Domain Name Information Information Research

Tell a Friend about this Site

The truth about hyphenated domain names


There is a lot of confusion about the use of hyphens being used in domain names. While researching hyphenated domain names I found a lot of conflicting information so I will give you a distilled view of what is currently believed to be the facts regarding hyphens in domains.

When I started Name Search Domain I had a lot of trouble finding a domain that I could use to reflect the topic of my site. After quite a bit of research I decided on NameSearchDomain.com, without hyphens.

It used to be the case that using a hyphen to separate keywords in your domain name would give you a better ranking in the search engines. For a while this was the case but due to the over zealous use of keywords in domain names, search engines now consider this as a spamming technique. Using hyphens in your domain name still makes it easier for search engines to read but it generally will not benefit your ranking.

If you use an unhyphenated domain name like myself using keywords it is generally believed that search engines such as Google can pick out the keywords. If you use hyphens then the keywords are easier to pick out from your domain name. So if there is no search engine benefit to using hyphens and keywords in domain names why do people still use them. The answer is undoubtedly anchor link benefits and ease of readability.

If you have hyphens in your domain name it is easier for a human to read and recognise the keywords in a domain. Take a look at specialistcheeseemporium.com or visit specialist-cheese-emporium.com. It is quite obvious that the hyphenated version is going to be recognised more easily.

Recognising the domain name is one thing but entering a domain name into your browser is another. It is easier for someone to type the unhyphenated domain name and it is easier for someone to give out the domain name to a customer if it doesn't have hyphens in it. Some people may not know what a hyphen is.

There is believed to be another benefit of keywords in domain names and that is anchor links, that is keywords in back links to your site. If a webmaster links back to your site from their site they often use the domain name as the anchor text. This is obviously good for you as it helps in reinforcing those keywords with your site to the search engines. So if your site is specialistcheeseemporium.com they may type this as all one word or possibly as specialist cheese emporium. For the hyphenated version they would probably type specialist-cheese-emporium.com.

So when choosing your domain name and deciding on whether to use hyphens you need to consider how the domain name is going to be interpreted and used by other people, not machines. I chose my domain name without hyphens purely because most people will type domains without the hyphens. I do use hyphens but only in my filenames as this makes it easier for people to read and people are less likely to type in a page name as they are a domain name.

Find out more about Domain Names at Name Search Domain. Stuff you need to know if you are thinking of buying a domain name.


MORE RESOURCES:

SOLAR ENERGY DOMAIN NAMES HIT THE MARKET
Earthtoys (press release) - May 16, 2008
Powerful internet marketing tools, premium solar domain names have been reported being circulated to marketing groups representing solar companies and other ...


Moniker Unveils Additional Domain Names
WebHosting.Info, CA - May 14, 2008
Moniker.com, a provider of Domain Asset Management services, this week announced the availability of additional premium domain names for purchase via a live ...


Prime Internet domain names up for grabs
United Press International - May 13, 2008
POMPANO BEACH, Fla., May 13 (UPI) -- Internet domain names such as GasPrices.com and HotPotato.com are set to be auctioned off by Florida's Moniker Online ...
Moniker Unveils Additional Domain Names Available at Upcoming ... PR Newswire UK (press release)
all 9 news articles


Fees for `.org' domain names to increase 10 pct
The Associated Press - May 9, 2008
The per-name fee is what PIR collect annually from registrars, the companies that sell domain names on their behalf. Such charges are generally incorporated ...


BuyCheap-DomainNames.com Offers Web Site Builder for .MOBI
24-7PressRelease.com (press release) - May 12, 2008
Using WebSite Tonight offered by BuyCheap-DomainNames.com, users can easily create Web sites that are formatted specifically to provide on-the-go mobile ...


Court restored rights of Bank Uralsib to use of domain names.
Analytical Information Agency, Russia - May 12, 2008
The specified domain names earlier have been registered by one of "cybersquotters" - persons, domain names engaged by registration, conformable with names ...


Price Increase for .org Domain Names
IT Business Edge, KY - May 12, 2008
Public Interest Registry, which operates the .org domain name, will collect the fee from companies that sell the domain names on its behalf. ...


New algorithm weeds out malicious look-alike Internet domains
Economic Times, India - 6 hours ago
This work attains significance as having visually distinct top-level domain names may help avoid confusion in navigating the ever-expanding Internet and ...


Think a gallon of gas is pricey? GasPrices.com to be auctioned ...
Computerworld, MA - May 14, 2008
Both domain names will be among dozens of "premier" domain names that will be auctioned by Moniker.com starting May 23 at a simultaneously live, ...


Money Online : Domain Names
The Times, South Africa - Apr 26, 2008
Much has been written about domain names in the past and their importance when starting a website. If you have a business then it is always best to choose ...

Domain-Names - Google News



MaineBannerExchange

home | site map
© 2006