Are keywords in the domain gaining higher SERP?

new algo promoting spam?

[stuntdubl]

I saw some discussion of this in the ungodly long update discussion thread. Has anyone else noticed keywords within a domain name ranking higher? I just did a search for 'widgets', and widgets.com was owned by a company selling domain names, and was ranked number 1! My site is www.mydomain.com/widgets.htm and has the keyword 'widgets' several time in the page. They also have the keyword repeated several times in the title. Has anyone else noticed BIG changes with spam and this update? or am I just another wining webmaster who isn't getting his number one position??

[fathom]

The fact is... any domain has the potential of being at the top of SERP's and getting knocked out of ranked position because the domain uses 63 characters and targets the keyword phrase without some form of content or greater relevancy doesn't happen often.

The use of long keyword domain really don't add much without relevant content and this is also true of a short brand name domain that does have any targeted keywords in the domain. In short - keyword domains you lose return visitation to an almost certainy.

I use both - and have had many disposable domains to research this question. There is no appreciable different in SERP's anyway.

Will a keyword is the domain help - yes - but no more than adding that keyword on the page.

[JayC]

And, as has been mentioned a few times including in that long thread, a keyword-based domain name means keywords in the anchor tags of your backward links. And that means better positioning in the serps for that keyword.

[steveb]

An interesting sort of "proof"...

I've been battling a dozen duplicate domains. They all have the same linking structure, etc. Essentially they are the same domain... except the actual URL (and page title). They all rank in the top 50 of search results for "widget", but the one that ranks highest has the URL:
online-online-widget-widget.com

The URL makes it rank higher, perhaps just because the link text is better, but whatever reason, it matters significantly.

[JayC]

That's interesting, steveb, but another factor that would have to be considered is whether those duplicate domains have the same number and quality of backward links -- the content of the anchor text notwithstanding.

Does online-online-widget-widget.com have more links, or links with a generally higher PR, than the other domains?

[fathom]

a keyword-based domain name means keywords in the anchor tags of your backward links. And that means better positioning in the serps for that keyword.

hmmm... and so does my non-keyword domain. If you are doing a reciprocating link campaign - you should be defining the anchor text.

Which one looks better to you:

online-online-widget-widget.com [example.com]

online widget [example.com]

Since the anchor text can be anything - defining what is found at the other end usually makes the best anchor text for both bot and visitor vice a domain name.

I agree that the anchor text makes a huge difference, but not because of the domain itself.

[edited by: engine at 9:13 am (utc) on Aug. 26, 2002]
[edit reason] tidied up url [/edit]

[steveb]

JayC, the links are basically precisely the same. Their internal links differ but the external ones comes from all the same sources. Also interestingly, when they have non-URL anchor text it is also exatly the same "online widget", but occasionally the url is the anchor text, making online-online-widget-widget outperform buyonlinewidget.

[BikeMan]

The evidence does point to keyword domain names scoring well.

It is definitely a hinderance to anybody thats come late to the WWW party.

It should be possible to beat them with a bit of hard work though. Make a concious effort that all links pointing to your site contain relevant keywords. In the current system I think link text scores way above content.

Of course once they come there needs to be content.

[stuntdubl]

Thanks to everyone for their input. My main question, however, is.....has anyone noticed more of this specifically after this update?

[xMadx]

Hello,

stuntdubl, this month google seems to considere the domain name more revelant than PR.
It's too bad :-(

[Slud]

Correlation is not causation.

[Liane]

has anyone noticed more of this specifically after this update?

You bet ... my industry is full of them! Makes it very tough to stay on top! Not liking this much.

[martinibuster]

My own keywordless domain name remains in the same #7 spot.

Sloppy keyword domains have dropped out of serps and have been replaced by branded domains that are heavily optimized (keyword sprinkled lieberally all over the page).

Interestingly, the number 3 position is dominated by a heavyweight (in terms of PR, optimization and link pop), and scores there because one word of the keyword search phrase appears in links pointing into it.

IMO, there is less keyword-in-the-domain-name sites in the serps. My opinion is that it's because these sites are relatively unsophisticated and may have been practicing un-safe SEO. Bye-bye ugly web sites, and good riddance.

[dukeblue219]

I have noticed that all my pages jumped a lot this month for a number of phrases which are in my domain (see profile). I think it's a pretty good domain for keywords, but I can't be sure that my pages are higher in the SERPS because of the domain, or if it's something else. Like Slud said, "Correlation is not causation."

[mahk]

How many keyword widget domains rank below your site?

It is only one of the factors, but it is important for those who search for a specific domain . .