What role does the domain name play in SEO?

The first decision before launching a new website is choosing the domain name. It is crucial to find the right name as it forms the foundation of the website. Selecting the correct domain name not only determines the main address where visitors can find the website, but also plays a significant role in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

We will show you how to find the perfect domain name and its impact on SEO in the following article.

What is a Domain Name?

The domain name is the address that web browser users use to navigate to a website. Every time a name like faz.de is entered in Firefox or Chrome, faz is the domain name of the website. This may seem simple at first, but it is essential to understand some key components and subgroups of domain names.

Top Level Domain (TLD)

A Top Level Domain is the part of the domain that users see at the end of the domain name. The most common in Germany for businesses, individuals, and SEO is .de, and the second most used extension is .com. Many users are also familiar with TLDs such as .net, .org, and .eu. The Top Level Domain conveys information about the website, such as the country it is based in (.de, .at), whether it is a business website (.biz, .co), a non-profit organisation (.org), or an educational institution (.edu).

Dedicated Domains

All pages of a website have unique URLs based on the domain. The part of the website that remains the same for all pages is the root domain. It is the unique domain name combined with your TLD. For hosttest, the root domain name is hosttest.de.

Subdomains

If the website consists of several different sections, subdomains can be created as subdomains. These share the same root domain, but they can indicate that they belong to a specific subgroup of the website by placing the name of the subdomain before the root domain. For example: blog.yourdomain.de or shop.yourdomain.de. When ordering web space, attention should also be paid to the server speed of the provider.

8 Tips for the Perfect Domain Name for SEO

A good domain name for search engine optimization starts from the day you register your domain, but it goes further. The following 8 criteria should be considered when choosing the perfect domain name for SEO:

• Domain with Industry Keyword
• No Keyword Spam
• The appropriate TLD
• Memorable and easy to remember
• Short and concise
• Single domain name for entire website
• Use subdirectories
• Adjust all URLs

1. Ideally choose a domain that contains an industry keyword

The algorithms of search engines have a complex process to determine what a particular page is about. While no one knows all the details of how they work, we do know that the algorithms pay attention to which words are used on some key components of a webpage, and weigh some parts more heavily than others. The URL of the page is generally considered as a part of the page that carries significant weight in the algorithm's calculations.

A website that includes its main keyword directly in the domain name can receive an SEO boost as a result. However, for this reason, many of the most obvious keywords targeting a specific industry are likely to already be taken - either by competitors or domain investors who demand a high price for them.

2. Avoid stuffing the domain name with keywords

There are no real shortcuts in SEO, as every time people misuse a technique that seems to deliver easy results, Google changes the algorithm. In the past, buying a domain with a keyword like cheap-flower-delivery.co.uk could be a shortcut to ranking for that term. However, this domain may not sound particularly trustworthy to customers.

Google also does not want brands to buy rankings. The results are more useful for users when the websites at the top actually deserve those positions. This means that choosing a domain with a keyword still holds some SEO value, but if website owners overdo it, it can have a negative impact on their rankings. The history of a domain also reveals how well or poorly it has been used in the past. Some domains may have already been penalised by Google Sandbox. The age of the domain also plays a role in decision-making.

3. Choose a strong TLD

For those who find a good option for a domain name available as a .co.uk or .com, this is the best choice. These TLDs are the easiest for consumers to remember and enjoy slightly more recognition than most others. The .eu extension has also gained more popularity in recent years, but it is not among the most popular extensions.

However, the TLD does not have a direct impact on search engine optimisation. If the domain name is found with a different TLD that better suits the brand than a less relevant option, it should not be ruled out.

4. Choose a domain name that is easy to remember

The golden rule of Search Engine Optimization states that while search engines are important, people are even more crucial. The best domain name for SEO is one that visitors can easily associate with a company and remember when they want to come back. Before selecting a domain name, one should think about the customers. Will the domain name be intuitive for them? Will they be able to remember it when they want to find you online next time?

5. The domain name must be short and simple

Although long-tail keywords can be useful for some aspects of an SEO strategy, they are not suitable for domain names. Too many hyphens hinder direct access. The best domain names are short, simple, and clear. By following this rule, one can choose a domain name that is easy to remember and does not require too much typing.

6. Accessing the website under one domain

For those who divide their website into multiple domains, it becomes harder to gain authority for each of these domains. To achieve the best SEO results for the time invested, it is best to focus everything on one domain name. This includes deciding on a version of your domain name. Canonical tags can then be used, and consistency in choosing the preferred version for link building to the website is maintained. Depending on the business model, exceptions may apply where a multi-domain strategy may be beneficial.

7. Knowing when to use subfolders and when to use subdomains

As already described, a subdomain is a subcategory under the root domain for a specific part of the website, e.g., shop.yourdomain.de. Search engines treat subdomains for SEO purposes as a separate website. If a blog is set up as a subdomain, all backlinks received by the blog posts will strengthen the authority of your blog, but not the rest of your website. Therefore, subpages are often a better choice for SEO.

8. Customise all website URLs

Many of these tips come into play on the first day when selecting the domain name for the website. This is important for any new website being launched. So, for anyone creating a new website, settling for automatically generated URLs (yourdomain.de/63652803.html) is not acceptable. It's better to take some time to create unique URLs (yourdomain.de/unique.html) that are relevant to the page. Don't forget: all URLs should then be reported to the search engine via the XML sitemap.

Image Credit: Gerd Altmann on Pixabay