Are you thinking about buying a domain name for your business? How does URL affect a website’s search engine optimization or SEO? These URLs can either help or hurt a website.

These are the most common questions we hear. You can contact us online or by calling today. 

Differences between domain, website, URL

SEO is familiarized with domain vs. site questions and URL vs. name. 

• Domain: This name is what you use to register your address.
• Website: Pages visitors see when they visit your domain
• URL: This address is where visitors go to view your website.

Let’s now move on to the length of domain names.

What’s a domain name?

Watch the video and then continue reading to get more information about website domain basics.

Your URL will contain a domain name. This is the name Internet users use for your site. This is our domain name.

Your online branding will depend on the domain name that you buy from a domain registrar. A domain name should allow someone to identify what you offer.

You will need a URL to access your website. 

The benefits of long domain names

It is possible to wonder if the domain name that you purchase should be long or short. Let’s start with domain names that have a long length.

If you’re unable to summarize what your company does, or if your brand name is not clear, you may need a longer URL. To make your purpose and store identity a little clearer, you may choose something like pink-boutique-clothing.com instead of something shorter.

Long domain names don’t have to be as restrictive as before. Popular services have reduced URL lengths to make them less restrictive.

A longer domain name has a higher chance of being unique, particularly if it includes words differently. Your URL registration may be easier.

The benefits of using short URLs

Short URLs are often two or fewer words long and have many benefits. These URLs take up less space so it’s easier to include them in printed materials such as business cards or brochures.

A shorter URL is more likely to be “catchy” or sticky in the mind of someone. A short domain name can help you establish a connection with your visitors.

One disadvantage to a short URL is its inability to be found. It is less likely that someone already has it. It’s less likely that someone already has it.

Does website rank depend on keywords?

Webmasters may be able to increase their site’s performance by using longer URLs that include one or more keywords. Site owners might consider buying domains that have their brand name and keyword to improve their search engine rankings.

Let’s see what Google thinks of EMDs and how they can be used in SEO strategies to answer this question.

About exact match domains (EMDs)

EMDs (exact matching domains) are a way to increase rankings. For example, if you search for “kids clothing”, the first result is “kidsclothes.com”. If you search for “kids clothes”, the first result will be “kidsclothes.com span>

EMDs were consistently able to rank on Google’s first pages (if not the top) based on the search keywords in the domain names they had before 2012. This led to some spammy tactics such as keyword-stuffed domains and complaints from other webmasters over how their link-building strategies, content strategies, and on-page SEO were being ignored by better domain names.

Google released an update in October 2012 that made it less possible for EMDs to rank solely on domains. Sites that engaged in domain keyword stuffing were also affected. This meant that EMDs had to earn their place just like everyone else–and that the URL “buychildrenskidsbabiesclothing.com” was no longer more powerful than “kidsboutique.com. “

Do you need to include your most valuable keyword in your domain name? You won’t be penalized if you choose a shorter URL that includes your brand, or one that only contains a few keywords.

Does a URL have SEO value?

Yes, there aren’t many keywords.

Google, Yahoo! Yahoo!, Bing! prefer easy-to-understand URLs which deliver what they promise. URLs with special codes or item numbers can hurt a page’s ranking. This is because a simple URL — like /clothes/babies/age-2-to-4.html — is far easier for a user to read and understand than a complex one — like /baby/ID8247494839/KDW-34893849/landing-page.html. This first link will let you know exactly what you are getting.

Clear URLs have a higher chance of being clicked than URLs that are difficult to read and click. SEO can help you get a boost by including clear keywords in your URLs as links on the homepage.

The greatest SEO benefit is the higher click-through rate and lower bounce rates. 

Would I rather have a longer URL than a shorter one?

A shorter URL is better. 

The argument for long URLs and domain names still applies. Both lengths and types have their benefits.

How do I choose the best URL?

It can be hard to find the right domain name. Do your research to ensure you don’t purchase something that isn’t available.

It’s always recommended to purchase the default domain extension.com to your URL. You can also try to find other extensions to complement your URL. 

Get help from your friends and family with domain name ideas.  

Want to learn more about SEO?

To learn more about search factors that impact site performance and ranking, we recommend you visit our informational page on search engine optimization.

Kobe Digital is a leading SEO company that can help your business build engaging websites that not just rank high but also drive more traffic and convert more customers. Kobe Digital can assist you in optimizing every aspect of your search engine visibility, from page three to the top.