Domain name hacks from a G perspective

[apprentice]

I was wondering how Google (or even the other major SEs) see the 'trend' of domain hacking. Consider the following example:

I want to register testing.com but since I already know its taken I come up with the idea of getting testi.ng instead (having to actually register testi on the Nigerian TLD .ng).

Now, if you do a Google search you get:

testi.ng => 1,300,000,000 results
testing => 422,000,000 results

First impression is that although Google doesn't neglect the . in the search - it still returns results quite relevant on the subject as if the dot wasn't there.

Obviously, using the word 'testing' was an example. I am scandalized from the fact that for the actual domain I was planning to register, google returns very much relevant results to the actual content that I was planning the website to feature.

Is that the way to go? Are there any known dislikes of SEs (and Google in particular) towards hacked domain names such as in my above example?

[tedster]

I am just guessing, but it seems to me any keyword-in-domain that gets split across the "dot" and into the extension wouldn't score as a keyword.

There is a reason that delicious re-branded on a new domain. Of course, there's ease of typing, too. And I also note that bit.ly uses "bitly" in their home page title element.

[edited by: tedster at 5:24 pm (utc) on Apr 2, 2011]

[walkman]

apprentice, you have to also keep in mind that Google can change its mind on the fly for these names. Any long term planning and /or large investment has to keep this in mind

[apprentice]

Thanks for your opinion guys. Can't help but thinking what you ve said about what might work now could be neglected (or even penalized) at a later stage. I know it could be a risk - choosing a hacked domain name that is - but if you planning something big, you cannot make much compromise on the name to go with it. Saves alot of hassle later when you think "I should have called it something else".

[dstiles]

I would forget google's reaction and ask: would my visitors be happy visiting a "nigerian" web site? Ok, it's not Nigerian except in domain name, but the term "nigerian scam" spam does not always mean Nigerians are behind it either, but I'd bet a lot of people think that's where it always comes from.

If your proposed TLD is not NG, of course, apply the above logic accordingly: eg would you trust the Columbian TLD CO - oh, hey, yes, google does, doesn't it? :)

[apprentice]

Sure, that's a point, but I don't really think that the vast majority of people out there know that .ng is the TLD for Nigeria. The average user probably knows that the .com is an extension for a website, but not much beyond that. At least not yet I would say. But in the future, yes, it will inevitably become known.

I found even myself (who I consider to know just a portion of the very basic stuff) feeling lost with the sparkle of all those newly-available TLDs. Sometimes I don't know which is which:)

[HuskyPup]

Interestingly I know someone who uses a .it very successfuly in the Google.co.uk SERPs.

He registered example.it where example is actually the sole trade terminology used for this product in the UK and he ranks on the first page for:

example
example it
example.it

Now watch for the flood of .it and .at names etc:-)