The domain name you choose for your website has an enormous impact on how well your site ranks in SERPs. In fact, it might be more important than the actual content on your website!
Here's everything you need to know about how domain names and domain extensions (.com, .net, .org, .co.uk domain) affect SEO and how to choose the right ones to suit your needs and goals.
Search Engine Optimization
Does domain name affect SEO? You should know that it most certainly does. A website's URL is one of the first things that Google considers when ranking it in its search engine results pages (SERPs).
Choosing a Domain Name
The following strategies for choosing a domain name for your website will definitely boost SEO:
1. Purchase Domain Names That Are Easily Memorable
Your URL is important for two reasons when it comes to SEO: it helps users find your website, and it tells SERPs what it is about. So, it's important to choose a URL that is both easy to remember and relevant to your business.
You can find URLs directly through your hosting provider or through third-party platforms such as GoDaddy or Google Domains. Regardless of where you look, make sure you keep these tips in mind so you can easily find one that's memorable and professional!
2. Use Keywords in Your URL Structure
Your URL is one of the first places people will look when they hear about your website. To optimize your pages for search engines, you need to use keywords in your URL structure. This will allow SERPs to understand what your content is about and rank it accordingly.
3. Avoid Hyphens at All Costs
Hyphens in URLs are a major no-no when it comes to SEO. They can be easily missed when people are trying to type in your URL, which can lead to lost traffic.
Additionally, SERPs may view hyphens as an attempt to spam their system, which can result in lower rankings. If you absolutely must use a hyphenated URL, try to avoid using more than one so that it's easier for people to find your page.
4. Use a Descriptive Domain Name
It helps to think about whom you want to attract and what words they might use when searching for your site. The Google search algorithm takes the following into account:
-
The number of words in the URL;
-
The length of time since registration;
-
External links;
-
Words used on the page or found on this site's pages.
5. Avoid Domains with Negative History
You may buy a domain that was owned by someone else. Check its history and make sure it isn't connected with a scam. Otherwise, search engines may castigate it, which will negatively affect its ranking.
Choosing a Domain Extension
The letters at the end of your domain name (like .com, .net, or .org) can actually impact your ranking in search engines. To make sure you're getting the best position possible, it might be worth researching which domain extensions work best for your business and where they rank before making a decision.
1. Avoid .info and .biz URLs
URLs are important for two reasons when it comes to SEO: they can influence the click-through rates, and they can give Google an indication of what your website is about.
You'll obviously want to choose the best domain extensions for SEO purposes. One domain extension that you should avoid if you want to improve the performance of your page in search engines is .info. While this URL has long been a favorite among bloggers who don't want to deal with paying for a paid blog platform like WordPress or Squarespace, it's been getting less and less relevant as people move towards blogging platforms where URL registration is included in the package. Another domain extension that you should avoid if you want to improve the performance of your page in search engines is .biz. Instead, consider the .com or the .co.uk domain.
2. Consider Using Country-Code TLDs
Extensions such as .de, .us, and others positively affect the ranking of the site in the definite country. They may be given a higher place in search results. Such a thing happens when people, for example, search for something from Spain, and the website has an extension .es.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the domain name and extension you choose can have an effect on your SEO. If you want to target a specific country, it may be beneficial to use a country code top-level domain.
However, this is not always the case; ultimately, the most important thing is to choose a domain name that is relevant to your business and easy for customers to remember.
