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![dustinw](https://data3.answerbase.com/answerbase/11352/UserFiles/User2367622/profileImage2367622.jpg?636047225950000000)
Mar 25, 2019 - 12:29 PM
Domain names, in theory, don't matter for SEO. You could have plumbingmasterdetroit. net and outrank the .com version. You could have DumbPlumber212.zone and outrank those two. Google doesn't care about the TLD.
BUT, I do think it indirectly matters. I can't tell you how many times I've seen the press or other sites accidentally change a .org or .net to a .com because they make that assumption in their brains when typing the domain name. Same with word of mouth.
Also, owning a .com is a sign of a authority because they are so hard to get. If you searched for a plumber near you and you saw DetroitPlumber .com vs PlumbingMasterDetroit123, which one looks more legit? Which one spent more money on their domain and is more serious?
Another way that domains affect SEO in an indirect way is the words people use to link to your site. They tend to use your site name or company name. If your site is PlumbingDetroit .com directories and writers will most likely link to "Plumbing Detroit" which carries some SEO value. Whereas if your domain was SarahFixesIt you'd get a "Sarah Fixes It" link, which may end up helping you rank for IT Services that you don't provide.
What to Do About Your Domain Acquisition:
Personally, I would want to track down the domain owner & see if you could make an offer that they would accept. To me having a quality domain is a big asset & I'm surprised how many companies settle with whatever they could get for just the cost of registration.
If the domain you'd like is owned, but not used, and you still can't get your hands on it, then here are some considerations for your domain name:
Hyphenated domain: Detroit-Plumber .com, Detroit-Plumbing .com
Personalized: DetroitPlumbingBySarah .com
Add on Words: PlumbDrDetroit .com, CentralDetroitPlumbing .com, AffordableDetroitPlumber .com, APlusPlumbing .com, QuickPlumbingDetroit .com, DetroitPlumberNow .com, DetroitPlumbingASAP .com, DetroitPlumbingER .com
Memorable: Plumbo .com, 313Plumbing .com (area code for Detroit), HumblePlumber .com, DetroitStopLeaks .com, DetroitPlumbr .com, ForthcomingPlumbing .com, OvercomingPlumbing .com,
Alternative TLDs: Detroit.Plumbing (actually available), DetroitPlumbing .net (also surprisingly available), DetroitPlumber .co, PlumbDetro .it , DetroitPlumbing .repair, DetroitPlumbing .services
As you can see, there are plenty of domains available if you are creative. And, again, when it comes to SEO, you can outrank other sites without the keywords in your domain at all, but sometimes it will be a little more difficult due to indirect factors.
![charlieregus](https://data3.answerbase.com/answerbase/11352/UserFiles/User2367683/profileImage2367683.jpg?637250789450000000)
Mar 26, 2019 - 09:57 AM
[Posting on behalf of HN user renholder]
Some companies prefer letters over numbers. The biggest example that I can think of is Three, who redirects to the letter vanity name (exception is Denmark).
www.3.ie --> www.three.ie
www.3.se --> www.tre.se
www.3.co.uk --> (doesn't exist, only www.three.co.uk)
www.3.it --> (doesn't exist, only www.tre.it)
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