I wrote about what makes a good url last week so I wanted to do another post about how to find a url that is good and can help make you money. There are a ton of things that go into it and even though you might not find exact match domains, you can find other variations. Here are a few of the things that I do when I want to find a url that could be good for me as an Affiliate or when I’m helping a client launch their online store.
Use the Google Keyword Tool.
Although this is pretty obvious, a lot of people forget to do this. By typing in a search term that is relevant to the niche, product or category you are looking for, you can find a ton of variations and know that there is a search volume for what the product is, what the competition is with PPC if you plan on running ads and you can also use it to come up with ideas for brandable variations that are easy to say and remember. By searching for the terms using the Google Keyword tool, you can also find other urls that may be available that have a high search volume and then you can use a redirect to get the direct type in traffic to come to your site. The Google Keyword tool is an awesome place to start when trying to find a url that has a good chance at helping you make money.
Google Suggestions.
The next thing I do is take the main keyword or keywords and start typing them into Google. Once the first keyword is in, you can now find the recommendations they make. Even if there isn’t a giant search volume showing up for the terms, you can still usually find the .com versions available for some of the top suggestions. By using this, you can help to optimize your site for it and then get the traffic that uses Google’s suggestions for your new domain name.
Use the Variations from the Bottom of the SERPs
When you type in the keyword or phrase you want for your url, look at the bottom of the rankings at the recommended searches. By going here you can come up with even more niche or relevant ideas for your new domain name. You may also find other things you didn’t think of and other phrases you may want to try and optimize your site for. This is a great tool that is free to help you find a url and also to set up your site’s architecture for keywords and modifiers.
Use the Recommendations from the Registrar
One thing that is easy to do is to use the recommendations on what is available from your registrar. By typing in the domain or keywords you want, they usually come back with some really great options and versions with modifiers. One thing you do need to be careful of is not buying the url immediately after you find a good one. Some of the registrars will show it available when you search for it, however if you don’t buy it right away, all of the sudden it is registered and can now cost you a lot more money. If you are using a registrar to look for a domain name, make sure you are ready to buy it.
Look Through a Community or Forum for Slang or Industry Terms
If you are looking for something brandable, find a community that is dedicated to the topic your site will be about. By doing this you can find common words and phrases that they use. Sometimes the exact match domain will still be available and now you can help to have a brandable url that is built specifically for your end users. This helps them to be able to remember it and come back without having to search for your domain name again.
Avoid Trademarks
One thing that is almost always available, but you will end up losing to the company that owns them are trademark urls. You can almost always find variations of major brands products by adding on modifiers like clothes, jewelry, shoes, posters, tickets, store, coupons, etc… However, once the company finds these, there is a good chance they will contact you and be pretty pissed off you are using their trademarks. Try to avoid using their trademarks so that all of your hard work doesn’t go to waste if they end up taking the domain from you.
These are only some of the things I do when I’m looking for a new domain name when I have an idea for a site. If you have any other tips, feel free to share them in the comments section below. Thank you again for reading and I’m looking forward to seeing your tips and ideas.
1 thought on “How to find a good url that can make money for Affiliates and Merchants”
There are a couple of good domain/domaining forums that can help garner ideas. I have been an active member at three of them for many years, the largest of which is DNForum.com. We have acquired so many unique or “targeted” domains over the years we don’t (physically) have time to develop them – so we are beginning to offer some up for sale. There are other people in the same boat, so to speak, and they may put their offerings on a forum or at one of the major online domain listing services. My favorite of these is Sedo.com – where I have purchased and sold quite a few domains over the years. They take a modest commission and offer a secure escrow service for any transactions.