Does My Domain Name Choice Matter for SEO?

Written by Helen
August 10th, 2010

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Q: Does my domain name choice matter for SEO? For example – .com vs. .ca

A: Yes, your choice of a domain name plays an important role for your search engine optimization. As you may know, search engines follow complex algorithms that allow them to understand what your site is about, which in the end defines how well your site is going to rank for a certain keyword (or keyword phrase).

Here are some of the things that your domain name tells search engines:

• It tells them the location of your business. If it’s a ccTLD (country specific domain name) like .ca (Canada), then it’s a clear sign for search engines that your site belongs to a Canadian business or person.

Keep in mind that not all country domains are restricted. For example, anyone could register a .me (ccTLD for Montenegro) domain name, but to register a .ca domain name you have to be “related” to Canada. That’s why it is a good idea to register a .ca domain name for a Canadian business.

So, in case of a .ca domain name it will definitely be a clear sign for search engines that your business is Canadian and your website will most likely rank higher for Canadian searchers.

If your target audience is in Canada, then definitely, you will want to register a .ca domain and have it as the primary address for your site. If a .com version of your domain name is available, then it is recommended to register it as well, just to protect your brand, and in case, one day you decide to expand your business (and search engine) horizons.

• Another important factor to keep in mind when choosing a domain name is, whether it is possible to include your primary keywords in the name. For example – www.cucumbermarketing.com includes “marketing” and since marketing is what Cucumber Marketing Inc is about, our domain name will be that extra clue to search engines that we want to rank for keyword phrases that include “marketing.”

• Also, keep in mind that some domain names just naturally (for whatever reason) do not rank as well as others. For example; a .info domain name is historically considered* to be a not so search engine friendly domain name (if compared to an equivalent .com (or .ca for that matter) domain name). No offense to the .info Registry!

Long story short, yes, your domain name choice plays an important role in your overall search engine optimization project. Choose wisely!

Thanks for reading and happy optimizing!

Give us a shout if you need help with search engine optimization.

*claim made based on SEO industry best practices and experimental research.

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