Answer, none.
This question pops up on forums time in and time again. You’d think with so many asking the same question people would see the same answers and stop asking, but alas, they don’t.
Before I go further let me state unequivocally that domain names are strictly for branding purposes only. That doesn’t ignore them since you don’t have a brand because branding is the single most important element online for your business.
So why do people still think keywords in the domain name will rank them higher?
I posted this article on the value of keywords in your urls, essentially the conclusion was ‘maybe’ keywords were used as a factor to rank for longtail (uncompetitive) keyword terms, but overall their contribution was small.
The same goes for domains. Too often new webmasters want to get the ‘edge’ over the competition and they think one of the hundreds of small SEO tactics will give them the edge. It’s true that the combination of the countless tiny SEO things one could do to a web site may accumulate over time, but the fact remains, the majority of your ranking success is dependent on content and links. That’s only TWO things.
Slipping a keyword in your domain for the purpose of SEO is the wrong question to ask. Remember at the start I mentioned that the domain was strictly a branding issue? If you have a keyword in your domain because it’s part of the brand then minor bonus. Chances are you want something short, memorable, and something you’ve spent some time working and developing to be your brand name (and domain name).
Nike will opt for www.nike.com and not www.nike-shoes-shirts.com. What benefit could the second option possibly have? In fact it probably has a negative consequence as it diminishes the perceived trust of the web site (so many dashes makes it look shady).
So yes, the KW in the domain may be noticed, but it’s overall value is so minuscule and the need to respect your brand so major, that you have to ignore domain name keywords if they aren’t part of your brand. If you’re a company or start up, or somebody trying to make a quick buck by ripping off someone else’s idea, then I STILL don’t recommend getting a domain with a keyword stuck somewhere in it.
The reason is twofold and I’ll try give you an example to help.
1) The value of KW’s in domain names is like the counting a single grain of sand on a beach and calling it ‘the beach’.
2) The value of KW’s in a domain that circumvent the necessity of a clear brand is like driving a car in first gear on the highway. Sure you’ll be moving, but not very fast–your speed (growth) will forever be stuck in first gear.
Now you should be asking yourself what elements should you paying attention to? Well after you have a nice, clear, concise design, brand, and content, you should focus on these two main elements of SEO: CONTENT and LINKS.
1) CONTENT: Hopefully you have the capability and scenario where you can regularly update new content to your web site that is related to your theme/industry and is of interest to your target market. All too often people think their content is high quality. But that’s like parents thinking their baby is the most beautiful in the world. It’s actually quite rare that you’ll be creating ‘GREAT’ and ‘HIGH QUALITY’ content on your own.
2) The content is to give people something to grasp and LINK to. LINKS: Incoming, one-way, related, and high quality (from reputable and established web sites) web links make or break a web site. You need content to support it, but one mediocre link will forever outweigh any benefit a keyword in the domain name will offer.
Content and links are the two massive aspects that combine to help your rank. Think of links as the engine in your car, content as the gas, and the keyword in your domain as the decal on your window. What two items do you think help the car move? All the minor SEO aspects are the stupid unnecessary gadgets in your car, but the core elements are the things you want to focus on. Without them your stuck in the driveway as the competitors blow by on the highway.
[tags]seo, domain, kewyords[/tags]