| One of the biggest challenges we face as internet | | | | an underscore. Once again this occurs because of the |
| business owners is trying to secure domain names | | | | history people have with the DOS operating system. |
| that have the keywords we need to help in the | | | | The other issue you need to be very cautious of |
| Search Engine Optimization process. Over the last | | | | doing is using a combination of dashes and |
| few years the number of domains being registered is | | | | underscores. In a recent survey my company did of |
| growing exponentially and Internet marketers are | | | | 200 keywords in the three major search engines, we |
| now reverting to domain names that use a | | | | found that more and more companies are registering |
| combination of dashes and underscores, however | | | | domains with either dashes or underscores in the |
| you need to be careful using dashes and underscores | | | | domain name and then use the alternative with the |
| in the domain names because you can in fact make it | | | | file names. Let me show you an example ... |
| very difficult for a client to actually remember your | | | | Los_Angeles_Car_Detailing_Service.com |
| website and come back to it if they did not add it to | | | | Platinum-Car-Cleaning-Service.asp |
| their favorites. In the long run, this can challenge the | | | | You can see in the domain above that we have used |
| ability of your business to grow. | | | | a combination of dashes and underscores. Doing this |
| From a number of focus groups we have run in | | | | is really poor practice because if a person visits your |
| Australia and also in conversation with our customers, | | | | website and wants to get back to the page above, |
| we have found that a domain using dashes is in fact | | | | they will get mixed up as to whether they should be |
| harder for a customer to remember then one with | | | | using underscores or dashes. |
| underscores. One of the core reasons that people | | | | When using underscores or dashes in your domain, |
| find using underscores easier to remember goes back | | | | make sure that you stay consistent and only use |
| to the bad old days of DOS. The DOS operating | | | | either all dashes or all underscores. It is unwise to use |
| system did not allow for names to have spaces and | | | | a combination of these elements as shown above. |
| the substitute for spaces was the underscore, | | | | Look the bottom line is this; from a client user |
| consequently people remember underscores between | | | | perspective the best domain to register is one |
| names better than those that use dashes. | | | | without spaces. If that domain is not available then |
| If you were choosing a Key Word Rich Name the | | | | the next best one is one that uses underscores and |
| best choice would be to have the domain with no | | | | finally the dashes option should only be used in the |
| dashes or underscores. For example if I was trying to | | | | worst case scenario. |
| setup a domain for a car detailing service in Los | | | | One of the other issues you need to be cautious |
| Angeles, the best non-company name specific domain | | | | about when registering a domain is to not make the |
| for the location would be - | | | | domain name to long. In online advertising sites like |
| The key advantage of this name is that customers | | | | Google Adwords the domain name display allows only |
| will easily remember the name and that there are no | | | | a maximum of 35 characters. If your domain name is |
| underscores or dashes. This domain is also far more | | | | longer than 35 characters you will not be able to type |
| easier for people to remember if they see the | | | | it into the Display URL box the domain which will |
| domain using off-line marketing techniques like | | | | mean if you do not display the right URL then Google |
| bumper bar stickers. The domain name is also far | | | | will ban your Adwords campaign. In the examples I |
| more easier for you as the business owner to explain | | | | used above I would not be able to run an Adwords |
| to the client to lookup on the web. | | | | campaign because the number of characters in the |
| For example we could have rewritten this domain - | | | | domain exceeds the Display URL's capability and as |
| or | | | | such limits your advertising options for pay-per-click |
| If I had a choice between the two names above, | | | | advertising. |
| from experience I would recommend the first one | | | | Choosing the right domain is an important step and if |
| over the second. The reason for this is that your | | | | you get it wrong it can limit your abilities to market |
| clients who are not extensively internet savvy will | | | | your website and cost you money. |
| tend to interpret a dash, whether spoken or seen as | | | | |