When it comes to SEO, there’s an ever-changing list of factors to which Google is paying attention. We can go back to cliches like “content is king,” but other than consistent quality content being regularly posted, what should we be looking for in a business website that will drive traffic and increase rankings? How about the name of your site? How highly does Google value a name at this point in history?
A Little Background
In the dawning of the internet and SEO, a website name counted for a lot. Exact Match Domains, or EMD, was responsible for this. This is where a company would research a keyword, and that became the name of their website. It was very simple, and it worked; it allowed them to rank. But times have changed, and Google dislikes companies that try to augment their SEO with poor quality websites that feature an EMD-generated name. In 2018, a site that is named after a literal search term but only features a couple of web pages stuffed with keywords is not going to impress Google. On the contrary, it’s going to get you penalized.
Modern SEO And Your Site Name
Techniques employed by every SEO company Los Angeles are always changing, but their primary goal has not. It’s still to generate high rankings through fresh content posted regularly and to follow best practices (white hat SEO). Anyone can attempt to do these things, whether an SEO guru or a rank amateur. But your website name is unique, and it always will be. Even if names are not used for the same purpose as they once were, they can still work to your advantage. They still have the brand potential, the ability to establish trust, and they can provide higher click-through rates if used in the right way.
Striking A Balance
So, what’s the best name for your website? If you shouldn’t use a literal search term, then what should you use instead? You need to find a balance between a domain name that is a literal long-tail keyword and one that is too vague to be of any use to you. The answer is usually something that signals your brand and incorporates a keyword that often appears as it relates to your niche. That way, when people see the website name, they will intuitively realize what they’re likely to find there without you having spelled it out to them prominently and laboriously.
Choosing the right name while trying to keep to these parameters can be a challenge. It’s not uncommon for companies to have an entire team of marketers working on a domain name for days on end. Once you’ve settled on a name, the next thing you need to do is make it known in your industry. That’s where an SEO company comes in, because you want the name that you chose to have quality content. That way, when people think of your website name, they’ll think of your brand, and it will call to mind the superior products and services that you offer.
