Should I include dashes in my domain name?



We are frequently asked whether a domain, which includes multiple keywords, should be purchased with or without dashes between words. Popular opinion is that, for advertising purposes, most people like to type shorter domains without the dashes.

However, most search engine marketers agree that the search engines are more likely to rank you higher if they can distinguish between different words. Therefore, if your goal is higher search engine rankings, include the dashes.

If your goal is to advertise the Web site URL in the media, then consider a domain without dashes. In this case, the shorter the domain is, the better. To cover both bases, you could purchase both domains and point them to the same Web site.

Click here to check availability of a domain

For other common domain related questions, see last month's article at:

http://www.webposition.com/mp-0100.htm#TWO

This article is copyrighted and has been reprinted with permission from FirstPlace Software, the makers of WebPosition Gold. FirstPlace Software helped define the SEO industry with the introduction of the first product to track your rankings on the major search engines and to help you improve those rankings. A free trial of WebPosition Gold is available from their Web site.

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