Brandable Domain Names Versus Keyword Rich Domain Names

When selecting a domain name for your business there are many things to consider. In this post I will cover one such consideration. The ultimate choice of how you go about choosing a domain name is one of personal preference. And it is one that you should not take lightly. The domain name you choose will stick with you and become affiliated with your online presence.

Keyword rich domain names are the easiest to describe. They are based on creating a domain name that best matches the search term(s) that represent the content and purpose of your site. For example: www.basicsofecommerce.com is an example of a keyword rich domain name. Rather than using my real company name, I chose a domain name that had “basics” and “ecommerce” inside the name. For a blog, I thought this was appropriate since its reflects the information and content provided. It not only targets the keywords, but one can instantly tell what the site is about just by looking at the domain name.

Brandable domain names on the other hand, can also contain keywords to some extent, but these domain names may or may not be as recognizable. Their purpose is to establish a brandable, recognizable name over time. They may also be your company name. The biggest difference is the usual lack of keywords in the domain name itself. For example: www.hubspot.com is an example of a brandable domain name. By the way, its a great site, so go check them out if you do not know who they are. (I intentionally do not tell you and unless you know about them, you can’t tell what they do by looking at the domain name alone. Oh, and I am not affiliated with them in any way so I am not plugging anything).

There are no hard and fast rules on which approach you should use. I have tried both types and did not really notice a difference in which ones performed better. The last few years, keyword rich domains have been popular because some search engines appear to give more weight to sites having keywords in the url, especially when your site content matched. But this is not necessarily true anymore. At least not as much. I have heard it is because many have keyword stuffed the domain name as a way to get favor with the search engine, even when the content is not as relevant. My guess is that there is still relevance with keywords in the domain name as long as its matched with great content that relate to that keyword. As sophisticated as search engine algorithms are, I have to believe they can tell when someone is using a keyword in the domain name to try and gain weight with the search engine. Content is king and should be the driving factor. My personal observation with natural search engine rankings seem to confirm this at least.

For ecommerce stores, my current thinking is that brandable names are best, especially if easily remembered. While very few can live up to the brand recognition of those like, Nike, Coca Cola, Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc., Brandable names seem to “stick” with people easier. Great names can take on a persona of their own. There are always exceptions, like cars.com which is both a keyword rich + brand, which I guess has the best of both worlds, but then any name has the potential to get big.

Much more makes up a brand, or a site than “just the name” of the domain, so choose as you like. I own about 60 domain names that I have collected through the years. Some will expire shortly and may not be renewed. Those that have business potential or I consider valuable I will keep in case I decide to develop them later on. Some I will just dump. Domains are cheap, at least with Godaddy and the major name registrars I have used.

Finally, unless you are set up as a holding company (which owns many other companies), you are often best suited to keep your official business name and domain name the same. That way, your online presence matches your business. But again, you can be flexible here as well. Pick a name YOU like and YOU think will work. Bounce ideas of family and friends. Your more likely to stick with it, if you pig a great name from the beginning.