Importance of keywords in domain, etc

[Janitor_Willie]

I know that what Google and Yahoo "like" is a secret and criteria is constantly changing, but I'd like to know what you all think about the importance of having targeted keywords in your domain name? I've read that this is a factor but do you agree and how important do you think it is?

Also do you think that Google and Yahoo will give you a little bit of a "thank you push" upward in their rankings after you have paid for advertising of your site? I'm talking AFTER you have stopped paying for advertising.

 

[Phreaddee]

I know that what Google and Yahoo "like" is a secret and criteria is constantly changing

actually what they "like" is not that secret - it's content. and the only thing changing is their ability to be more accurate.

if you don't try to "scam" the system, you'll be working within the boundaries, if you do try to "scam" the system you'll be found out and it'll affect your site.

yes keywords in a domain "help" perhaps but no much more than the several other factors. a keyword stuffed domain isn't going to get you anywhere though if that's what your thinking.

I don't get the other question though, if you pay for a search engine position in google it appears as a paid advertised listing. if your paying elsewhere to get promoted you may as well simply put your money in a box and set it alight.

 

[chrishirst]

but I'd like to know what you all think about the importance of having targeted keywords in your domain name? I've read that this is a factor but do you agree and how important do you think it is?

If it is a factor, it is a VERY minor factor and getting even more minor with recent algorithm changes.

And I've been waiting for somebody to PROVE to me that it is even a factor. It's been 15 years now, I've seen many examples, NONE have been conclusive as there are many other possible factors.

The only realistic benefit is where the hostname is is a "key" phrase and the domain name is used as the anchor text, and this is unlikely now with Google now filtering 'Exact Match Domains' (EMD) hostnames, where the search phrase and the domain name match.

Also do you think that Google and Yahoo will give you a little bit of a "thank you push" upward in their rankings after you have paid for advertising of your site? I'm talking AFTER you have stopped paying for advertising.

Not in the slightest.


I suggest that you have a serious rethink regarding your "SEO knowledge" because you HAVE been reading at the wrong places if you think that "Algo chasing" is a viable 'technique'.

 

[Janitor_Willie]

I read a book on SEO but that book is now about 7 years old. It did mention having keywords in the domain. I've always questioned the value of having keywords in the domain.

Another thing that I don't think has much value that was mentioned in this book is having keywords in image properties.

I'd love for their criteria to leak out... maybe on Wikileaks?

I don't get the other question though, if you pay for a search engine position in google it appears as a paid advertised listing. if your paying elsewhere to get promoted you may as well simply put your money in a box and set it alight.

I'm talking about AFTER someone paid for advertising. You know when Yahoo has paid results at the top and then the rest? I was wondering if that would make a site more relevant after their advertising period ended.

 

[chrishirst]

I'm talking about AFTER someone paid for advertising. You know when Yahoo has paid results at the top and then the rest? I was wondering if that would make a site more relevant after their advertising period ended.

The answer is still not in the slightest.

 

[LCWS]

I know that what Google and Yahoo "like" is a secret and criteria is constantly changing, but I'd like to know what you all think about the importance of having targeted keywords in your domain name? I've read that this is a factor but do you agree and how important do you think it is?

Also do you think that Google and Yahoo will give you a little bit of a "thank you push" upward in their rankings after you have paid for advertising of your site? I'm talking AFTER you have stopped paying for advertising.

The actual domain name is of little importance in the search engine results. While a chocolate chip website named "chocolatechip.com" may benefit some from the descriptive name, the overall effect is not going to get you into the top of the search engine results.

As for whether an Adwords campaign will get you some advancement in ORGANIC search results, Google emphatically denies this ever happens. I personally believe this DOES make a difference, even if Google says otherwise. At my current job as Ecommerce Coordinator and Website Developer/Administrator, I handle both the organic content of the company website, and the paid online advertising campaigns. Recently, my boss wanted me to overhaul an ineffective and extremely low-ranked web page, optimizing for the terms "channel bags", "special surface bags", and "embossed vacuum bags". So, I rewrote the entire page, used a mixture of important keywords throughout the page, then fetched as Google. Next I setup an Adwords campaign for about 15 of the more relevant keywords, setting my CPC at $4.50 and the daily budget at $75. Within 3 days, the page was in the top position for every single keyword I optimized on organically.

Now, I cannot say for certain this wasn't the result of skillful keyword manipulation in the contents of the page, but I strongly suspect the immediate success had more to do with the fact that a lot of money was being spent on Adwords. But that is just my opinion...

 

[chrishirst]

Now, I cannot say for certain this wasn't the result of skillful keyword manipulation in the contents of the page,

It wasn't, it's simply a combination of the document content changing and your search "history" as a "rank checker" for a few 'key' words, resulting in Google trying to show you the "newest" results.

 

[Janitor_Willie]

Interesting story from the front lines of SEO LCWS.

A little off topic but how important is it to update a page and how often?

 

[chrishirst]

how important is it to update a page and how often?

It isn't!!

 

[RDB]

EMD used to be very popular a number of years ago but I doubt they hold much weight now in SERP. Just focus on a brand and quality content and a decent link building strategy

 

[joshhuntnm]

in the key words that I am optimizing for, 10 out of the top 10 search results have some form of the key words in the domain. It seems to be huge from what I can tell.

 

[chrishirst]

in the key words that I am optimizing for, 10 out of the top 10 search results have some form of the key words in the domain. It seems to be huge from what I can tell.

That is deductive reasoning and is wrong.

I will guarantee you that there ARE far more and better explanations as to why the document URL appears in the results than the ONE farily small factor of a "key worded URL'

There are over two hundred factors that get a URL to appear in the results, and while the URI is one of those it is NOT a particularly important one. In almost twenty years of trying to find or create a definitive example of a URI word making a document URL be listed in the results, I have NOT managed to do so. There is always some other factor that NEEDS to be present before the document URI that contains an invented word appears for a query.