Your domain name is much more than just the address to your website. It represents your personal brand, showcases who you are and what you do, and allows individuals to easily find you with a quick Google search. However, that is only true if you select the right personal domain name, one that is interesting, memorable, and inviting, while still conveying professionalism and effortlessly speaking for your brand. To that end, here are some of the best tips for choosing a personal domain name you should follow in an effort to boost your SEO results:
Select a memorable name
If you are creating your own website, choosing a memorable and easily pronounceable domain name is key. Although most visitors won’t actually have to say your URL out loud, having the ability to effortlessly pronounce it is still crucial, as it allows their brain to process this information more easily.
Personal domain names that don’t require too much effort and thinking are generally the most memorable, and also more likely to lead to positive associations. In case you select a name that’s difficult to spell and pronounce, you might lose potential customers due to failed searches in the future, so try to make the domain name as simple and catchy as possible.
Consider using your name
Your website domain name in a way represents the face of your brand, which is why you should attempt to make it sound like a brand as well. In case your personal website heavily revolves around you and your image, using your own name as the domain name can be a great solution. This option makes it quite easy for people to find you, it can aid in your SEO efforts, and it might even increase your brand visibility.
However, keep in mind that it’s advised to use your full name without any middle names and initials, as well as to avoid numbers, hyphens, and anything else that might complicate the domain name, for the best SEO results.
Go after a good extension
When it comes to extensions, many individuals tend to go the classic route for their personal websites. And while that is always a good option, opting for a more unique and catchy extension can truly allow you to stand out from the crowd.
For instance, you can choose a great personal domain name extension like “.me”. This is quite a characteristic extension that’s personal, special, and easy to remember, thus being ideal for a personal brand, as well as representing a brilliant call to action. Being a safe and trusted extension as well, which operates similar to more traditional domains, this domain extension will be ranked quite highly by search engines and help tremendously in terms of improving your SEO results.
Utilize keywords wisely
It’s a well-known fact that having a few keywords in your domain name can be of help for improving SEO results. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should go out of your way to include exact match keywords, as doing so could actually do more harm than good to your personal brand.
Not only has Google caught on to this tactic, now preventing exact match keywords in domain names from affecting rankings, but many users now also believe these domains appear to be too low-quality, tacky, and spammy. For that reason, you should avoid using generic phrases and keywords, and only opt for natural, organic keywords in your domain name if truly necessary for your personal brand.
Make it short and sweet
While SEO trends might come and go each year, one thing never changes, and that is the recommended length of a domain name. Brief domains tend to be simpler, cleaner, and significantly more memorable, thus being quite beneficial for increasing your SEO efforts.
However, if your domain name ends up being too short, you might actually achieve the opposite effect. Overall, it’s best to find the ideal balance between readability, memorability, and length, attempting to choose the best possible solution for your personal brand. Try to go for a shorter name, but don’t mangle it in the process by making unnecessary abbreviations, using confusing acronyms, or chopping off parts of useful, everyday words.
In Conclusion
Choosing the right domain name is never an easy task, especially when it comes to personal websites that are more important to you and your brand. Hopefully, the tips mentioned above will allow you to choose the most suitable name for your site, giving you the opportunity to improve your SEO results and reach success.
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by Mike Johnston