Gone are the days when having a domain like “cheapclothesforwomen.com” would ensure you a high ranking on Google if someone searched for the exact phrase. Since 2012, Google does not highly rank “Exact Match Domains or EMDs” unless the websites have good relevant content matching the website name. These days, a good and relevant website name can achieve a higher ranking and brand recognition and lead to higher click-through-rates (CTRs) on Google and other search engines.
Picking a Website Name
The domain name you register must be chosen to help with Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) so that your site appears high up in the search rankings. The name you choose must be a memorable name which is either your brand name, the name of your company or a relevant name for your business. The extension or suffix you use for your website name should ideally be related to the country in which you operate, so .com, .co.uk, etc. for the US and UK respectively are preferable to non-country related names such as .biz – these extensions may be associated with spamming websites. Whilst the extension .com was originally designated as being for a US commercial enterprise, the extension is now used and accepted worldwide.
You should also avoid hyphens and numbers and misspelt words and try to keep the name as short as possible and easy to remember.
Other Things to Check
When Nokia picked Lumia as the brand name for their mobile phone range, they obviously did not check that the word is slang for prostitute in Spanish. So it is advisable to check your chosen name in other languages, including the name with different extensions. You can also use partial match domains (PMDs), such as that used by suitsdirect.co.uk, provided there is relevant content.
It is also advisable to register your website name for longer than one year, as it shows you are there for the long term. There is a vast choice of website names and extensions, and by going to https://www.names.co.uk/domain-names it is possible to choose and check any website address and extension.
Conclusion
The name you choose for your website, including the extension, must be relevant to your business, and the site should have applicable content. You should also check that the name does not mean something undesirable in other countries, and you should register your domain for longer than one year.
