{"id":19494,"date":"2022-11-21T10:00:26","date_gmt":"2022-11-21T02:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/?p=19494"},"modified":"2023-02-28T20:42:23","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28T12:42:23","slug":"choosing-the-best-domain-name-for-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/blog\/domain-name\/choosing-the-best-domain-name-for-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing the Best Domain Name for SEO: 6 Factors to Look Into"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Securing a domain for your website can be an exciting albeit distressing experience. You want to ensure that you register your ideal domain before the competitors do. You also want one that\u2019s an exact match of your business name.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While these are important factors when choosing the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">best domain name<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for your business, it\u2019s also essential to register domains that are search engine friendly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Search engine optimisation and domains impact each other in more ways than you think. We\u2019ll dive into that in a bit, but let\u2019s start with the basics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>What is a Domain Name?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Domain names, commonly known as web addresses, are what users type into their browsers to reach a website. For example, CLDY\u2019s domain name is CLDY.com.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unlike complicated IP addresses, domains are more user-friendly and can easily connect users to the websites they want to visit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A typical domain name has three parts: a subdomain, a second-level domain, and a top-level domain.<\/span><b>Top-level domains (TLDs) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">appear right next to second-level domains or at the very tail end of your domain name. Some of the most common top-level domains include:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.com<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.co<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.net<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.org<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.gov<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As of 2022, there are more than 1500 TLDs accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the non-profit organisation managing the Domain Name System (DNS).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A <\/span><b>second level domain (SLD) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">sits right before your TLD. For example, the second level domain of CLDY.com is \u201cCLDY\u201d. As you might have guessed, your SLD is where you place your brand or business name.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before officially registering your desired SLD <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">TLD, use a<\/span> <a style=\"color: #f4662d\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/domain-registration\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">domain checker<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">to see if it\u2019s available first. If it\u2019s not available, you can do any of the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>User variations on your SLD. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, if the domain coffeescape.com is taken, go for a geo-specific domain like coffeescapesg.com instead.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Do the same for TLDs.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> As a business, you obviously want to go for a .com extension. But if changing your second level domain isn\u2019t an option, go for a .net, .info, or .co instead. Do this, of course, with caution as using a domain similar to an existing one may result in a violation of trademark rights. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Try to buy it. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you head to the WHOIS database, you might be able to whip up the domain owner\u2019s contact details. Simply contact them and see if you can come to an agreement. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finally, let\u2019s talk about <\/span><b>subdomains. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The purpose of subdomains is to separate sections of a website from the main site. For example, you might have decided to set up a subdomain for your ecommerce site. So your subdomain would end up looking something like this: store.yourmaindomain.com.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>How important are Domain Names for SEO?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before diving into that question, let\u2019s first define SEO.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SEO (or Search Engine Optimisation) are a series of actions done on or off your website to help it rank higher in search engines like Google. With millions of people using search engines to discover online content, ranking higher naturally means seeing a boost in website traffic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">So then comes the age-old question, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">does your domain affect your website SEO? <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While not a known search engine ranking factor, there are different ways an <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SEO-friendly domain name<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> benefits your website. Let\u2019s explore some of them below.<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>1. Keyword-based domains perform well in search engines<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Keyword-based domains are exactly as the name suggests. They target specific keywords related to your industry or niche. For example, if you\u2019re running a blog that does tech reviews, you might want a domain that\u2019s thetechreviewer.com or techreviewblog.com.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>2. Exact Match Domains, on the other hand\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Keyword-based domains are great for communicating what your blog or website is about. But website owners tend to take keyword-based domains a step further with an exact match domain (or EMD).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">EMDs precisely match popular search queries.\u00a0 For example, you decide to call your website CheapShoes.com.\u00a0 As a result, anyone submitting the popular search query \u201ccheap shoes\u201d is likely to stumble upon your website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While EMDs sound like a magic shortcut to increasing website traffic, it isn\u2019t always advisable. EMDs tend to be flagged by Google for good reasons: They\u2019re spammy and have a bad reputation for keyword stuffing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>3. Short and concise brandable domains invite clicks<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">On the opposite end of the keyword, domains are brandable domains. Businesses register brandable domains to build loyalty and familiarity around their brands. There are loads of examples on the internet, including Google.com, Buzzfeed.com, Apple.com, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is no right answer between brandable and keyword-based domains. But if you\u2019re going for the former, ensure that it\u2019s short, easy to remember, and spell\u2014plus points if you get a domain that\u2019s an exact match for your business! This way, you make it easier for users to land on your website when they search for it on Google.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>4. A trustworthy TLD impacts your overall traffic<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There\u2019s no question that a .com extension is the most ideal TLD choice for businesses. In fact, it remains to be the most trusted TLD in the world. When remembering a URL, people are <\/span><a style=\"color: #f4662d\" href=\"https:\/\/growthbadger.com\/top-level-domains\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">3.8 times more likely to assume it ends in .com.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, all is not lost when you choose extensions like .co, .online, or .org. These extensions are also recognisable in the marketplace and continue to invite users to visit websites. All you need to ensure is that they match your website\u2019s purpose. For example, .org extensions work for charities, non-profits, and communities. They are not intended for blogs or online stores.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>5. ccTLDs show search engines which country your content is targeted at<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Country code top-level domains or ccTLDs are given to businesses, organisations, or individuals from a specific country or geographic area. It follows internationally recognised country codes. For example, the ccTLD for Singapore is .SG, the United States uses .US, and Malaysia uses .MY and so on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ccTLDs are especially useful for local search. If your website uses a specific ccTLD, search engines like Google automatically assume that your website is relevant to people in that area, thus increasing your rankings in local search results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>6. Choose subfolders or subdirectories instead of subdomains<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Let\u2019s get one thing straight: There\u2019s nothing wrong with using subdomains. After all, we did establish how beneficial they are for structuring your website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">And although Google sees subdirectories and subdomains equally, you will need to verify your subdomain in Google Search Console\u2014making it certain that Google treats subdomains as separate sites.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Choose a good Domain Name for SEO <\/b><b>today<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s safe to assume that a short, memorable domain that communicates your site\u2019s purpose contributes to your overall SEO strategy. Of course, you should not depend on your domain name alone. To rank in search engines, you need to provide a good user experience, target the right keywords, and create content worth consuming.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the meantime, begin your <\/span><a style=\"color: #f4662d\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/domain-registration\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">domain name registration<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> process with <\/span><a style=\"color: #f4662d\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">CLDY<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0 With a variety of TLDs to choose from, including .SG and .COM. Start building a foundation for your SEO-friendly website.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Securing a domain for your website can be an exciting albeit distressing experience. You want to ensure that you register your ideal domain before the competitors do. You also want one that\u2019s an exact match of your business name. While these are important factors when choosing the best domain name for your business, it\u2019s also [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":19496,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-domain-name"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19494"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19494\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20440,"href":"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19494\/revisions\/20440"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cldy.com\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}