choosing a domain: branding vs. SEO

[TrojanDLA]

How important to SEO is a domain name? For example, is there any benefit to using the domain name: www.atlantahomes.com as far as SEO goes?

Or is the domain name purely a branding tool, and does nothing for SEO, whatever it is you use? So everything being equal, it wouldn't matter if you used www.atlantahomes.com or www.crazylady.com as far as organic SEO is concerned.

I've been getting mixed answers from different people about this, and was wondering what your collective experience with this issue has been.

[Sam Dodd]

I will take a shot at this one! Is a keyword filled domain nessecary to rank well in the Search Engines. NO You can rank anything domain name for any term with enough time and effort.

Does having a keyword filled domain help. Yes - It is one of MANY factors that the search engines use to rank a site.

Basically, my advice is if you can get a keyword rich domian take it if not no big deal go for the branding. Many people will say the branding is better but I say if it is get the keyword domain, as well as the branded domain and redirect the branded domain to your keyword domain and have the best of both worlds.

I would stay away from multiple hyphens or dashes in domains as it looks spammy to me.

[TrojanDLA]

That sounds totally sensible, thanks. I'll work on a non-spammy, SEO friendly but brand memorable domain name. So, ideally, get the best of both worlds, but if not, go for branding.

[Homesurfer]

Go for branding. A web site isn't "just" to get new clients from the web. It should also be a tool that helps people you meet "belly to belly" in your more traditional marketing become more familiar with you, too. For that to work best, you need branding.

I think a site's name has minimal influence on SEO. What the hell does "wikipedia" have to do with "blue suede shoes," for example? Yet wikipedia.com is the number one result when you look up "blue suede shoes" on Google.

[webmaster]

IMO your domain name has zero direct effect on your rankings - go branding every time.

[drang3d]

Well heres my experience, I went for a hyphen in the name and I have to admit, I'm having no problems when it comes to seo but am having problems selling my service when I say I'm from xxx-yyy.com. When you say hyphen on the phne or the radio, half the people don't know what a hyphen is, you end up having to explain its a sort of dash!

[Bigtoe]

Well heres my experience, I went for a hyphen in the name and I have to admit, I'm having no problems when it comes to seo but am having problems selling my service when I say I'm from xxx-yyy.com. When you say hyphen on the phne or the radio, half the people don't know what a hyphen is, you end up having to explain its a sort of dash!

If I had to do it over again I would go for something easy to spell with a catchy ring to it. Spelling is brutal for a lot of people, not to mention those of us with typing inabilities.

[Sam Dodd]

You guys are missing the point. Advertise your (branded Domain Name) SEO your Keyworded domain 301 redirect makes it so you don't have to go either or you can have both!

[drang3d]

Thats what I was planning to do Cedar but the thing I was wondering about, was how easy is it to link build with a 301 redirect?

[Bigtoe]

Been there, did that. Expensive leason learned.

You have to optimise for your advertised, pointed domain or it won't work all the time. The average joe doesn't know the difference between the address bar and the browser search bar. Type a pointed domain into a search engine and it comes up a dead end unless you optimise the site for it.

I have fixed g and y but msnowhere still can't find it.