Google gives special treatment to websites with domain names that match search terms. If someone searches for “pet food,” Google is more likely to show results where the words “pet” and “food” are in the web address. You can use this information to your advantage. Make a list of all the keywords associated with your topic. Check the availability of different combinations of those keywords in domain names.
Find a word in the dictionary that hasn’t been taken yet. All the short words are taken, but you might find an available word if it is a longer or more obscure word. You can also try different extensions other than .com. Some examples of dictionary word domain names include Amazon.com, Yahoo.com, and Twitter.com.
Put two or three words together in different combinations to make compound words. Doing this makes it more likely that your domain name will be available. For example, you can combine the words “desk,” “author,” and “pen” in 12 different ways:
- deskauthor.com
- deskpen.com
- deskauthorpen.com
- deskpenauthor.com
- authordesk.com
- authorpen.com
- authordeskpen.com
- authorpendesk.com
- pendesk.com
- penauthor.com
- pendeskauthor.com
- penauthordesk.com
Add a trendy word to a keyword to create a memorable brand name. Some possibilities include the words zen, ninja, mastery, zip, and alpha. If your topic is parenting, you might consider the following domain names:
- zenparents.com
- parentingninja.com
- parentingmastery.com
- zipdad.com
- alphamom.com
Not all keywords are created equal. People search for some keywords thousands of times a day. Other keywords are not so popular. You can find the keywords using the free Google Keyword Tool. Or, if you have money to spend, you can try Keyword Tool or Long Tail Platinum.
Once you know which keywords work best for you, it’s time to find a domain name. A number of websites can help you find a good keyword-rich domain name. A couple of free ones that look useful are Name Mesh and Lean Domain Search.
Disclosure: Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links. The prices you see remain the same, but Amazon will toss a few pennies into my hat if you decide to buy.