A domain name is basically the web address of your website. Like houses and properties are identified by their street addresses, websites are identified via their unique domain names. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) defines it as the way by which internet users can locate a site. This may include names in the .com, .org, .net, and other similar conventional domains, as well as country-specific domains like .us, .in, .co.uk, etc.
Domain names are extremely important as they direct customers to your website. It’s how your website visitors will find you, remember you, and refer you to others. They present a professional image and show you are a part of the digital revolution.
As far as SEO or Search Engine Optimization is concerned, a domain name can significantly impact your site’s visibility and ranking on the search engines. According to Moz, a domain name impacts SEO in several ways:
1. Influencing Click-Through-Rate (CTR): A clear and concise domain name that describes the nature of your website/business can drive more clicks from the search engine results page. For example, ‘www.booksstore.com’ is more likely to attract traffic for the search query ‘buy books online’ as compared to ‘www.abcxyz.com’.
1. Impacting Brand Perception: A credible domain extension and a simple and easy-to-remember name can make your website appear trustworthy, which can, in turn, improve your site’s overall SEO performance.
1. Factoring in Keyword Relevance: Although the relevance of exact-match domains (EMDs) has decreased over the years, having a keyword in the domain name can still act as a ranking signal. For instance, ‘www.floristinchicago.com’ might have an SEO advantage for the search term ‘florist in Chicago’.
1. Domain Age, History, and Authority: Old domains often rank higher than new ones. If a domain has changed owners a few times, Google may “reset” its history, negating the SEO value.
While choosing your domain name, it’s vital to keep these SEO considerations in mind. However, remember that other SEO factors like on-page content, link building, website speed, mobile usability, etc., have a higher priority and impact on your website ranking, as suggested by Google’s SEO starter guide.
Sources:
- ICANN: https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/faqs-84-2012-02-25-en#what
- Moz: https://moz.com/learn/seo/domain
- Google SEO Starter Guide: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7451184?hl=en
