Selecting a new domain name

[ChristopherGlaeser]

If a two word domain is already taken (e.g. onetwo.com), which of the following is a better alternative?

1. one-two.com

2. onetwo.org

Best,
Christopher

[SimonCullum]

Hi Robert, thank you.

Indeed, it would be great to have some research to validate the actual answer, if indeed there is a definitive answer.

From reading my original answer and your reply above, it seems that we are both in general agreement that hyphens in domain names tend to have no bearing on SEO. User Experience is key to choosing the better option rather than SEO. We've just gone about explaining the same thing in a different way.

From my experience and knowledge, hyphens in a domain name have Zero Direct Impact on SEO and search rankings, they make no difference either way.

However, there are Usability factors such as User Engagement that do affect SEO; if having a hyphen in a domain name or not affects the click through rate one way or the other, that could well have a small part to play in the overall ranking algorithm, thus in search rankings.

Personally, like yourself, I like to see hyphens in domain names because it does often read better.

So to summarise, I believe there is No Direct Impact when it comes to hyphens in a domain name, however I believe there Is In-Direct Impact through User Experience factors.

With best regards,

Simon

[RobertFisher]

Well laid out as usual Simon. Question,

From your response: Having a hyphen/dash in the domain name can cause confusion and memory issues for some, usually without it reads just fine in search results.

From my response: ..._One-Two.com as it is more readable to the searcher or client. _

I found in WMT that hyphen in domain has no bearing on SEO, but after your response I started looking for anything to support you or me. I remember there was a response a while back from someone on Q&A where they put in some non-hyphen domains that when you first read them you actually read them wrong (spelling read exactly for two different names). I could not find that response again (though it too was an educated opinion only).

So, it appears there are two schools of thought. It would be nice to find anyone who had seriously looked at this and found it to be one way or the other. There were a few blogs on the subject claiming to have tested it...and they were split 50/50.

We need to team up with someone strong in test validation and really test it. I am fine with either, would just like to be able to say yes/no with more confidence.

Best to you,

[SimonCullum]

Hi Christopher

There are pros and cons to both options.

Really, it's down to factors such as how the actual words read, brand or non-brand preferences, how it's going to be marketed, any surveys carried out...

When talking about your business/website and marketing offline, how would the web address be conveyed; "one dash two dot com" or "one two dot com".

Having a hyphen/dash in the domain name can cause confusion and memory issues for some, usually without it reads just fine in search results.

Some examples:

• comparethemarket.com
• moneysavingexpert.com
• moneysupermarket.com

Well known brands indeed, however the concept of not having to rely on a hyphen/dash can be seen here, it can and does work for some, though granted not for all.

So another option if your preferred choice is taken ( e.g. onetwo.com ) is to choose something else, such as onefive.com if you'd like an option rather than a hyphen/dash.

Obviously this depends on Branding, could be that you really need the words "one two" in there.

Bear in mind that exact match domains don't matter so much for SEO as they once did.

So a tough call, go with what you believe to be best for the combination of both User Experience and your Brand.

Hope that helps,

Regards

Simon

[DougRoberts]

Also remember that it's not just about search ranking but getting the click through from the SERPS. Even if hyphens may not be a factor as far as Google is concerned - remember to think about how the human being will think when deciding which link to click in the SERPS.

A long generic, keyword rich URL with no brand identity and lots of hyphens is going to look pretty spammy to me. (It's not JUST about the hyphens!)

That said, for a two word domain the hyphen can really help with readability.

Another thing you may also have to factor in is any brand guidelines or brand consistency requirements. Depending on the customer they may have guidelines that constrain your use of hyphens or what words you can join together or even the order of words/brand names.

[Sebes]

If the correct spelling is "one two" then one-two is the clear winner. If the correct spelling  is "onetwo" i would consider both domains equal, but as Robert pointed out "one-two" is a lot easier to read and therefore "better".

BTW: Get both names and also every combination of "one-two" onetwo and .net .com .org  You might even consider plurals and the like.

[LukeyJamo]

I think that multiple hyphened words in the domain would be considered a spam signal.

• online-social-marketing-new-york.com

[RobertFisher]

I would personally choose One-Two.com as it is more readable to the searcher or client. According to Google the hyphen is simply a word separator and has no effect on ranking. There are certainly sites that are helped by having it. As to .org, since there is already a massive bastardization (in that not all .orgs are non commercial as was the original intent) I don't think it adds anything.