Google’s On Domain Name Selection: Branding Over Keywords

The Keyword ControversyThe discussion was initiated with Mueller asking, “Moving on to domain names, should I put keywords in my domain name, or should I pick a brand?” Illyes responded with a chuckle, indicating that the answer wasn’t simple. “From Google’s perspective or Search perspective… Well, I can’t say if it’s a Search perspective. And I’m more likely to click on passportphotos.com for some reason as a user,” Illyes explained. However, Illyes added that from a user experience perspective, “having the domain name with a dash is probably more readable.”Looking Beyond Keywords: The Branding PerspectiveAs the conversation steered towards the long-term implications of choosing domain names, Mueller advised focusing more on the brand than the keywords. And you want to keep it for a long time if you can.”For more on domain name selection best practices, check out the full episode of Google’s podcast.