Misspelled Domain Names
When it comes to search engine keywords, there are some that are potential gold mines that are being ignored. These are ones in which a word or phrase is accidentally misspelled. Usually, the search engine will link to results that contain the correct spelling, but it will still show any websites associated with the misspelled keyword. If one of these websites catches the eye of a surfer, they may visit it. This is why many webmasters will not only create websites around misspelled keywords but also pay money to bid on them in pay-per-click search engine advertisements.
But misspelled keywords can help in another venue of Internet marketing… one’s domain name. When a popular misspelled keyword is included in a domain name, the search engine bots will be more likely to notice the website. Granted, it won’t get listed with the properly spelled keyword, but even traffic from a misspelled keyword is better than nothing. A person will just have to decide whether they want their website to be branded with a domain name that has an improper spelling.
So, how exactly can a webmaster make such a determination when they are deciding on their domain name? Well, first they need to look at what their website is for. If they are just doing affiliate marketing or Adsense promotion, it doesn’t matter as much if their domain name is branded properly. This is because they are not promoting their own business. However, if they are using a website to promote a company, they will want to try to keep their domain name as professional as possible.
Secondly, a webmaster needs to see if there is profitability in a misspelled keyword. Even though a misspelled domain isn’t as harmful to a webmaster promoting affiliate sites, they don’t necessarily want to make it a first option, especially if the misspelled keyword in the domain name doesn’t get much traffic. To determine a misspelled keyword’s profitability, a person can look it up in a keyword analyzer. In fact, some paid keyword analyzers, (such as Word Tracker), even have features where a person can see which specific types of misspelled keywords are worth taking advantage of.
If a misspelled keyword fits both of these criteria, a webmaster may want to consider putting it in their domain name. From there they will need to decide if they want that keyword to be included in the content. If it is then there’s an even greater likelihood search engine bots will index the website according to the misspelled keyword. However, if it’s not there’s still a chance that the website could be indexed according to the correct keyword, though if this ranking is low, it may not be a preferable option.
The webmaster will ultimately have to decide whether their content still looks ‘professional’ with the misspelled keyword. Some words, (such as mesothelioma), are so hard to spell, that a person may not even notice improper versions of it. If this happens they won’t have any issues seeing it so many times in the content, since they didn’t really know how to spell it right themselves.
In conclusion, including a misspelled keyword in one’s domain name could be an excellent way to covertly get website traffic, at least if a webmaster knows what he or she is doing. If they don’t a misspelled domain name could cause a person to think negatively about a website.
For this reason webmasters must take caution in which misspelled keywords they choose for their domain names along with whether or not they continue to use it in their content.
Making Money Selling Domain Names
Selling domain names can be quite profitable for webmasters. This is particularly the case if the webmaster sells a domain name that has an existing line of traffic. In these situations domain names can generate thousands of dollars for their webmasters. There have even been domain name names that allowed webmasters to collect millions in profit. With a little bit of basic knowledge, you can emulate such success for yourself. This article will provide that information through an easy to follow step-by-step guide.
First, you will need to find a search engine keyword that is highly searched yet not used much by other websites. You can do this by using a keyword analyzer. The best keyword analyzers are those that you pay for, such as Word Tracker or Keyword Analyzer. The reason why these are preferable over free ones is because they let you know how much competition you are facing with a potential keyword. Free ones only tell you how much the keyword has been searched. If money is a problem, try to get a paid keyword analyzer that is offering a free sample, such as Word Tracker. You can upgrade to the paid version once you return profit from the sale of your domain name.
With your keyword chosen, you will need to get a domain name and web hosting. Why do you need web hosting if you’re going to sell just the domain name? It’s because you’re going to need a website to drive traffic to that domain name. Without a website visitors won’t want to return to whatever domain name you selected. This lessens the main element that gives a domain name profitability: traffic.
Anyway, try to get a package that will include both web hosting and a domain name at the same time, since you won’t have to worry about transferring anything later. When you choose your domain name, make sure you include your selected keyword in its phrasing. If you find that your selected keyword is taken as a domain name, try making alterations like saying “a1″, “123″ or “101.” For example, say the keyword “Careers” is taken as a domain name. You could say “A1 Careers,” “Careers 123″ or “Careers 101.” Alternatively, you could try searching for a related keyword that isn’t taken as a domain name. Either way, keep trying until you get a memorable yet keyword-rich domain name that still has a .com extension.
Now, you will need to create a website for your domain name. It doesn’t have to be big… even a one-pager could do the trick, if you don’t mind a website so simple. Write an article related to the keyword you chose and create a simple site using Microsoft Word, (make sure you save the document as an .HTML file). Sign up for Adsense and/or an affiliate program, so you can offer additional resources for your visitors. You will also earn a commission if a sale is made or a clickthrough generated, (depending on the program you joined).
Once your website is uploaded, you need to focus on traffic-building. You can get an initial boost by buying traffic, though make sure the company you buy your traffic from uses expired domain names rather than bots or even incentive traffic, (such as paid emails). But even after this you will need to try to build up inbound links. These are websites that link to you. Post your site on any free site, such as directories, message boards or online classified ads. Also, make sure you submit articles to free article directories. Additionally, try to initiate link exchanges. You can do this by emailing the webmaster or finding link exchange networks such as Link Market.
Keep building up your links until you get a steady stream of traffic. If you get enough traffic, you will get an Alexa rating. If the rating is pleasing, find a domain name appraiser and see how much your domain name can go for. This will give you some idea of how much you can realistically get, but don’t get discouraged if the number seems low. Why? It’s because some people will care more about the traffic your domain name is receiving over the supposed SEO elements of it.
Either way, when you feel you are ready put your domain name up for auction. You may even want to include your original website, though this is optional. When the domain name sells, you will need to transfer it over to the new webmaster’s account… your web hosting company can help you with this.
With your profit you may want to consider doing the venture again with an expired domain name. This will get you a traffic boost without having to go through the actual process of traffic-building, (if you decide you don’t want to do that).
Local Marketing with Geodomains
A webmaster increases their chances of getting a high search engine listing by including a popular keyword in their domain name. However, if a keyword is too popular, including it in a domain name means nothing, even if the website it’s pointing to is also optimized. This is why most Internet marketing gurus suggest that domain names as well as their corresponding websites use more specific keywords that aren’t as competitive. One of the best ways to do this is to include keywords based on geography. When such a keyword is used in a domain name, it is known as a geodomain.
Geodomains are highly used in the tourism industry. For example, if a person visits Maryland.com, they will see a site that offers information on what a tourist can do if they are planning a trip to Maryland. However, this should not dissuade other markets from centering in on a geodomain. As long as a product or service can be distributed outside of the webmaster’s location, they should not be afraid to use geodomains that target national or even international audiences.
This is not to say that geodomain marketing isn’t better for some industries than it is for others. Why? It’s because the areas that people live in have their own cultural and sociological needs. Even if one markets in their own country, people living in one state or province may not have as much of a demand for a particular product or service. For example, consider a website that is marketing private boats. If they use a geodomain that encompasses an area that is lower-income, naturally, their efforts won’t result in many sales. This is why it’s very important that webmasters investigate the general characteristics associated with the location they would like to create a geodomain for.
So, how can a person find a geodomain name? Well, chances are state-based or country-based geodomains are taken at least for the most common domain name extensions. If they can’t get these types of geodomains with lesser known extensions, they can consider combining a geographical term with something else or look for a more specific geodomain. When looking for something more specific, webmasters will need to consider making geodomains based off of cities, counties and even popular neighborhoods. They need to do this both for their own country and for other countries, provided that their website can meet the needs of an international audience.
In conclusion, a geodomain can be a good method for marketing, if a webmaster doesn’t mind trying to appeal to a local audience. Research will still be required to make sure a geodomain properly fits what is being promoted, but overall a webmaster will find that with the right geodomain, they will be able to generate more sales with less advertising expenses.
This is because the keywords used in geodomains are not highly focused on in the Internet marketing world, especially those that are very specific. And when this scenario happens, a website has a greater chance of ranking higher in search engine listings.
Is the .Com Overrated?
When it comes to domain name extensions, most people are familiar with .com. Because of this the average webmaster is scrambling to get the perfect .com domain name. Some may even forego registering a potential goldmine of a domain name in favor of getting a less popular .com. Yet, there are dozens of other domain names available, some of which have gained popularity despite not being a .com. How can a webmaster determine if their site is going to be in such a league without the traditional .com? This article will explain how.
First, a webmaster needs to evaluate the purpose of their website. If their website is designed to simply direct people to an affiliate page, then it won’t really matter what extension it has, since they are only going to visit it once anyway. However, if a website is designed for repeat visits, people may not care about the site not having a .com. Sites that contain updated information, games and message boards tend to be the type of sites that get repeat visitors.
Secondly, webmasters need to consider the memorable nature of their domain name. If a webmaster is able to create a witty domain name hack, such as del.icio.us, and their content is good, it may not matter that they don’t have a .com. A good site that can allow a webmaster to register unconventional domain name extensions is New.net. This site offers extensions such as .love and .free. By looking at these extensions, webmasters can start pondering ideas for their own domain name hacks. If they need help, they can always type the word or letters used in the extension in a keyword analyzer or search engine.
Thirdly, webmasters need to determine whether or not a domain name with an unconventional extension will rank higher in search engines than a domain name with a traditional one. In fact, consider the above-mentioned example of del.icio.us. Honestly, how many people are typing such a domain name in their browser? While it is certainly memorable, all of the periods associated with it are annoying. Yet, the site still has a high search engine ranking, which is probably how it’s getting its traffic.
Surfers visit it from the search engine, bookmark it and never again have to be associated with its unique URL. This is the type of success a webmaster wants to emulate. Indeed, if a domain name is keyword-rich and memorable, webmasters need to definitely go for whatever extension is available for it.
Of course, this is not to say that a person must be limited to just domain name. If they want to still use .coms after using other extensions they can. In fact, the more domain names that point to a site, the more likely a search engine bot will index it higher. So, ultimately, with this strategy, webmasters will have two domain names they can work with. They can use the one with the unconventional domain name in search engine marketing in hopes of getting indexed high, while the other one can be used in printed media, where people are more likely to be concerned with the type of URL they are entering in their browser.
Internationalized Domain Names and Homograph Attacks
With normal spoofing a scammer tries to get personal information by sending fraudulent emails masquerading as an official website an individual might be working with. While some fall for the deception, many know better since the domain name in the email doesn’t resemble the domain name they usually use to access whatever site. However, what happens if a domain name looks exactly like an official website?
This, in combination with a more ‘professional’ email, could trick someone into giving away all of their personal data. And when this happens they will eventually become victims of identity theft. But, how can a scammer acquire a domain name that looks official? It’s through the unfortunate practice of the homograph attack.
What is a homograph attack? A homograph attack is when a person makes an internationalized domain name, (also known as an IDN), look like a traditional domain name associated with a popular website. They are able to do this because of the way internationalized domain names work. Basically, internationalized domain systems use a different type of coding system than the ASCII-based domain names Americans are used to.
However, even with a different coding system, some languages have characters that look similar to characters used in American English. Scammers exploit this by taking these letters and creating domain names that look ‘new’ to browsers and servers, at least in terms of coding. To the human eye, these fraudulent domain names appear to already be taken, which is exactly what a scammer wants. They cause further confusion by creating sites that look pretty much like the sites associated with the original domain name that the scammers are spoofing.
Before and even after internationalized domain names became popular, homograph attacks were expressed through spoofing just English characters. Scammers exploited the visual similarities between ‘O’ and ’0′ or ‘I’ and ‘l’. Examples include ‘G00Gle.com or ‘PayPaI.com.’ If a person is not paying attention, they could still become victims, but at least these types of domain names still look unusual. With internationalized domain name homograph attacks, the above-mentioned websites could look just as they are supposed to, fooling even the most vigilant Internet user.
So, how can a person prevent becoming a victim of an internationalized domain name homograph attack? First, they should never click on any domain name that is given through an email. Instead, they should enter the domain name manually into their browser. In situations where one is working with a third-level domain that could be harder to remember, Internet users need to copy and paste the domain name into Notepad. This program will help them determine what character set and coding is being used for the domain name. If it’s not English and ASCII, a person should be weary.
In conclusion, internationalized domain name homograph attacks can cause a lot of havoc for Internet users. However, Internet users should find comfort in the fact that while they do need to be aware of the presence of the homograph attack, the traditional method of spoofing which is much easier to spot tends to be more common. This is because a person must be both clever and lucky to land an internationalized domain name that looks that much like a domain name that is already in use. It’s much easier for scammers to try and fool people through email hyperlinks.
Hyphenated Domain Names
You think of a perfect domain name. It contains a keyword that is found in search engines, has no trademark issues and is memorable for website visitors. You try to register your domain name with a domain name company. It appears to be taken. So, you put a hyphen in it. That version of your domain name is not taken, but should you go on and invest in it? This article will explore what webmasters need to consider if they are deciding to use hyphenated domain names.
First, they need to think about their website visitors. Most people are not accustomed to using hyphenated domain names. Even if they like a website, it may be simply a matter of forgetting to include the hyphen. If this happens then the unhyphenated version of the domain name will be what receives traffic, which is definitely not what a webmaster wants. Of course, if a domain name is not hyphenated in the first place, then such an issue would never arise.
However, a hyphenated domain name that is keyword-rich has a higher chance of getting a good ranking from a search engine than a non-hyphenated domain that is not SEO optimized. A higher search engine ranking might outweigh the initial disadvantage of how inconvenient a hyphenated domain name is. This is because if a website has a high search engine ranking, people won’t need to type in the domain name in order to access it. They can simply click on the listing given in search engine results. And if they like the site, they will bookmark it, an action that is preferable, since it shows they are really interested in what the site has to offer.
Webmasters should also consider whether or not their domain name is more understandable if they use a hyphen. Consider the unusual domain name molestationnursery.com. This is actually in reference to a website that talks about mole nurseries, not molestation. Yet, what will most website visitors think if they saw the domain name in that manner? Including hyphens can make such a website much clearer.
It would also be better for SEO, since search engines would index mole-station-nursery.com with keywords related to moles.
So, basically, there are advantages and disadvantages to using hyphenated domain names. If a webmaster thinks their domain name is going to bring them a lot of search engine traffic, they should go for it. And in some cases, a hyphenated domain name is necessary to make its meaning easier to understand.
Otherwise, webmasters should try their best to create non-hyphenated domain names, since these are the types of domain names that rule the Internet world. If they are having trouble coming up with a better domain name, they can consider using a domain name generator. Many domain name companies provide rudimentary domain name generators if a selected domain name gets turned down. Webmasters don’t have to settle for these type though, since there are more sophisticated domain name generators that can offer even more suggestions.
Get Traffic with Expired Domain Names
One of the greatest difficulties in being a new webmaster is trying to acquire traffic. This is because trying to build legitimate traffic requires both time and money. How is this so? Well, if a webmaster is trying to obtain traffic through search engines, they will need to spend a great deal of time with link-building and content creation. If they are trying to get traffic through a pay-per-click program, they will have to invest hundreds to thousands of dollars if they want to take advantage of a high-performance keyword. However, there is another alternative that can allow a webmaster to get tons of traffic without having to invest too much in time or money. It involves purchasing expired domain names.
What is an expired domain name? An expired domain name is a domain name that never got renewed by its owner. This could be for a variety of reasons such as disinterest in the original website, lack of funds or something more serious, such as an owner’s death. Whatever the reason when the renewal fees aren’t paid, the expired domain name sits out in cyberspace still functioning as any other domain name. There is just one difference… an expired domain name doesn’t have a website attached to it, so it instead points to a 404 error page.
Indeed, it is a waste of traffic when an expired domain name points to a 404 web page. Many domain name companies have realized this, which is why quite a few sell expired domain names either through a regular, upfront sale or through an expired domain name auction. The prices for these domain names can range from less than $100 to over $1 million. Some of these sales may even include a website.
So, how does a webmaster know if an expired domain name is worth buying? First, they need to check to see the Google page rank of an expired domain name. To do this they need to download Google’s toolbar and then type in the URL of the expired domain name. The toolbar will then let them know what the page rank is. If the page rank indicator is gray, the expired domain name must be avoided since this means the site has been banned by Google. Otherwise, it should be okay, though webmasters should also take into consideration the actual number associated with the page rank. If the number is between 6 and 10, they should strongly consider buying the expired domain name.
Secondly, webmasters need to find out the Alexa rating of an expired domain name. The Alexa rating determines how much traffic has actually gone to a domain name. If a website has not received a significant amount of traffic, it will not have an Alexa rating. To determine the Alexa rating for an expired domain name, webmasters need to visit Alexa.com.
Finally, webmasters need to see how many websites are linking to the expired domain name. To do this they need to put the command link: followed by the URL of the expired domain name into a search engine. If a lot of links are returned, this is a sign that the traffic coming to the expired domain name originated from legitimate sources.
Free Domain Names
Without a domain name, a person does not have a suitable way to find a website. The only problem is domain names cost money. Granted, if a person is operating one or two sites, the cost of a domain name, (which ranges from $1.00 to $35), probably isn’t too steep. However, what if one is an avid marketer, making profit from hundreds of sites? Even the minimum in domain name fees can add up. This is why Internet marketing gurus might want to consider signing up for free domain names. Three types of free domain name exist: third level domain names, first level domain names with lesser used extensions and first level domain names with traditional extensions.
The first type of free domain name is known as a third level domain name. This is a domain name that is commonly distributed by free web hosting companies or affiliate programs. Yet, there is a downside to this type of domain name. This downside involves the first level domain name, (usually the company’s name), having to be a part of the third level domain name. For example, consider a website created with Geocities.
If a webmaster chooses ‘web hosting’ as their third level domain name, the following would be the syntax: Geocities.com/webhosting. Such a domain name is not very convenient for potential visitors, so webmasters may want to consider redirecting these types of URLs to other versions of free domain names.
The second type of free domain name is a first level domain name that contains an extension that is not as popular in the Internet world. Examples are the types of free domain names offered by Dot.tk or Free Domain.co. The extensions offered from these companies are .tk and .co.nr, respectively. These are far from a .com or a .net, but they are not as cumbersome to use as a third level domain name. The main key is going to be making sure the initial domain name is short and easy to remember, so potential visitors won’t be as offset by the unusual extension.
Finally, there are free domain names with extensions that are more commonly used such as .com or .org. To find these a person has to do some sleuthing. Sometimes individuals will offer them for free, since they were about to expire anyway. A person can try to find these situations through message boards dedicated to webmasters. Other times companies will offer these types of free domain names because they are getting free ad space. What happens is every time the free domain name is used, a pop-up ad will show up on the person’s website. This is how the free domain name company gets their revenue.
In conclusion, free domain names can be an excellent alternative for someone needing domains for several websites. The best ones are those in which a person can get a first level domain, though a third level domain name is better than nothing. To sign up for a free domain name, one can search for free domain name companies on the Internet.
Domain Names 101
Without a domain name, websites are specified by an IP address. What is an IP address? It is an identifier that is used by computers or humans to determine the location of a server or website. However, for humans, an IP address, (which is expressed in a numerical format), can be difficult to remember. This is why domain names were invented. With a domain name, a human can locate a website through more user-friendly words or phrases. And although numbers can be a part of a domain name, they usually do not make up all of it, like what is seen with an IP address.
In terms of format, domain names have several parts. The first part is known as the URL, (which stands for Uniform Resource Locator). The URL tells the browser what the domain name is going to point to. This will usually be ‘http’, which means the browser can expect to locate a hypertext document. In layman’s terms this means webpage. In the rare cases the URL is not ‘http’ it may be ‘ftp’, which means file transfer protocol. A webmaster would opt to use ftp if they would like visitors to download files from their server.
The second part of the domain name will be “www,” which stands for “World Wide Web.” This phrase lets computers and humans know the site the domain name is pointing to is indeed from the Internet. It is followed by the actual domain name, which can be a combination of letters, numbers or phrases. A good domain name will be short, memorable and most importantly, search-engine friendly. In fact, good webmasters tend to concentrate more on a domain name’s effectiveness with SEO, (or Search Engine Optimization), than they do its creativity. To do this they make sure to choose a domain name that has a widely searched keyword.
The final portion of the domain name has what is known as an extension. This lets a person know a little bit more about a website’s origins. For example, take .com, the most common domain name extension. It stands for ‘commercial’, and was originally intended for organizations in that vein. However, now the extension is used by virtually anyone looking to create a website. And this is for good reason, since most web surfers will think about the .com before they would think about .org, .biz or .net. Yet, don’t think the other extensions can’t become memorable either. Consider Wikipedia.org which is a wildly popular website despite its .org extension.
Domain name extensions can also specify things on a geographical level. An example are country-based extensions such as .fr, (which stands for France), or .jp, (which stands for Japan). They can also be state-based, such as .ca, (which stands for California). Both can serve as excellent tools for localized Internet marketing.
To get a domain name, a person can either: 1) get one from their web hosting company, provided they offer that service or 2) get one from a separate domain name company. Price-wise things will vary with both options, though typically the cost will range from $6.50 to $35.
Domain Name Tasting
A good domain name not only makes people more likely to visit a website, but it can also increase search engine rankings. This is because search engine bots index websites based on keywords found both in its content and domain name. Yet, how does a webmaster know if their domain name is going to be profitable? Usually most don’t until they put it into practice. Hence, there is the practice of domain name tasting.
What is domain name tasting? Domain name tasting is the process of registering a domain name and seeing how much traffic it brings to a website during whatever grace period the domain name registrar offers, (which is normally five days). If the domain name brings in a lot of visitors, the webmaster will keep it. Otherwise, they will cancel their registration and get a refund.
Does this sound interesting to you? Well, before you decide to do domain name tasting for your site, first consider the ethics of the practice. Domain name companies lose millions of dollars every year due to domain name tasting. While some may not feel sympathy for them, if domain name tasting continues without any legal restrictions, DNS enterprises may strike back by making their prices higher. Such a consequence would also hurt customers who intended on buying the domain name outright.
Another ethical dilemma involved with domain name tasting is the issue of good domain names not being eligible for more serious customers. Some may feel that in a system of free capitalistic enterprise, domain name testers have every right to access however many domain names they can. Yet, if they aren’t really going to buy them, why shouldn’t these domain names be available to individuals who may need them more? Many would argue it is better to sell a domain name to a company that is serious about using it as their brand than selling it to a person thinking they can use it to get quick traffic.
It is also important to keep in mind that a good domain name is not a sole indicator of whether or not a site is going to be successful. Domain name tasters are fooling themselves if they think their practice of domain tasting is what has brought about their success with website traffic. Granted, an expired domain name might have a little bit of traffic associated with it, but to get one that is of value, a person would have to pay hundreds maybe even thousands of dollars. Many domain name tasters wouldn’t have the funds for such a domain name, so they may instead deal with cheaper ones. And most of these cheaper ones probably do not have their own traffic stream.
Indeed, the type of website that gets a lot of traffic is one that has: a decent domain name, keyword-enriched content and lots of inbound links. Even if one doesn’t see anything ethically wrong with domain name tasting, doing it may not accurately reflect whether or not a domain name is valid. In fact, if a person does domain name tasting and their website did not have the other elements that make for proper traffic-building, they could potentially be throwing away a domain name that could be a gold mine in the future.
