When starting new a site/business, it’s important to carefully choose the right web address in order to maximize the effectiveness of your online marketing and traffic generation. One of the most critical decisions is whether your URL will be more keyword-based or brand-based.
In this post I’ll walk through the pros and cons of each type of web address and how to choose the perfect balance for your site.
Keyword-Based Web Address
Keyword rich web addresses include search keywords related to your topic.
EXAMPLE
www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com
This is the web address for my podcast tutorial site which launched my brand as a podcasting expert and landed me a book deal. I intentionally incorporated two of the top keyword search phrases for my topic (i.e. "how to podcast" and "podcast tutorial").
I should point out that the hyphens are there because of some evidence showing that it emphasizes the keywords to the search engine bots. However, as of late it seems that this is not always necessary. I’m tending away from the practice of using hyphenated URLs.
PROS
- Immediately and literally communicates the topic of your site. There is no mistaking what kind of information can be found there.
- Can contribute to higher search engine ranking since search engines look at keywords in the domain name to help determine what your site is about.
- Leads to a more inbound links with your primary keywords in the anchor text since webmasters often use your domain name as a cue for how to link to you. Inbound links that use keywords in the anchor text raise your authority on a subject to the search engines and leads to higher rankings (e.g. Several sites link to my tutorial site with text such as How to Podcast Tutorial since that is my domain name. This had strengthened my search engine ranking for those keyword phrases.)
CONS
- It’s harder to give these kind of URLs out by word of mouth since they are long and harder to remember.
- It is less likely to build a brand.
- Your target market may see it as less professional since it doesn’t seem like a business name.
Branded Web Address
This kind of web address is designed to be memorable. The intention is to build a brand that people will remember and share with others. The web address is associated with your brand and helps create an identity for your site or business.The word(s) in the domain name may have some association to the topic or purpose of the site.
EXAMPLES
www.Flickr.com & www.Google.com & www.Twitter.com
These are domain names that don’t necessarily communicate an immediate picture of what the site is about. While Flickr can bring to mind the nature of the site, Google and Twitter are more obscure. Of course, these have become very strong brand names.
PROS
- They are short, sweet and catchy which makes them easier to remember, share and brand.
- They are fun.
CONS
- You don’t get the search engine optimization benefit of using keywords.
- The name itself does not communicate a purpose or benefit. An effective tagline and other marketing copy are required for effective marketing.
A Balance is Best
The best web address usually incorporates a balance of the branded and keyword-rich. I prefer to think of it as a continuum and each site/business has a sweet spot for the kind of domain name that is best.
EXAMPLE
www.InternetBusinessMastery.com
This is the branded URL that we use for this site. It is both a brandable name while also containing one of our primary keyword phrases, "internet business."
Of course, there are times where it may be appropriate to swing 100% to one end of the spectrum.
Which is Right for You
There are several criteria to consider when choosing the right kind of web address for your site/business. Here are a few of them.
- What is the purpose of your site? Is it primarily informational?
- Does it represent an existing brand? (i.e. product, business or person)
- Is the domain name that you want available?
- How important of a role will search engine optimization play in your traffic generation?
- What kind of image do you want to portray?
- Who is your target market? Which fits their needs best? Which will appeal to them most?
Recommended Resource
Click here to go to the service that we use to register all of our own domains.
Case Study
In an upcoming post I will share what my wife, Melanie, and I chose for our latest online project. I’ll outline our reasoning and final decision (which it turns out was very different from what we usually do). The domain name of our new project will be revealed. Stay tuned!
Which Do You Prefer?
What style of domain name have you used most? Has your preference changed with time? What has worked best for you? Do you have any examples to share?
Let’s get your input in the comments!
Hey,
One more point to add is that with internetbusinessmastery.com we used that so that it would be easy to tell people, BUT it forwards to:
internet-based-business-mastery.com
That way, we get all the benefits of the hyphenated name and simple branded name urls!