hyphens in domain names

[Alvin]

I owe my modest success to the fact I realized that search engines were not in any way smart,still pretty basic IMHO.

Alvin

[RedEvo]

At the very least it should prove that google isn't as smart as some people think it is.

The SERPs show us that every day

d

[awebapart]

Following on from the earlier post on page 1 of this thread:

1. www.bravedoctors.com
2. www.beige-asteroids.com
(these websites don't exist but that doesn't really matter)
...
In order to not spoil this mini experiment please do not mention the words in the 2 test domains on this thread, and please do not post any links to google searches with those words in them. Otherwise the experiment will be tainted and will fail since we cannot perform the experiment if those words are mentioned elsewhere in the thread.

I thought I'd add the domain links again on page 2, just in case google indexes page 2 of this thread before it reindexes the rest of page 1. As you say, google sometimes isn't so smart!

[awebapart]

Wait for google to reindex this page in a few hours time, maybe tomorrow, then see what words google manages to pick up on this page.

Will google pick up:

a. the joined words (word1word2) in the first domain? (prediction: Yes)
b. the joined words (word1-word2) in the second domain? (prediction: Yes)
c. the separate words (word1 word2) in the first domain? (prediction: No)
d. the separate words (word1 word2) in the second domain? (prediction: Yes)

It is result c which is the surprising one.

To check the joined words run this search, but change the words wine glasses for the words in the domains.

To check the separate words run this search, but change the words wine glasses for the words in the domains.

If you now run the searches above substituting the words in the test domains (the test domains are in the post above), you will find that case c, the domain with no hyphen, doesn't get its separate words picked up by google, whereas case a, b and d the words are picked up (and most importantly case d the separate words in the hyphenated domain name). Well, that's my first set of predictions for 2009 come true! Happy New Year!

In order to not spoil this mini experiment please do not mention the words in the 2 test domains on this thread, and please do not post any links to google searches with those words in them. Otherwise the experiment will be tainted and will fail since we cannot perform the experiment if those words are mentioned elsewhere in the thread. This experiment might still fail, that's the beauty and excitement of experiments, you never know for sure.

You may think that this experiment proves little, in that it only shows what words are picked up by google on a page with a link, not the actual site in question, but if google cannot pick up the words in the link on this page it has little chance of transferring inbound link word relevance to the site, and our more comprehensive experiments support this. At the very least it should prove that google isn't as smart as some people think it is.

[BlueSaint]

In my opinion greater value used to be given to hyphenated domains due to SE's incapacity to read separate words joined together, however in my humble opinion I believe that SE's can now pick out separate words that are joined together within a domain name. I would choose a domain based on to primary factors; number 1 choose a domain that can be easily remembered by a potential customer or current customer when heard or seen on an add and try to use a domain that contains keywords where possible.

[Alvin]

In my opinion greater value used to be given to hyphenated domains due to SE's incapacity to read separate words joined together, however in my humble opinion I believe that SE's can now pick out separate words that are joined together within a domain name. I would choose a domain based on to primary factors; number 1 choose a domain that can be easily remembered by a potential customer or current customer when heard or seen on an add and try to use a domain that contains keywords where possible.

I suspect it is more useful to choose a good unique company name for people to remember,as my experience is that the public will search your company by its name rather than type in a URL.

I.E how many people know what B&Q's URL is.? e.t.c.
Alvin

[BlueSaint]

I stand by my initial point, but I agree that having your company name in the domain is advantageous too!!

[Alvin]

I stand by my initial point, but I agree that having your company name in the domain is advantageous too!!

I was in no way suggesting having your company name in your domain.A very bad idea.

Your domain name wants to consist of the products you sell.

It is much easier to get you company name to rank top of google e.t.c than to get a high ranking for a competative product.

Hence if you pop one of our company names in any SE it will come up top ,making it easier for clients to find us than typing in URL's

Alvin

[Jumber]

Webceo program says that hypens are necessary. WordPress also hints that

[Ian J]

Webceo program says that hypens are necessary.

Webceo says that my site is all wrong yet it's been in the top half dozen on Google for many years.

I wasn't sure of the value of hyphens in domain names so I bought both and have two sites which also stops anyone else from having it.