Choosing a url - include keywords for seo or not

[grey_lady]

I'm hoping someone with webmaster skills will have some up to date thoughts on this, if I'm setting up a new website that will have a lot of competitors then is it best to go for a domain that includes keywords for seo - or is it best to go with the traditional branding advice of choosing a name that reflects your business, is simple, memorable etc

Im inclined to think go for the keyword friendly approach but i wonder if google would disapprove of that.

[DimPrawn]

I think you mean choosing a domain name. The url includes the domain name, but also includes the page and folder name, which can include the keywords (recommended for SEO).

When choosing a domain, you need to remember most customers will find your site (and revisit it) via a search engine and in 80% of cases via Google.

Therefore having your keywords in the domain is more important than a memorable domain name.

Shorter the domain the better.

It's no coincidence that typing:

cars for sale

into Google, lists www.carsforsale.com as the number one site.

[NickFitz]

It's also useful to have meaningful URLs apart from the domain name: given the choice between

http://www.example.com/catalogue?item=1094675

and

http://www.example.com/catalogue/widgets/frobnosticator

a search engine is going to favour the second for searches on "widgets" or "frobnosticator".

[grey_lady]

Thanks, I do mean the domain name rather than the url - sorry for being unclear. Would something like this be to long fordcarsforsale.com
if my main keywords were ford, cars, sale?

Appreciate the tip on the meaningful urls as well.

[Ruprect]

www.potnoodlesandwinks.com

[DimPrawn]

By long I mean silly like:

buysellcarsbikescaravansusednew.com

No one is going to visit that site with a name like that.

Choose 2 to 4 keywords (most relevant for search) and use these in the domain name.

[Grinder]

I agree wholeheartedly with what is said here.

I launched a site for my wife's business 5 years ago. She built up her payroll, bookkeeping & accounts clients and has no capacity for more - and even though its just a plain old static site that hasn't changed really since that time we still get a phone call a month from potential clients.

I was rather disappointed to find the monkey-boy's () link doesn't go anywhere

[xoggoth]

Doesn't regular update of sites also put them up the list?

[Grinder]

A lot of things affect the google result list apart from the search phrase:

- register in DMOZ
- regularly update the site
- do a google site map
- meta tags
- getting popular sites to link to you

and google- ads because it puts your link out there and people click on it.

[al_cam]

I run our local community website. It took 2 years to reach #1 ranking in google despite having the community name in the domain name.
None of the sites which ranked above ours had the community name in their domain name so I think this is just a small part of it.

You want to concentrate on 2 main other things -
- Good quality, unique, useful content, updated regularly
- Link popularity - links from other quality websites.
- don't get complacent when you are at the top