Hi all,
If you had a choice of which domain name to use, and ALL of your customers ONLY came from the UK, which one would you go for please:

red-widgets.co.uk
red-widgets.com
redwidgets.co.uk
redwidgets.com

The aim would be for the site to appear as high as possible on Google and the question above, assumes that *everything* else is exactly the same, ie backlinks etc.

Sev.

redwidgets.co.uk and host in the uk

Hyphened domains are poo - they look to "fly by night"

I thought that if *everything* else was equal, the hyphenated URL would get higher on Google?

Why would you think that?

It's the tiniest, weeniest, infintisimally itsy bitsy little difference. Why go for the "im a cheapo site" vs "im in it for the long run" for somthing that really makes bugger all differnce...

This is the problem, with the goalposts moving so much and stemming in the URL now active with Google, it may not be so important, *but*, because every little bit helps, if *everything* else is the same with backlinks etc, then maybe it could be the little extra bit to help further.

Take them all to avoid any hanky panky in the future by unscrupulous characters out there, if you expect the site to be "known" or seen around a lot. Just use one - unhyphenated, if it's a long term project that'll establish branding, particularly if there will be offline promotion or you'll be telling people the URL on the phone or in person.

co.uk seems better for the UK, as Nick says, hosted there - but keep in mind that many people automatically type in .com when looking for a site by name so protect the .com from being grabbed up by somene else for the wrong reasons.

Right on, Marcia. ... and you didn't say it, but redirect them all to .co.uk which is where you want the PageRank and the backlinks to accumulate to strengthen the website in Google keyword searches.

Another reason for buying the com is that several browsers will serve up you the .com version if you type in only the domain name without the extension.

You know you've done it right when you "own" the name on the Internet. In other words, however someone tries to find the domain name without the extension, they end up at your website. Of course if you've chosen the name right, there will be no other websites in the SERP's for a search for your domain name. However that really is tough. :)

yer agreed on the .com it's a most..

on hyphens :

1 is ok
2 is hmmmmmm
3 is Pffft
4 is omg
5 is wtf

sometimes you need a hypen.....

therapist -- the-rapist

DaveN

I try to buy both the hyphenated and non-hyphenated domain, just like i try to buy the .co.uk and .com, often the hyphenated domain is easier to read but the non-hyphenated is easier to say over the phone.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with one hyphen, see some well know sites use them
www.number-10.gov.uk
www.audit-commission.gov.uk
www.civil-service.co.uk

>>sometimes you need a hypen.....

Yes, Dave - absolutely. I knew someone in a group whose domain was metalofart.com

Buy all the domains - and host on a .co.uk in the US, where hosting is pants cheaper. :)

You'll get stiffed for uk only listing if you do that Brian...

A friend sent me a G link for my site name in the only uk listings last night for fun, i was nowhere to be found :)

Nick, is that a co.uk domain with US hosting? And how old is the site?

No, i replied to quickly without thinking.. heh..

is a .com

However, same thing goes. Unless you're hosted in the uk it's my 99.9% sure understanding that G uk only results will not be good - far from it...

Need someone that specializes in .co.uk's to 100% that but im pretty damn sure...

Ok, my apologies guys...

I was wrong :eek:

Here's the scoop:

Either host in the uk, OR have a .co.uk domain: Though if the target mkt is in the uk then a .co.uk is arguably a better option outside of ranking considerations.

Sorry 'bout that - and thanks for bringing it up marcia

Nick

No problem Nick, we all do it.

.com somehow, looks more professional than .co.uk but, if your target market is in the UK, you have to do .co.uk

I beleive what the above means (from a reliable uk seo) is that a .com hosted in the uk will do you just fine...

Hello Nick,

I can confirm the above. The same applies to .ca domains.

I.e. .com hosted in Canada (http://juliekinnear.com)
I.e. .ca hosted in US (http://jaybanks.ca)

Both show up in Google Pages from Canada results.
Example one (http://www.google.ca/search?num=100&hl=en&newwindow=1&q=Julie+Kinnear&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3DcountryCA)
Example two (http://www.google.ca/search?num=100&hl=en&newwindow=1&q=Seafair+Richmond&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3DcountryCA)

So you have your choice, either regional top-level domain (.ca or .co.uk) or host in the country where you want to be local. Do not recommend transatlantic hosting for primary market however, as it does slow down initial siteloading. A little more expensive perhaps to host locally but you are supporting local business and not supporting (in most cases, although alas not the UK) someone else's misguided war.

Cheers, Ronsard

I beleive what the above means (from a reliable uk seo) is that a .com hosted in the uk will do you just fine...

not in Yahoo ... trust me on that one it's hit and miss

I've found that .com sites hosted outside of Canada but specifically concerned with Canadian issues and with only Canadian addresses within, were turning up in the Yahoo search for Canadian sites.

But as you mention that can be hit and miss depending on your subject matter. I was dealing with real estate and so had a lot of Canada specific content.

The Toronto realtor .com site (http://juliekinnear.com) that I mentioned above does turn up within the Yahoo Canada only search results (http://ca.search.yahoo.com/search?p=julie+kinnear&ei=UTF-8&fl=0&x=wrt&meta=vc%3DcountryCA) and did so even before I moved the site to hosting within Canada.

Here's a better case study. Canadian mortgage broker with .com domain name (http://calumross.com) .

Site is hosted in the US still. Canadian address information, Canadian subject matter.

Does show up in Yahoo Canada only results (http://ca.search.yahoo.com/search?p=toronto+mortgages&ei=UTF-8&fl=0&vc=countryCA&x=wrt&meta=vc%3DcountryCA) .

Does not show in Google Canada only results (http://www.google.ca/search?q=calum+ross&sourceid=mozilla-search&cr=countryCA&num=100).

Those of you watching closely may notice that another domain does show up at the top of the Google results and with the same company's information. That (old) domain is hosted in Canada and has a 301 redirect on it to the new domain.

The same search within Google's worldwide database (http://www.google.ca/search?num=100&hl=en&newwindow=1&q=calum+ross&btnG=Search&meta=) will yield both domains (Google and 301's, another topic).

This stuff is complicated but worth spending some time on.

Golden rule to make sure that your clients will turn up in local search for primary market. Host in that country.

At most a few extra Euros, pounds or dollars a month for peace of mind.

red-widgets.co.uk If only targeting the UK, otherwise red-widgets.com

Don't make the mistake of trying to follow the BIG business lead when you are a small business. While there is no aboslute proof that Keyword domains do/don't help with the SERP's (I think they do) they can still catch the surfers eye when they are scanning the SERP's.

Having said this, I would keep the keyword to one (likely about 10 years too late for most) or 2 short ones.