Domains and SEO - Keywords in a Domain
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It's not necessary to have keywords in your domain name. If you have a choice between a keyword-rich new domain and an old domain, go for the old one. Google places more trust in old domains, and it's easier to rank them for any keyword.
Domain Keywords and Link Building
The biggest benefit that keyword-rich domains offer is the anchor text for incoming links.
In many cases, people don't bother putting any anchor text into a link and simply use the site's URL. In that case, keywords in the domain are extremely useful for link building, because the domain name serves as anchor text. For example, if you're after the keyword "engine" and the URL is enginemaster.com, then you benefit from the keyword engine when someone cites your site without wrapping it with anchor text. On the other hand, if you're after "engine" and site address is "horseriding.com," then the benefit of the keyword is lost.
Length of the Domain Name
Just as people don't remember dashed or .info domains, they don't remember long ones. Our society is extremely lazy, so don't expect anyone to memorize anything, especially something long.
Server Location and Extensions
If your server is in Canada and the domain features a .ca extension, you'll have a hard time ranking for US or internal searches. The good side is that you'll be given a boost by Google on Google.ca. This applies to the UK, Australia, Germany and any other country.
It's a good idea to host your site in your country, and register the domain name with an appropriate country extension if you're after local markets.
Next: Branding a Domain Name >>
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