How to Choose a Good Domain Name - Tips and Tricks

How to choose a good domain name - Now, this is a big topic, but here are some tips:

- In order of priority: .com,.co.uk,.net. If possible, get all 3.

- An aged domain is better than a new one, as Google ranks older domains higher. You can buy an aged domain from several sites online. But don't worry, a brand new one is fine too, it will just take a little longer to rank.

- To rank higher, it is better to have a keyword or two in the domain itself.

- Better not to have hyphens, but this is not a show stopper. So for eg, if 'bluecars' is taken, 'blue-cars' is fine. But don't use more than 2 hyphens, otherwise it can look like a spam type site.

- Long domains are ok - but don't go beyond 4-5 words max.

Forwarding a domain to another site: Be very careful about forwarding domain names to another domain (your main site). If Google finds out this is what is happening you run the risk of all domains in question being sandboxed or penalised. This is a long-term risk which only you can decide. Some people do this, some people take a more conservative view. If you do decide to redirect, make sure it is done using a 302 permanent redirect, not 301 temporary.

The alternative is to have one-page sites for the domains that are not your primary site. This can be done easily using eg wordpress.org (have to install software) or weebly.com (very quick and easy - drag and drop) where you can quickly create a free website. These websites will need to be optimised and so you will need a fresh set of keywords for each site. On these sites, you would have links to your main site, eg 'For more information click here.'

The advantage of having several sites is that you (and no one else) owns those domains, especially if you have found some good ones, and if you have keyword-rich domains, they can rank more easily for those terms. They also provide links into your main site which are good for your main site's rankings.

Having said that focussing on one main site is ok too, as the more you have the more work is involved, it depends on what you want and it may be best to remain focussed.

Reena Gagneja is an Internet Marketer and 'Spiritual' Entrepreneur'. She works with her team to help them achieve success, both inner and financial. She also offers Spiritual Counselling and Soul Contract Reading sessions to private clients.