{"id":15420,"date":"2017-03-16T09:09:48","date_gmt":"2017-03-16T14:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=15420"},"modified":"2019-09-30T14:42:42","modified_gmt":"2019-09-30T19:42:42","slug":"how-choose-best-domain-name-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/how-choose-best-domain-name-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"How You Can Choose The Best Domain Name For Your Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"choose<\/h2>\n

You\u2019ve decided to start a blog.<\/span><\/p>\n

You know what it will be about, you know who your target audience is, and you\u2019ve drafted a list of individual post ideas you can use to keep up a regular posting schedule.<\/span><\/p>\n

The only thing standing between you and your first published post? You need a domain for that new blog. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly, your new blog project feels a bit daunting. How do you choose a great name when millions of names are already registered? Should you go with .com, .blog, .cat or one of the hundreds of other top level domain options<\/a>? How do you protect your privacy when you register your domain? What about SEO?<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get overwhelmed. There\u2019s a lot of great information online about the best way to select a domain name for your blog, and we\u2019ve sifted through it to bring you the highlights. (We also know a thing or two about registering domain names ourselves.<\/a>) Here are the 11 most important things to consider as you decide on your blog\u2019s domain name.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Create<\/a><\/p>\n

Your domain = Your brand<\/h2>\n

What\u2019s your blog\u2019s brand? If it\u2019s a blog for your business, it\u2019s part of your business brand. If it\u2019s a personal blog, it will reflect on you personally, whether you\u2019re seeking jobs, promoting your services to clients, or keeping visitors entertained. Take the time to think about the <\/span>feelings, values, and uniqueness<\/span><\/a> you want your blog to convey, and use that information to guide your domain name choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”Your domain name = Your brand. Don’t forget that! #branding” username=”hostgator”]<\/p>\n

Keep it short<\/h2>\n

Short domain names are easy to remember, type in, and share. Short domain names also display fully on even small screens, an important consideration now that <\/span>most US digital media consumers browse on smartphones<\/span><\/a> instead of computers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pass the 'radio test'\u009d<\/h2>\n

If you say your domain name aloud and a listener can type it into their browser, it passes the 'radio test.'\u009d This is important because, according to both\u00a0<\/span>Entrepreneur<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Moz<\/span><\/a>, pronounceable domains are easier to remember and more likely to be shared.<\/span><\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”Does your domain name pass the Radio Test? Say it out loud, and people should be able to type it in.” username=”hostgator”]<\/p>\n

.com or bust?<\/h2>\n

There are so many top level domain options today that making a decision can be intimidating. Here\u2019s a timesaving solution: Go with .com if you can.<\/strong> Even after all these years, .com is still the market leader and <\/span>.com still appears to have a trust advantage<\/span><\/a> with internet users. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, there are times when an alternate TLD can enhance your domain branding. Someone who blogs about data security, for example, might choose the .tech TLD, and a blogger who reviews monthly product-box deliveries might be able to work .club into the domain name. You can explore TLD options at <\/span>HostGator partner\u00a0<\/span>Domain.com<\/span><\/a>, which offers more than 300 TLDs, including .design, .wedding, and .recipes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Domain<\/a><\/p>\n

Keep squatters away<\/b><\/h2>\n

Cybersquatting is a real problem<\/a>, and while registering a domain using someone else’s trademark<\/span>\u00a0is <\/span>illegal<\/span><\/a>, squatters (and even domain registrants acting in good faith) can create confusion around your domain by registering variants, like the plural version or the same name with another top-level domain. To avoid confusion, you may want to spend a few extra bucks to register domain names very similar to yours and redirect them to your blog. Some real-world examples:<\/span><\/p>\n