Google’s On Domain Name Selection: Branding Over Keywords

In a recent episode of the ‘Search Off The Record’ Podcast, Google’s Search Relations Team, composed of John Mueller, Gary Illyes, and Martin Splitt, weighed in on a topic often discussed among website owners and SEO practitioners: the impact of keywords in domain names on search engine rankings.

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The discussion was initiated with Mueller asking, “Moving on to domain names, should I put keywords in my domain name, or should I pick a brand?” Illyes responded with a chuckle, indicating that the answer wasn’t simple.

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“From Google’s perspective or Search perspective… Well, I can’t say if it’s a Search perspective. But from Google’s and Steve’s perspectives, I don’t think it matters,” Illyes stated.

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Illyes elaborated that while the presence of keywords may not necessarily impact search engine rankings, it could influence user behavior.

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“For example, if I want to take a passport photo, I have the weird sites that will target any kind of photo.

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And then you have passportphoto.com. And I’m more likely to click on passportphotos.com for some reason as a user,” Illyes explained.

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Google’s On Domain Name Selection: Branding Over Keywords

Google's Search Relations Team advises that domain name choices should prioritize long-term branding over keyword-centric SEO strategies.

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The discussion was initiated with Mueller asking, “Moving on to domain names, should I put keywords in my domain name, or should I pick a brand?” Illyes responded with a chuckle, indicating that the answer wasn’t simple.

The Keyword Controversy

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“From Google’s perspective or Search perspective… Well, I can’t say if it’s a Search perspective. But from Google’s and Steve’s perspectives, I don’t think it matters,” Illyes stated.

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Illyes elaborated that while the presence of keywords may not necessarily impact search engine rankings, it could influence user behavior.

The User’s Perspective

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“For example, if I want to take a passport photo, I have the weird sites that will target any kind of photo.

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And then you have passportphoto.com. And I’m more likely to click on passportphotos.com for some reason as a user,” Illyes explained.

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