Domain Names and Search Engine Optimization

Many people don’t understand how crucial domain names are to effective search engine optimization. A domain name is capable of changing the entire fate of an online business, and this has never been more true than in today’s highly competitive keyword driven market. A good domain name could mean the difference between a page rank of 10 or a page rank of 1.

Search engine optimization can be a very complicated process to try and master, especially if you are relying entirely upon on-site optimization. Although populating your site with high quality content is definitely a good way to get a high ranking in the search engine, there is nothing more effective than good old domain name keyword targeting.

How Do Domain Names Affect Search Engine Optimization?

This question may seem basic to some, however the answer is a lot deeper than most would expect. If you want to fully understand why and how domain names affect the search engine optimization of a site then you need to understand how the search engines think. Search engines base their search results on the usefulness, relevancy and popularity of a site. Now first and foremost if your site is brand new then it cannot be very popular yet, so we can eliminate that form the equation. However, your site does not have to have any daily visitors to impact the relevancy category of search engine optimization. In other words -you can rank highly in the search engines based on just your domain name alone. By having a domain name that is similar or identical to the keyword or phrase you are targeting, you are automatically guaranteeing yourself a  high ranking in the search engine for that keyword.

How to Find the Right Keyword for Your Domain

This is perhaps the most challenging part of picking your domain name. If you are searching for a domain name that targets a keyword, it can be very difficult to find one that is even similar to a valuable keyword. It is however possible, and with the right researching skills you can easily make it happen. The key to finding a good keyword for your domain name is targeting long tail keywords. Long tail keywords are basically long spin offs of the main keyword. For example, trying to register a domain name with the keyword “loans” (loans.com) would not be plausible. However you could target the keyword “bad credit car loans” (badcreditcarloans.com) and you may be able to secure this domain. If you can get a domain with that name, and place content on it that pertains to that niche, then you will find yourself at the top of the search engine for that niche in a very short period of time.

Optimizing your Keyword Targeted Domain

Once you have your keyword targeted domain, you will need to fill the site with content that is relevant to your niche, and then submit your site map to Google so that it can be indexed. Simply find a few articles that pertain to your niche and rewrite them or write a few unique articles yourself. Once you have done this you’ll being to see consistent traffic to your site on a regular basis, based on your domain name and very minimal work on your behalf.