The first paragraph of this article serves as a summary: If your current domain name isn't securing you a top spot in directories, it might be underperforming. A secondary domain name that points to your website can guarantee you a top spot in Yahoo, which accounts for over 25% of all online searches. If you're launching a new website, selecting a domain name that ensures top directory placement can drive traffic to your site.
Most online traffic is directed to websites by search engines and directories, with over 50% of traffic coming from these sources by most estimates. Many websites receive more visitors from specialized directories related to their content than from search engines. Visitors from these specialized directories are more likely to be genuinely interested in your products or services, translating into qualified customers for your site.
When users input search terms into search engines and directories, they generate lists of websites (often in the thousands) related to the search terms. Unless your site is at or near the top of these lists, it's unlikely that users will find your listing. So, how do you secure a top spot on these lists?
Here are some crucial strategies for securing a top spot on these lists, ahead of thousands of other sites in the search results. Implementing these strategies can drive significant numbers of interested, qualified visitors to your site.
To rank high in directories, you must understand their key features. All directories list alphabetically:
For guaranteed high placement in directories, you need:
Numbers appear before letters, and symbols appear before numbers in alphabetical listings.
Your domain name cannot begin with a symbol, but it can begin with a number. For example, "1st" gets high alphabetical priority and suggests the best or the first. Some names from our domain auction that use this principle are:
"4Naming.com" and "4WebDesigning.com" are other examples from our domain auction of domain names beginning with numbers.
Getting priority with the title of your web page is easy. Use a symbol or a number or both at the beginning of your page title. For example:
The words following the number in your domain name and page title must be the key words related to your site subject used the most in actual online searches. They should also attract visitors to your site by telling what is available on your site.
There are many great generic names available with high scoring key words by placing numbers at the beginning of the names. "Airline", "automobiles", "html", "people searches", and "pictures" are all highly used search words.
You may want your company name to be your primary domain name because people already know your name and can click to your site. But, you can have any number of other domain names with high alphabetical priority and high scoring generic search words pointing to your site. To point additional domain names to your site can cost as little as $1 to $5 a month depending on your web host.
The cost of a second domain name and low monthly pointing cost are certainly worth getting thousands of visitors. You can get the qualified visitors who may not know your company name, but who use generic search words to find products or services like yours.
So, for guaranteed top placement in directories, like Yahoo with over one fourth of all searches online:
Implement these strategies and your site will be on top of the directories, including Yahoo. You can get all of the qualified visitors you want with the right domain name and page titles.
