Hi, Does hyphens in a domain name have a positive or negative affect on google SERPS? An exact match domain name is a search phrase that people type in and your domain name just happens to be that exact search. They offer solid prices and back it with great customer service and functionality. Here are the reasons why: 1. For example, fishinglures.com may be taken but fishing-lures.com may still be available. Search engines see hyphens as separators and can help to clarify what a web page’s subject matter is. And that is when you are marketing your domain name by word of mouth. You can often see URLs like www.example.com/sub_folder/ that work just fine. Domain names come in pretty much two flavours, hyphenated (includes hyphens -) and non-hyphenated (does not include hyphens -). I would highly appreciate it if you could use this link when registering your domain name (we receive a small commission) so I can continue providing this free domain consultation service (see comments below – I’m answering several new comments each week, which takes up valuable time and research). In short, make it virtually impossible for online surfers not to … Most people will forget to type in the hyphen when they search for your website and end up on your competitor’s site. It can be a confusing character for customers to type into their internet browser. This is primarily a matter of brand control. If you decide to register an unhyphenated name, it doesn't hurt to also Another reason to use hyphenated domain names is when two words joined together like in a domain name could imply or even state a different meaning or unintentional phrases. Already know the name you wish to register? How Does Google “See” Hyphens. For the purposes of this example, we’ll assume your company is called ‘Smith Widgets’ and you use Smith-Widgets.com as your domain name. This is also a long disputed discussion in the search marketing community. Hyphens: (good-domain.com) Homonyms: (suite-domain.com) Abbreviations (2cool-domain.com) You get the general idea. 1 Hrkjds New member. They help make domain names readable– using hyphens makes easier for both people and search engines to read your domain name, therefore, get a clue about what the site or business is all about. Adds an extra character to the domain name. Hyphens in Domain Name Jan 31, 2012 - Posted by csmithal in On-Page / Site Optimization | 13 Responses | 6975 Views. 199 Comments. Hyphens are allowed in domain names themselves, as well as subdomains and subfolders. You can put best different keywords which describe your all business. The presence of a hyphen can create problems with recall as people are mostly used to domains without a dash being used. although this may now be not so relevant as search engines are quite adept Domain names with hyphens and dashes are undesirable because they cannot be easily recalled. There are those that believe that people are less likely to click on hyphenated domains because of their association with spammy sites, and because long-lasting traditional domain names tend to be hyphen free. With some popular domain names not being available, sometimes a hyphenated url will be and will be used. Harder to advertise on radio or through word of mouth. In fact, search engines are able to understand hyphens and perceive them as spaces (as confirmed by Google’s Matt Cutts in … If your domain name is two words (like www.examplesite.com), you may … www.sub-domain.domain-name.com/sub-folder-1/ is a perfectly valid URL. Impact of hyphens (dashes) in domain names in terms of SEO There’s no negative impact on domain names that use dashes. This doesn’t affect rankings. Generally won't have as good a resale value as the non-hyphenated There is one undisputed argument for non-hyphenated domains. How to register a name: Enter your choice in the search tool and click 'GO'. A hyphen adds an extra character to the domain name - when it comes to names, the shorter, the better. The simple fact that the SERPs also contain several quality multi-hyphenated domains (domains with multiple hyphens) is evidence that these domains are not being penalized. Avoid hyphens if possible. Thread starter Kaynil; Start date Oct 22, 2016; Kaynil New Member. it reveals different results for hyphenated and underscore searches, treating the underscore as a character instead of a space). Free SEO Website Guide and Monthly Tech Tips & Reviews! (Note that the names I'm using here are not the actual ones my visitors used.) Updated: December 15, 2015 Domain Names Hyphens in domain helps you to put the keywords in your domain. For example, expertsexchange.com – is that experts-exchange or expert-sex-change? equivalent. The effect of this can tell on one’s SEO efforts. 22. Domain names comprised of generic terms are more likely to be available; Pickaweb.co.uk 1,595 views. 1.1.1. You could certainly approach the owner of … A hyphenated domain name is not the best option to “brand” a domain I would strongly suggest to go for a non hyphenated domain name and in case you have an option of both the options available, to be more sure, you could get both of them registered and one redirected to your parent website. they are often easier on the eyes (that often play tricks): for example, life-with-art.com is clear. Feel free to ask us in the comments below, we’ll be glad to give our opinion. Important – we ask that you register your domain names (on Namecheap, our registrar of choice) before posting them in the comments, to prevent “domain squatters” reading this from “stealing” your domain names and then trying to sell them back to you for a higher price. a good domain name, which also contains other handy tips and guidelines for registering The bottom line is that Google is constantly updating their search algorithms, so your page rankings will vary day-to-day, and often pages will go up and down in ranking or (worst case) be dropped from the index. Vote up 1. We are not responsible in any way for such products and services, and nothing contained here should be construed as a guarantee of the functionality, utility, safety or reliability of any product or services reviewed or discussed. Joined Nov 1, 2013 Messages 6 It depends… each top-level domain (e.g., .com, .org, .it, .popsicle*) has its own rules. Using a hyphen (a dash) in a domain name is still a hotly debated topic and whether you should select a hyphenated domain really just depends on your specific situation. There are various forms of the question. While it is okay to use a hyphen in domain name, overuse of hyphen should be avoided as multi-hyphen domain names may be regarded as spam. Upon further inspection, however, the drop-offs are also being realized by hyphenated domains. Hyphens work perfect when buying and using domain names with letter and words that could be interpreted or be seen as a word within words. There is one undisputed argument for non-hyphenated domains. For those wondering what a domain name is, it is just a name like "thesitewizard… But this has nothing to do with hyphens. While Yahoo and MSN may correctly interpret underscores as hyphens, the predominant search engine, Google, does not (ie. Either way, you should focus on the branding aspect of your name – i.e. Our review process. Lets check out good and bad of Hyphen in domain name. And that is when you are marketing your domain name by word of mouth. Start your domain Generally won't have as … A great example is the domain name penisland.com. The debate surrounding hyphenated domain names (a dash between words making The major problem that occurs while using a hyphen in domain name that is at the time of marketing your domain name by word of mouth because it is difficult to remember a domain name with hyphen. We Rock Your Web had its roots back in 2004 as the tech blog for a web design and development company Alex founded that has grown and evolved into the parent company of We Rock Your Web. One version has the reader asking me whether he should geta domain name of the form "hereisamultiplewordedexample.com"or "here is a multiple worded example.com". Apart from this there is no problem for using a hyphen in domain name. I have a client who is a business broker. Policies, terms and conditions (c) 1998 - 2020 Domain Name Registrar (Australia) Pty Limited. One of the best explanations about how this works was written on Guru of Search where he posts that Google considers hyphens to be spaces in a domain name. Last Update: May 02, 2017 0. Technically hyphens are recognized as a separator (or space), so they should be used in instances where search engines may not correctly discriminate your keywords. To avoid this confusion, it is recommended to either begin with the non-hyphenated domain, or have the hyphenated domain redirect to your non-hyphenated domain. Alex has been involved on the business side of the internet since the early 2000's. particularly when seeking to, Some believe there are SEO (search engine optimization benefits), It is much easier to tell someone to go to “we rock your web dot com” than it is to try to get them to remember “we hyphen rock hyphen your hyphen web dot com” Chances are they will forget the hyphens, insert them in the wrong place, or not know what a hyphen is to begin with. The company was an after market truck accessories reseller. Hyphens in domain names. domains anyway as the character is not permitted. The most basic explanation is that Google sees hyphens as spaces, and interprets them in the same way a space is used to separate two words. I know people say there's no SEO difference. Hyphenated domain names. search to check availability. If after the check the domain names search results show your choice is available, you will then have the option to proceed to purchase registration; which is a very quick and easy process - start a search and find your ideal website address now. Best practices will commonly advise against utilizing a hyphen in a domain name unless there is a clear reason to use it. • Domain Name licences are issued for a two year term with the option to renew. In many countries especially in Europe people still … .au names or other extensions/. Others asked if a domain like"here.is.a.multiple.worded.example.com" might be superior to a name where all the wordsrun into each other. This domain could be seen or interpreted as PenisLand.com, and be considered an adult domain when in fact it is PenIsland.com Remember – cater to your visitor first, not the search engine. First off, we recommend Namecheap for your domain registration needs. Domain names with hyphens or dashes add extra characters to the name. If you are in a situation where you must use hyphens to differentiate keywords correctly (as in the above example), then it is important that you use hyphens, and not underscores. Many of the potential names I'm thinking of have already been taken, but are available with a hyphen between words. It is much easier to tell someone to go to “we rock your web dot com” than it is to try to get them to remember “we hyphen rock hyphen your hyphen web dot com” Chances are they will forget the hyphens, insert them in the wrong place, or not know what a hyphen is to begin with. Although, you should consider that this will make it more difficult for people to remember your name and type it correctly into their browsers. Periods cannot be registered under domain name rules. who could potentially do damage to your brand in the future. We’re not aware of studies having been conducted on the influence this has on current search patterns (please comment below if you are), but if this is an issue for you we suggest you go with a non-hyphenated domain name if possible. The majority of “popular brands” will never use a hyphen in their primary domain name. I have just begun working with them, and they are trying to determine the best domain name to use - they have several. Do you have a short list of domains for yourself or your business and you’re having trouble deciding which to go with? Periods. Hyphens in domain names. at determining separate words within a non-hyphenated domain name or anchor text, Adds an extra character to the domain name, May pose some recall issues as people are generally used to domains What about using underscores instead of hyphens? Because people try and register non-hyphenated domains first, because as mentioned, they are easier to market and brand. He holds both a Management Science degree from the University of California at San Diego as well as a Computer Science degree from NJIT. hyphenated domains for your consideration. Alex Schenker Underscores are not allowed in domain names, but are allowed in subfolders. A simple, crude filter such as this has nothing to do with distinguishing quality content – and the complex Google algorithms have been refined to a development point that is far beyond this. As mentioned, there's no clear answer on this one. My choice is this: Put a hyphen between the words and create a .com or no hyphen and get a .net. The following is a list of some advantages and disadvantages of using Many people have reported that they are seeing drop-offs in rankings of their hyphenated domains in Google SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). Others argue that most top results reveal non-hyphenated domains and therefore non-hyphenated domains are better. Why? Just imagine the risk Google, or any search engine for that matter, would run if they penalized hyphenated domain names that ended up being high quality sites. This is no doubt the case – but it’s because spammers tend to use keyword loaded domains separated by hyphens, not because Google is specifically targeting hyphenated domain names. Joined Oct 20, 2016 Likes 1 Location Australia. Thanks and good luck! I've looked at various prefix and so forth. If someone paid me to do the SEO work from the beginninig and they didn't have a preference for the domain name, I would tell them to purchase the one with the hyphen as the main domain name and the one without the hyphen as a parked domain name. For a list of characters that can be be used view our guide to choosing The same type of issues would apply, however this isn't even an option - underscores can't be used in 1.1. example-name.com vs examplename.net. While his foundation is rooted in web development, his expertise today lies in content and digital marketing, SEO, organic and paid search, analytics, and publishing. • All fees noted on this website are quoted in Australian dollars. The bottom line is quality – sites with quality content organized in quality fashion that are marketed well and are linked to by other high quality sites in the same industry should rank well over time, regardless of domain name technicalities. hyphen really depends on your particular circumstances. Yes, it is possible if the word is trending due to some reason (festive season, politics or games etc). This school of thought argues that hyphens should be used as part of domain names. Please follow the directions provided by the manufacturer or service provider when using any product or service reviewed or discussed on this website. Much of the information available in relation to the hyphen issue is usually biased toward a particular side of the argument. Sometimes that’s not possible, though, as someone may not be available for purchase. - Duration: 2:57. And just for the sake of clarity, using one hyphen in your domain name is a bad idea, using more than one hyphen is … Read our article on Keywords in Your Domain Name for details. I optimized the site myself of course and used hyphenated URLs in the domain name and elsewhere as one of my SEO tactics. Hypenated names have advantages and disadvantages: they broaden your choice. Google penalises websites that violate its rules; one of which is spamming. Disclaimer: This website contains reviews, opinions and information regarding products and services manufactured or provided by third parties. To sustain this free service, we receive affiliate commissions via some of our links. register the equivalent website address with a hyphen (or vice versa) to help deter cybersquatters Home » Domain Name With or Without Hyphens? Disadvantages of hyphenated domain names. May pose some recall issues as people are generally used to domains without hyphens. Hyphens helps your customer or visitors to remember your long business name or domain name easily. An example is when a search engine may misunderstand a domain name as it … Either way, … stick with one that is short, simple, and easy to remember, as that will pay off most with your visitors in the long run. without hyphens. In all other instances hyphens are unnecessary, as search engines will correctly parse out the keywords. up the name) has raged on for years; and whether or not you should choose a domain name with a Another argument against the use of hyphens is that potential visitors prefer simple domain names. lifewithart.com could appear to be Life With Hart. Of course the results are going to reveal more non-hyphenated domains. Can I register domain names with hyphens, dots or spaces? You can include two consecutive hyphens in a domain name (“—”) in a domain name, except when the hyphens follow ‘xn’, which is reserved for IDNs. We are finding that keywords in your domain name play a larger role than we expected with Google, especially for low competition keyword phrases. If a domain name lacks hyphens the entire domain name minus the http (s) and the domain extension will be treated as a ‘targeted’ keyword. Others will point out that multi-hyphen domains are rapidly disappearing from SERPs. Messages: 852 Likes Received: 20 Best Answers: 0 Trophy Points: 60 #1. Discussion in 'Search Engine Optimization' started by elias_sorensen, Dec 6, 2008. Oct 22, 2016 #1. Just as very long domain names can raise suspicion that a site may be ‘spammy,’ too many hyphens in a domain can result in some lost traffic. The ideal alternative, of course, if buying and using the domain name without the dash or hyphen in your domain name. Hyphens. Maybe that's true. That means that some human users may have a difficult time recalling your domain name, especially because most people are used to domain names that don’t contain dashes. Harder to advertise on radio or through word of mouth. Domain with Hyphens will loose traffic because people always write straight instead of putting hyphens. The two word domain name contains keywords to the company and a little in regards to a general search. Websites with overused hyphens will not be ranked by Google. Domain Name with Hyphen? I've got some ideas business wise and I'm looking at different possible domain names. This is what you should do and, with this method, there are no dashes or hyphens. 0. elias_sorensen Active Member. putting hyphen in domain name is not good understanding from search engine point of view I guess it depends on exactly what you mean by “not good”. Alex is an avid tennis player, nature enthusiast, and hiker, and enjoys spending time with his wife, friends, and dogs. 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