Domain Name Search

Searching for a domain name can be both frustrating and exciting, but understanding what a domain name does for your website and finding an available domain name that fits your needs can make your head spin.

When I perform a domain name search, it is only after I understand what the website I am building will be about and have already performed my keyword and key phrase research. Admittedly I will on occasion simply browse and search for available domain names, but that is only for my personal creative ideas... (right now I have several of these creative domain names that I registered and I am still trying to decide what to do with them). I would never choose a random domain name or do a domain name search for a client however, because their project is too important. When I am building a site for a client, the only domain name search I do is based on solid fact finding after my target market analysis and key phrase research.

Are you considering searching for a domain name? You might be wondering what should you look for in a great domain name, or how to choose the right domain name for your business. Over the last decade I have registered literally hundreds of domain names. Based on experience I can tell you what makes a good domain name and what does not. As a general rule of thumb I make sure that when I perform a domain name search, it meets most of these following requirements:

1. Is the domain name a "dot com"? The ".com" is for commercial use and suits the majority of websites. Dot com's also have a tendency to have preferred treatment by the search engines,.displaying them more prominently then other domain name types.
2. Does the domain name match my key phrase? If my site is about "widgets", is my domain name about "widgets"? A site domain name is easiest to SEO when it matches the most popular key phrase people may consider typing into a search engine. Additional "friendly" or "cute" domains can be used for external marketing efforts, but those should be forwarded to the primary domain name, (the key phrase dot com version).
3. Can I use the domain name without infringing? This is very important because you do not want to go through the hassle of registering a great domain name and building a site, then getting it showing up on search engines only to learn that someone is going to sue you for infringement or domain squatting. Always check the USPTO.gov site and your local and state business licensing facilities to ensure that your new domain will not cause infringement problems.
4. How much does the domain name cost? Nobody "owns" a domain name and you really cannot "buy a domain name". You can only "register s domain name" and there are yearly registration fees to go along with it. Sort of like personalized license plates for your car. While there are still plenty of great domain names available for the standard registration cost of $10 +/- per year, you may want a better domain name that someone else already registered. There are private parties and domain name brokers that make a small fortune just registering domain names and then charging money to release the registration and transfer it to you! While it sounds crazy and should be illegal, there are virtually no regulations to prevent domain brokers from buying up domain names and then charging exorbitant fees to release the domain name to people who really have a use for it and want to register it. When I build a website I refuse to become a victim of domain brokers. I will simply search harder for an alternate or if my client wants to pay $6000 to use a neat domain name, that's up to them.
5. How long to register a domain name? The minimum registration period for a domain name is for one year, but you can choose a longer time period if you want. Personally, from an SEO standpoint, I have not seen any benefit from registering a domain longer than one year, but some SEO experts claim that search engines may give preference to those domains that are registered for longer periods of time. You can register your domain name for 10 years if you want to, but keep in mind it will cost you 10 x $9.99 or however much the registration fee is per year. When I build a site for a client who needs a domain name, I pay for the initial year and then it is up to them to keep up with future registration fees. My thought is that whether or not it helps SEO efforts to have a domain name registered for longer period of time, it is probably smarter to just spend $50 or $100 at once for several years of registration and not have to worry about it every 12 months.