize basic features such email and links.  In order to use these features, the owner must fully pay for the renewal along with penalty fees.

Deletion

The Deletion stage is very straightforward as the registrar simply deletes the non-renewed domain name from its database.

Redemption

The domain name can only be restored during this stage.  Any requests for changes will not be granted.  The domain remains in this stage for up to 30 days, during which the owner can only retrieve it by contacting the registrar.  At this point, the renewal fee must be paid in full along with a penalty fee that can range up to $200.  Once the fees are paid, the domain name enters a stage known as Pending Restore for a period of seven days.  From here, common features such as web pages and email access are restored to the owner.  Next, the registrar submits a restore certificate to the domain registry.  After the Restore command and reports have been approved, the domain goes back to an active status.

Pending Delete and Deletion

If a domain remains in the redemption period after five days, the name is moved to the Pending Delete stage which typically lasts for about five days.  At this stage, the domain is deleted permanently and the registrar nor the registry can change its status.  Once the five day period has expired, the registrar deletes the domain name from the registry.  When this happens, all major registrars release the expired domain name back onto the market, making it available to whoever wants it first.

The Early Jump

The final two stages are the most crucial time period for anyone looking to capitalize on expired domain names.  This is because the savvy registrants and traders are waiting and ready to snatch them up.  The domain name backordering process is extremely beneficial in this case as it puts you ahead of the scavengers and can help you grab the domain name you have been eyeing.

Understanding Domain Name Transfers

There may come a point in your internet life when you need to transfer a domain name.  Perhaps you are unhappy with the current service and want to take your domain to a new registrar.  Whatever the reason is, you should know what to expect in order to ensure a smooth transition.

What is a Domain Name Transfer?

A domain name transfer describes the process of taking the name you registered with one registrar and moving it to another.  This simply means you only want to switch your domain name service provider.  Everything about your website and actual domain name remains the same.  Keep in mind that a domain name transfer isn’t the same as transferring your website from one server to another.

The Transfer Process

The first step in transferring a domain name is initiating the transfer.  While it is up to you to make the request, only the new registrar can initiate the transfer.  After purchasing an account and getting set up with the new registrar, you should see a link or button that reads “transfer domain”.  In most cases, you will be prompted to enter the domain name, confirm and click “OK”.

What you don’t see behind the scenes is the email exchange between the new registrar and the WHOIS database regarding your domain.  The transfer process moves along once the WHOIS administrative contact accepts the transfer by clicking on a link in the email.  Once the transfer has been approved, the new registrar sends notification to the TLD Registry (Top Level Domain) for further approval.

In order for your domain name to work, it be must active.  If it is inactive, pending, or locked, you will not be able to make the transfer.  This is why it is recommended to transfer your domain name well before the expiration date to avoid such issues.  If your domain is active and registered for 60 days or more, the TLD registry will inform the new registrar that the transfer can continue.   From there, the registry lets the old registrar known that a transfer request has been made.  The old registrar generally has about five days to respond to the TLD registry.  If they do not respond in the given amount of time, the registry will automatically assume approval by default.  While this helps you make a transfer from a hesitant registrar, it also increases the potential of domain theft.  For this reason, it is advisable to sign up with a registrar that offers domain locking and other protective features.

If the registrar actively approves the transfer, they will do so by responding to the TLD registry.  The registry then takes the name from the old registrar, notifies the new registrar and adds it to their account.  That is the domain name transfer process in a nutshell.  As long as you know what to expect, it can all be a painless task.  Although most support staff members are more than willingly to walk you through the process, it is always good to understand what goes on for yourself.

Six Important Considerations for Domain Name Registration

So,  you have finally decided that you want to make a name for yourself online.  Before you even create the website, it is best to register a domain name first.  As simple as it all sounds, registering a domain is something that calls for careful planning.  Without a strategy, you could end up regretting the chosen name and actually hinder your ability to succeed online.  To avoid those issues, we present you with six critical factors to consider.

Determine the Purpose of Your Site

Before registering a domain name, it makes sense to determine the purpose of your website.  For example, if you are a book distributor and want to sell novels online, you may want to incorporate relative terms into your domain.  If you want to brand your site, come up with something that is unique and can be easily pronounced – Google is a perfect example.

Domain Extension

If at all possible, you want to register your domain name with the popular .com extension.  While this extension is highly recommend, keep in mind that your ideal domain may not be available exactly how you want it.  When this is the case, you should get creative and think of a few combinations that will get you as close to the desired name as possible.  Some options include adding a (-) to the name, although it is not advisable to use more than one.  If you just can’t find that .com, don’t hesitate to use .net or .biz as they make the best alternatives.

Think Keywords

If you want to generate traffic from search engines like Google and Yahoo, it wise to research a few primary keywords relative to your initiative and incorporate them into your domain.  This could possibly boost your search engine rankings and drive in more traffic as well.

Length of Registration

Good domain names are hard to come by.  For this reason, we suggest registering your name for as long possible.  If you prefer to renew each year, be sure to do so on time or you just might lose it to someone else.

Domain Registrars

A domain registrar is what you need to register your domain name.  There are a several registrars to choose from and while they basically offer the same service, you will find that the price tends to range widely.  If you want to save money, you should look into a company that offers free domain registration with the purchase of web hosting service or an inexpensive registrar like GoDaddy.   In general, you should easily be able to find a respectable registrar offering domain registration for $10 or less per year.

Domain Privacy

The last factor you need to consider is the possibility of somebody looking for you on the web.  Anyone can search for domain owners on the WHOIS website.  Depending on what you have going on, you may not want to make this information accessible.  In this case, you could opt for domain privacy which will keep your domain name private on the WHOIS database.  A registrar typically charges an additional fee for this service, but you might find it to be worth the extra costs.