Choosing the perfect domain name for your blog might sound like an easy enough task when starting a blog. However, there are a few critical things you need to keep in mind
When I started this blog, I really didn't put much thought into choosing a domain name for it.
In fact, www.magnet4blogging.net was a domain that I happened to purchase solely for the purpose of creating a demo site for future video tutorials. I had zero intention of turning it into a successful blogging business.
Obviously, five years later, I'm proud to have made good use of the domain, of course. But looking back now, I wish I'd taken more time in picking a domain name that I actually liked.
Don't get me wrong, I think Magnet4Blogging is a nice enough name for a blog all about blogging, but in all honesty, I'm not that fond of it. What I am glad about, however, is that the keyword "blogging" is present in the domain name, and I'll explain why I think this is important later on.
Anyhow, if you're thinking about starting a blog yourself, it's important to remember that even though you might think you know what domain name you'd like to use, you need to be 110% certain that it's the right one, and that you're going to be happy with it for a very long time. Like 5, 10, 15 or more years down the line. Forever, in fact.
OK, so whatever name you have in mind right now for your blog, I want to share with you 8 quick tips that will hopefully help you choose the right domain name, let's jump right into it.
The first big tip is to pick something that is is completely unique and memorable. Unique as in something that's completely your own, not something copied or derived from another popular domain name. And memorable as in something people will be able to remember and type into the address bar of their web browsers.
.com and .net are the most popular used extensions by websites and blogs. Though .com is the most popular in the world used by millions of businesses and makes up for 46% of all websites on the web.
Again, I chose the extension .net myself when registering Magnet4Blogging, at the time with no realization that I would end up using this domain name on a real blog. That said, I also have the .com extension pointing to this website, which brings me to the next tip.
If you only have one domain name extension and you're at all worried about someone registering your domain name in other popular extensions, then purchase those domain names yourself.
For example, if you have yourblog.com then consider purchasing yourblog.net and parking the domain name to point to your primary site. This way, you can protect and continue building your brand.
A huge mistake that I regret making when registering Magnet4Blogging is using the number 4 in the domain name.
Why?
Well, when people ask for my blog name and URL, I have to remind them that there is a number 4 in it. This can be confusing as sometimes people fail to reach my blog because they've put magnetforblogging.net instead of 4blogging.net into their address bar. You see the difference there?
Hyphens are also a no, no. Using them can make your URL appear cheap and sometimes spammy.
One thing I'm glad about is that I managed to include the keyword, "blogging", into my domain name. This is not only impactful for SEO, but it lets people know what my blog is essentially about.
Sometimes, when you think you're done choosing a blog domain name, you can run into the problem where the domain has been used before, and perhaps even tarnished, and left abandoned. Just sometimes.
Before you commit to purchasing the domain name, run it through Google search first, do some additional research using free tools like WayBackMachine and ICANN WHOIS to see if the domain has any history.
If possible, use an SEO tool to research the backlink profile of the domain name you want to use, and that you think has been used before.
One thing to remember when choosing a blog domain name you like, make sure that it's NOT super long. For example, mysuperawesomeblogaboutblogging.com
I'm actually exaggerating with that example, I know. But you get my point, right?
Long domain names are not memorable, they take forever to type into an address bar if anyone can actually memorize it, and often, when you have to include them in places like social profiles, web forms, etc. They take up way too much space.
OK, the last tip I want to share is, keep your domain name aligned with your niche. For example, if you have a blog all about Spanish Food, Wine and Fine Dining, avoid using a generic domain name like MyEuropeanFoodBlog.com.
Create something specific, like spanishfoodylovers.com Yes, I know that's a pretty lame and long example, but again, you get my point, hopefully.
You can purchase a domain name from hosting providers when you're starting out, such as SiteGround, WPEngine, or Bluehost. Or, you can purchase domains from most reliable online providers like GoDaddy.
So, there you have it, eight super smart tips for finding the perfect domain name for your blog. I do hope this post has been useful to you, if you have any additional tips or comments to add, please feel free to leave them below this post. I look forward to engaging with you 🙂
