If you are going to start a website and want it to be successful, you have to determine the best domain name. There are a couple of tips you should know before you buy one.

Far too often, people rush out and pick their domain names on the fly. “What sounds cool?” “What sounds professional?” “I’ll just use my business name.” These are the basic methods people come up with domain names and they can lead to regret down the road.

Unless you have a business name that is very well known or you are looking at branding your company name, your business name is not required in the domain. Using the business name isn’t really going to help you generate traffic and people will still be able to find you through search engines since you are probably the only one with your namesake.

The best way to pick a domain name is to perform keyword research. Keyword research is more than likely going to identify the optimal words and phrases your prospects are using to search for your services or products. You will want to create a list of high traffic keyword phrases and use at least one your domain name. Search engines give a lot of value to a domain name that matches a keyword phrase. This helps you crank your home page to the top of the rankings for that phrase, which gives you a higher preference over your competition that do not have this kind of domain optimization.

Once you have identified the keyword phrase you want to use for your domain, there is another one more important thing you need to know: The length of your registration is a factor in search engine rankings on Google. Google gives added value to sites that are going to be around for a long time. At minimum you should register the domain for two years, but go with the longest option available.

At first glance, picking a domain name is a fairly simple process. To further jump-start your marketing efforts, you should study your industry and give it some thought. If you follow the above guidelines, you can turn your domain into a powerful head start for your marketing efforts.

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