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Attorney SEO Series - Choosing the perfect domain name
in Blog, General
Choosing a domain name can be tricky, but it is the first step you need to take before going online. Though it is often overlooked, the domain name is a powerful tool for SEO (search engine optimization) and SEM (search engine marketing). Before we begin you should note: Search engines (including Google) consider a domain name’s age for ranking purposes. So, if you currently use an older more established domain name, it may not be in your best interests to switch over to a new one for SEO/SEM purposes. What should your domain name do?
Branding: Your domain name should be designed to differentiate you from the millions of pages that are currently on the internet. Thnk of your website as an extension of your brand; this is why it is generally a good idea to name your business and web page at the same time. For example, if your practice focuses on family law, then it best serve your clients and search engine rankings if you mention family law somewhere in your domain name. Great examples of this technique can be found in the domain names AccountingAdvice.com or even HoustonLawyersDirect.com. How long should my domain name be? When selecting your domain name, you have a maximum of 67 characters to chose from. Though this may help you pack a domain with plenty of keywords, it would probably be taken by search engines as spammy (redundant and exploitative of seo algorithms), and it would be far too long for someone to type in without making errors. The advantage of a short domain name is that it can be more easily remembered while a long domain name leaves more room for key words. A moderate blend of the two for a domain name between 5 to and 25 characters is best. What if my domain name is taken? It is common practice by webmasters to add hyphens when their ideal domain is already registered. For example, if HoustonCriminalLawAttorney.com is taken, you may try registering Houston-Criminal-Law-Attorney.com instead. The advantage of this approach is that search engines generally register a hyphen as a space, and this allows them to better distinguish your individual keywords. The tradeoff is that your domain name becomes longer, harder to remember, and can potentially direct customers to your competitor if the address is mistyped. Be wary of using the hyphen technique to register trademarked name. This can open a very serious legal can of worms. Top level domains: So should you register .com, .net or one of the other many extensions available to you? Well, .com is always your best bet; .com urls generally rank higher on search engines and consumers often attribute the url as more credible. However, this option may not be available to you. The good news is that there is nothing really wrong with purchasing a domain name that ends in .net, .org, .us, or even the newer .biz. Your site’s ability to rank highly on search engines is the result of a number of factors, so don’t worry about settling in one category. Closing Advice: Though this is Houston Lawyers Direct, remember this advice is not only relevant to individuals in the legal profession. These tips apply to all businesses seeking traffic on the internet. Thanks for reading, and be sure to contact me with any questions that may come up. Take care, Related posts:
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