SEO Tycoon

**brand1m** · 06-18-2007, 12:51 PM

I've started experimenting with some websites lately and I wanted to see what opinions there may be on selecting domain names.

here's my basic question: How do Google and the other engines treat the following:

Do they treat MySoftwareSite.com and My-Software-Site.com, with all other things being equal, the same? Basically, what do they think of hyphens in the name? I'm not talking about the long spammy hyphen names, just simple ones that make sense.

If links and everything else are equal, what do you think would be the outcome?

**handsome rob** · 06-18-2007, 01:01 PM

All other things held equal, a betting man would choose the non-hyphenated domain.

**the_host** · 06-21-2007, 09:08 AM

Non hyphen is always the most valuable domain to get. Pick up the hyphen version if you want as well, if you see the website becoming popular then it pays to own as many closely related domains as you can.

**LeeD** · 06-21-2007, 09:17 AM

Non-hyphenated all the way...

**imported_Michael** · 06-21-2007, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ginty

Basically, what do they think of hyphens in the name? I'm not talking about the long spammy hyphen names, just simple ones that make sense.

Hyphenated domains are not good for 'branding' but if you have no intention of branding then go for the hyphenated url.

Keywords help in domain names in the following way. When someone links to your site one of the important factors is the anchor text e.g. <a href="http://www.yourdomain.com">this is the anchor text</a>

When your site has been around for a while quite a few of the unsolicited links will be in the form:

<a href="http://www.yourdomain.com">www.yourdomain.com</a> and if you have a hyphenated keyword domain then there will be an advantage because your keywords will automatically be in the anchor text.

The disadvantage is that at any time hyphenated urls may be considered spammy by Google, for example cheapest-long-term-care-insurance-in-the-us.com, so keep to one or two hyphens at the most.

If anyone tells you that Google can read keywords in concatenated urls get them to read this Keywords in urls

- Michael

**richrf** · 06-21-2007, 11:09 AM

In my own experimentation and observing competitors for certain keywords, Google seems to treat hyphenated and non-hyphenated keywords equally, as long as there is content and links. My own preference is always non-hyphenated, since this is what people naturally enter when typing in a url.

Rich

**handsome rob** · 06-22-2007, 10:04 AM

All other things held equal, always default to the radio test.

**imported_SeanIM** · 06-28-2007, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richrf

In my own experimentation and observing competitors for certain keywords, Google seems to treat hyphenated and non-hyphenated keywords equally, as long as there is content and links. My own preference is always non-hyphenated, since this is what people naturally enter when typing in a url.

Rich

ditto to what he said...

Also if you're planning on building a brand or building a business for the long haul, I'd definitely lean towards a non-hyphenated domain...

Does your domain pass the 'billboard' test? This imho is far more worthy than any slight seo juice a - can provide.