Keywords in domain name

how do SE match KW in domain names?

[rober62]

I have a website that sells blue widgets, but the domain bluewidgets.com has been taken.

How about using widgets-blue.com?

Will SE be able to match a search for 'blue widgets' with the latter?

Thanks.

[rogerd]

Your biggest effect is likely to be from the link text that people use to link to your site, rober. You might be better with something like bluewidgetsinc.com, with the thought that many might like "Blue Widgets, Inc." Hyphenated domains are chancy, too, since if the site becomes popular people may tend to type in the unhyphenated version. If you own both, fine - if not, you risk sending traffic to a competitor.

[rober62]

Thanks!

I take SE are kind of 'dumb'. They will not recognize widgets blue as being the same as blue widgets. However, they seem to consider the anchor text in a link more valuable. I guess that makes sense after all. Unless I can get people to link to me using the reversed name, I will have to go for bluewidgetsinc...

[Liane]

The search engines are not dumb, they will see "widgets blue" as exactly that ... and if optimized properly, you may easily rise to the top of the serps for "widgets blue" However, unless the searcher types in "widgets blue" in that order, you may not get the results you were hoping for.

The site which has "blue-widgets" will likely rise to the top of the serps if what people search for is in fact "blue widgets".

You can do on page optimization for "blue widgets" and "widgets blue", if you are careful about your anchor text for links and keyword placement in various sentences.

By careful keyword placement, I mean something like:

Welcome to Widgets Blue! Widgets come in all sizes and colours, but we specialize in blue widgets only.

In this example, the phrase blue widgets is seen twice and widgets blue only once.

I see no problem using the www.widgets-blue.com URL. Go for it! :)

[rober62]

Thanks Liane. Then it will be widgets-blue.

However, your post makes me feel that I am leaving money on the table by not cashing in on the KW/domain thing...even when I could optimize on page.

Will widgets-blue-widgets overcome that small inconvenience? Will SE now return my site for a blue widgets search?

And how about bluewidgets-bluewidgets? (sorry, I have to play with all alternaives)

Lots of thanks!

[Liane]

I wouldn't overdo the keyword-in-domain thing by spamming your url!

You won't be leaving money on the table at all. Both of your keywords are in the domain ... just not in the order you may prefer.

Keyword domains definitely work. A company I know of (who designs web sites, hosting and optimization services) have bought up over 100 of them relative to my industry and have sold them to various competitors. They are doing quite well for their specific keywords. (Darn them anyway!)

After the domain name, it is critical that your on page optimization be done well and the anchor text for inbound links reads something like "Blue Widgets by widgets-blue.com".

[rober62]

Now I am starting to get the idea.
So play with the anchor text a little...and make the best out of the not so best :)

Appreciate!

[rober62]

Now that I have the KW/domain thing under control, could anyone be so kind to shed some light on the following topic? keyword density.

Is there a mathematical calculation or application that will tell me exactly where I am standing in regards to density?

And, what are the benchmarks? 5% of total text? 10%?

Thank you all!

[Liane]

Check the keyword density using Brett's tool for the first three results in the serps, then optimize for around the same density. Wait for your results after the next Google update and then little bits at a time, change the density up or down until you get your site where you want it to be.

This method worked very well for me! It took about 8 months to get to number one and it has stayed there (with the exception of a month or two when new sites hit the scene but fell back when the dust settled) for more than a year now.

Good luck!

[rober62]

Thanks Liane. You make it sound so easy. Lots of good karma to you.