Tips for choosing the right domain name(s)

Well done Mr. Max!  You’ve got a great new website at maxservicesinc.com* with lots of informative details about your new company, ‘Max Services, Inc.*’  You are definitely the best at… er…uh… just what exactly?

Zero-Gravity Dog Widgets?  Didn’t see that coming…

Help me here:  If a helium-overdosed canine is looking for something to do while he flings through the stratosphere, will he know to enter “max services inc*” in his search engine to find the latest lighter-than-air-chew toy? Uh…probably not.  However, if (even without the use of opposable thumbs – but that’s a different blog) he can type ‘zero gravity dog widgets’ do you think he’ll find Mr. Max’s sparkling new website, maxservicesinc.com? Uh…unless Mr. Max has a crack SEO team…probably not (x²).

(Please disregard the silly notion that a floating dog would even have access to the internet to begin with.)

So, Mr. Max…what to do?  Well, one easy way of improving your ranking in search results is to get a domain that puts you where your search results are.  Like, ‘zerogravitydogwidgets.com’.  I know Mr. Max is proud of his company’s name and history, however, the gurus-of-search really don’t give a hoot about anything that can’t be deconstructed by an algorithm.

First things first: start with the right domain name. Or names.

Even if your business – or website – is as old as the sea (say, MaxWaterServices.com*), you can improve the chances that the folks in Mountain View will find you faster if you add a domain to your site that is more relevant to the search phrases that people will use to find you (say, “Patapsco River Boat Repairs”).

BE WARNED: life is cruel.  Done incorrectly, this might actually HURT your chances of being found by those with googly eyes. AND: it is not like those “set it-and-forget it” pot roast cookers –  it requires strategy and management.  Bottom line: don’t go it alone! Be sure to consult a savvy web developer to help you calculate your algorithmic risks. We happen to recommend a few:

www.baltimorebusinesswebsites.com
www.webhostingbaltimore.com
www.baltimorenonprofitwebsites.com

Now.  Be a good master and get a leash on those domains!

*= not intended to denote any website or company real or imagined and references are made for illustrative purposes only. Don’t sue us, Max.