In the context of SEO, Google’s John Mueller talked about keywords in domain names. In a Google SEO hangouts meeting, John Mueller addressed whether it’s OK to have hyphens in the domain names.
He expressed that picking this option is entirely passable. He does, nonetheless, accept that space names with watchwords are exaggerated.
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Keyword In Domain Names
There is a belief that including keywords in the website’s domain name will improve a site’s ranking. There was some sense of using the keywords in domains in the initial days of SEO.
However, in 2011, Google adjusted. According to a Google blog post on parked keyword domains, a new technique for automatically recognizing parked domains has been developed. Parked domains are placeholder sites with no unique content for users and are frequently populated primarily with advertisements.
In most circumstances, Google prefers not to display them. According to some, the anchor text in the domain will benefit when people connect to the site. That, however, is not the case. It is not considered an anchor text link when someone links with a domain name.
Can Users Use A Hyphenated Domain Name?
The person who asked the query wanted to know if using a hyphenated domain name was OK. They weren’t inquiring about a ranking advantage. However, Google’s John Mueller spoke about it as well.
Mueller responded by saying that it is entirely up to the users. And whatever makes sense to them. Some websites use hyphens, while others do not, and Google accepts both.
Test Domain Names With Hyphens
Following up, Google’s John Mueller stated that the practice of adding keywords to domains is overdone. For the sake of ranking, this could be the case. However, you might want to experiment a little in conversions to see if a domain with keywords converts better than a branded domain without the keyword.
When it comes to hyphenated domain names, just like anything else, test it with individuals who are likely to be interested in a specific type of site to see how they feel about them. Hyphens, according to some, make a domain name look tacky and spammy. However, this may not be the general perception of site visitors.
Mueller also believes that simply placing keywords in the domain name is overrated because Google’s search algorithms attempt to grasp the overall quality and relevancy. And the domain name isn’t the most important thing.
So, if a user tries to migrate to a new domain and merely add keywords in there, the entire move to a new domain phase will be much more complicated and may cause more issues than the usefulness of having an additional term in the domain. As a result, users should endeavor to avoid it.
Should You Use Hyphenated Domain Names?
Hyphenated domain names were an old-school strategy that fell out of popularity years ago due to the lack of a ranking effect and the idea that hyphens made a site look spammy.
However, it’s important not to overstate how a site’s users feel about anything. It’s sometimes shocking what individuals are willing to put up with.