How important is a domain for SEO?
I recently did a blog post titled: How does Google Mobile First Search impact real estate websites? but how does the domain impact Google search?
Sometimes we don't really understand how SEO works. Will my domain name change the way people find my site?
The thing about SEO and domain names is that you won't rank any higher INITIALLY for "Miami real estate" because you have a specific domain name.
So... here is what I have seen and what I believe.
If a home buyer shows up to Google and searches for "Miami real estate" and these domains show up:
bobsellsmiami.com
carolbetts.com
miamihomesearch.com
realestatemiami.com
Which of these do you think people are most likely to click on?
If you mentioned the last two, then you are probably right.
Google isn't really about what site is the best, most useful, and has the most updated information.
Google is a popularity contest. Each time someone clicks on a site from search results, they are making a vote.
The sites that get clicked the most are the ones that start moving up the search results with time. If Google views your site and your competitor's site to be equal, but you start getting a few more clicks, you will move UP in the search results.
I believe a domain name should have something to do with your market, the area you serve or something like that.
Which leads to the next question...
Should I use my name for my real estate domain?
Unless your name is Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, or Tom Hanks, I would not use your name. That really only works for a few agents like thejills.com who have used their name as their brand, and they have huge name recognition.
If you use jamescall.com or something like that, then it comes across to many people as a ego trip and that is not what you want as a realtor.
It is better to not use your name unless you are the top agent in your market and people search for you by name.
If someone googles your name and you are an active realtor, people will probably find you anyway with all of your social media, website, and even ActiveRain sites.
Should I use .realtor, .com, or .net on my real estate domain?
We just had a question about using a .realtor domain on the Q&A section of the site. It looks like most of the agents have had very little success with those domain names.
I mentioned that when I do Google searches, I don't see any .realtor domains.
Google seems to rank .com domains the highest. Domains that end in .net or .org don't seem to have as much value from Google.
So the best domain for most brokers and agents is a .com.
Will a good domain name drive traffic to my website?
When you buy business cards, will a really nice business card bring you business? What if the business cards are all in the top drawer of your desk?
Your domain is very much like your business cards. You want something that is good, but it will not bring clients to your website.
The domain name of your real estate website, by itself, will not bring traffic to you. You need to use ads or content marketing to get leads.
It is important that the domain name be easy to remember. You should tell visitors to your office " Hey check out Miamihomesearch.com " or when you show a home, you can tell your buyer client to look at your website.
Where can I search for a new real estate domain name?
I recommend https://domaintyper.com for looking and brainstorming for a domain name.
Please....
DO NOT, select something like MiamyHomz.com mis-spelled words don't work. People can't remember that.
I also recommend to not use homessearch.com or something where there are two of the same letter right next together that people will get confused about.
Your domain needs to be simple, clear, and easy to remember.
What do you think? What has worked for you? What questions do you have about domains?
Leave a comment or question and share with others.
You can also reach me at http://realtycandy.com if you need help with this.
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