How To Choose A Good Domain?
The most desired name is always a high quality .com domain. The best way to know if you will trade is to ask Does it pass the radio test? If it passes the radio test, it’s pronounceable, easy to spell, memorable, and .com it could be a great name. Though some people prefer a unique name. I came across a post recently which explained exactly which types of domains are premium and gave a very clear, concise explanation, clearer than I could ever give. A short .com is preferable. A longer exact match .com is also acceptable, depending on your business. Depending on the relevance and meaning.
FinancialMaximizer.com is good for those working in finance, investment, pensions, premium bonds, stocks & shares.
Google ranks websites keywords by relevance, not just keywords alone. It’s how they link with other related words, and how those words appear on other sites, so the relevance can for example be linked together. The internet is like a wheel that must keep turning. A link wheel. Those that help the wheel are favoured by search engines such as Google.com.
Compounded domains, these are also popular for premium domain investors. But what are they? 2 compounded short words that join together to form one name – another .com in this case. Names such as DropBox.com SunLife.com those are examples of compounded brand names, and domains.
Even long domains can be worth something. Long tail keyword domains can bring the cows home, if you know what you’re doing. I had a hunch and that website got plenty of visits. But I don’t think I’d be so lucky again.
A good domain name can be a bit of a mystery, though many domain buyers will have beginners luck. They could score an amazing name, and not even know it. This has happened to the best of us. It’s important to research your domain name thoroughly, and check back for feedback. If your domain isn’t as good as you thought it was going to be, you can always flip it at a low price, and try getting your money back. When it comes to beginners, we’ve all made a few mistakes to begin with. Hosting or domains, we all need to learn from someone who’s made the errors, so we can avoid potential pitfalls.
Research The Domain In 5 Steps
- Get A Free Domain Appraisal
- View Potential Trademark Risks
- View Age/Popularity Way Back
- Check For Backlinks & Spam
- Search In Google For Results “”
Get a free domain appraisal at DomainIndex.com, Atom.com, Dynadot.com, GoDaddy.com, or Humbleworth.com. There are many other good domain appraisal sites out there. But I use DomainIndex to view the value, age, and trademark risk. Atom will also give you an indicator, though this may be less reliable. At Atom.com you can also see the domain score. Is it a strong domain? A strong domain score is over 5, preferably 6 or 7 upwards. Then you know it may be worth using/selling.
Look at the way back archive, way back machine, however you like to call it. It’s a very useful tool. You can see how many times the site has been saved over the entire length the internet has been running. And click on a date to view a snapshot. There in the snapshot, you can view some of the links, and taxonomy, if you decide to rebuild a site with many backlinks.
You can check for backlinks in the free Ahrefs Backlink Checker. Or you can check it out in Moz. Moz is a professional SEO site. Though I think you can use the Moz Toolbar extension for free. Then you can just type in the domain in the toolbar.
I type “domain.com” in Google to see what pops up about that name. This gives you a certain idea on previous ranking and performance. Or any other businesses the domain has been linked to in the past. Some companies have many different sites or domain names, and sometimes they drop the ones they no longer use. It will also let you see media results.
There are far more professional tools available out there. But for the beginner, or average user, these are usually enough to get started. You can also check for social account names, blacklisting (always a good idea), and other warning signs.
Hopefully and in most cases the domain will not have any issues. Though you may have to be creative with your @handle.
Ask A Domain Expert
You may get different responses from different experts and professionals. Sometimes you have to trust your gut, but it can also be good to listen and learn. Social Media platforms, Forums are a good place to start, but beware of pirates & vultures. You’d be surprised to know many. have namedropping/expiring software, and may quietly wait for your name to drop. Or, they may guide you in the wrong direction. Most don’t but there are some that are only interested in the money. Watch out!
Here’s an example, I was recently doing a bit of consultant and assistant duties, and a great domain came up in the search which was Pe?cePromotion. I even thought twice, shall I share .org and the potential value? I think at one time or another anyone can feel torn. But of course, naturally I did the right thing, and I advised him to register that extension too. Honour, trust, and transparency in this business goes further than a few bucks. But because we are all spending money, and when opportunity arises, many will think twice. I’m sure that name will go far in the future. No doubt.
Try not to spend too much time relying on others opinions. And try not to register many domains on a whim. Have a look around and get to know the game before you spend hundreds or thousands. Read articles, and think about the overall cost. Do you want to register many mediocre names? Or purchase a Premium Name? It all depends on what you have planned, and what your budget is, initial, monthly, or annually.
Backlinks & Authority
Domains with many backlinks could be promising for a quick flip in auction. Just be sure there are not over 50% fake links. Many domain auctions display domains with thousands of links. Though you might want to check the validity of those. Just yesterday I found a domain with 45 DA domain authority, thousands of links, and some were SEO/spammy, but many were not. When there is DA over 20 it’s definitely worth something. Developing, selling. When buying and selling websites, the requirement is usually 35+ DA. I discovered the 45 DA name, and it wasn’t in an auction or dropped site. I just found it.
If relying on backlinks strength alone, I’d weigh up the deal before buying. If you found one to register, I’d suggest buy it. Discovering a high DA AND backlink domain/site is rare, but is very rewarding when you do. It predicts future performance.
Potential Value
View many appraisal sites, and think about the future value, past uses, and new competitors. I realise there are so many competitors for sites I create, and I’m used to that now. But it can take years, or a really good marketer to overcome this. An overly saturated market or niche, with overly used hard to rank keywords will have you struggling for months or years. But a domain with less difficult keywords, and less competition could be a goldmine. Unique names can be good here.
Where And How To Register A Domain Name?
We usually use Dynadot, Above, Unstoppable, and Fasthosts to register domains on the fly. We also use Names UK, & One. It’s best to use only a couple of registrars. Then you can keep on top of the renewals and not lose any important domains. There are so many amazing deals, it’s hard to resist a good deal.
