So what's wrong with hyphens

cera · 08-28-2004, 01:34 PM

I mean something like d-o-m-a-i-n-n-a-m-e.com is just plain dumb, but what's wrong with (for example) the-car-shop.com?

Obviously thecarshop.com would be preferred, but the hyphenated version is actually easier to read (for business card/print/email ads).
I would think that from a SEO point of view the hyphenated version would be better.
Do people really have a problem figuring out the difference between a hyphen and an underscore?

LeeRyder · 08-28-2004, 02:27 PM

I think most here appraise domains on the the odds of it being typed into the tool bar at random by visitors.

I personally don't do it that way, but instead go by what I feel google would be likely to push to the top of their pages.

nothing "really" wrong with 1 hyphen though (imo) in most cases.

Redleg · 08-28-2004, 02:46 PM

If you're planning to use the domain for a site you should get both..

use the one with hyphen(s) as the main domain for your site (for SEO), and forward the other one to the site (for type-ins..)

You will loose type-in traffic to the non-hyphen domain if you don't have it..
(I know this from experience...)

cera · 08-28-2004, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by LeeRyder

I think most here appraise domains on the the odds of it being typed into the tool bar at random by visitors.

Huh??
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/domain-newbies/45368-so-whats-wrong-with-hyphens.html
Well I'm a web site developer, not a domain name expert by any means, but the only time I would expect anyone to guess at a domain name would be if they're looking for a company whose name is a 'household word' kinda name like campbells soup or pepsi cola.

Have I been wasting my time with seo for my clients?

domainsusi · 08-28-2004, 02:51 PM

I know this is out of context - but::::::::

I Eat Cannibals

ROLF - That's just too much - great signature !!

susi

Wanda · 08-28-2004, 02:55 PM

A Hyphenated domain name can not be advertised/promoted well in print or radio.
Bottom line..

LeeRyder · 08-28-2004, 02:56 PM

I agree cera. Even my father who is in his mid 60's types what they want in google. I just dont see hypenated names posing a great issue for sites like these. Sure, you may lose mayb 10% of traffic that uses the "Old Way" of typing it on the browser bar.. but for google standings, google ignores extension and hyphens.

However, when you have domains like this:

www.I-Want_to_buy_a_doman.com well, its a waste... kinda contradictory i know, but no one will be a repeat visitor by typing that in everyt ime they want to come. And we all know that only 1-10% of people add our sites the favorites.

Of course, others have valid reasonings as to why I am wrong on this as well.

cera · 08-28-2004, 03:13 PM

Wanda:

Radio - no argument there - the hyphen just doesn't work.
Print - I think the hyphen can actually help. Of course there are going to be some potential visitors who will see the-car-shop.com and remember thecarshop.com

Redleg: Both would be preferable, for sure.

Shan · 08-28-2004, 04:02 PM

It would be better if you got the domain name with hyphens and without hyphens if you wanted to register one. That would make it easier for the visitors to remember the URL to your website, too much hyphens are annoying and hard to remember.

biggie · 08-28-2004, 06:05 PM

I don't discriminate when selecting domains.

I've sold quite a few hyphenated domains, even hyphenated .org domains!

Qwert · 08-28-2004, 06:40 PM

So is 1 hyphen in the middle of a domain, like ice-tea.com bad? Does it affect if it shows up in search engines and stuff? I can understand something like i-c-e-t-e-a.com would be bad, cause no one took it. although ice-tea was taken (I wanted that one).

johnny6 · 08-28-2004, 06:48 PM

hyphens are awkward. outside of the normal typing zone. inefficient.

cera · 08-28-2004, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by johnny6

hyphens are awkward. outside of the normal typing zone. inefficient.

That might be the best argument against hyphens that I've heard yet.
Well that and 'no good for radio promo'

identity_00 · 08-28-2004, 09:19 PM

The reason why you'd get a hypen word is to cover multiple keywords in one domain. Such as: web-marketing-careers.com. It works well for
"web marketing" "web careers" "marketing careers"
"Web marketing careers" ect...you can cover many areas and your domain is keyword riched.

With that in mind "the-car-shop.com" doesnt have much keyword value except for "car shop".
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=45368

Some people believe hypen domains do better in search engines and there is some truth to this but the difference of not having one really isnt that big of a difference. It has been awhile - Google may have already phased this out of their system because of spammers.

I honestly dont care for them but to each his/her own. The difference isnt that noticable. I always prefer a good business name then build my keywords around it with content and links.

hypens do have some value if you can get a good one for sure.

mole · 08-28-2004, 11:02 PM

I think its an anal reflex thing - a hyphen has the same general connotations as not having the .com, you couldn't get the best and had to settle for second best. Hyphenated brand names? No way..... you get the drift.

maxxwebb · 08-29-2004, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by Wanda

A Hyphenated domain name can not be advertised/promoted well in print or radio.
Bottom line..

Agreed!

I have to add something...

Hyphens are "also rans" IMO
Hyphens & MARKETING do not go together
Hyphens "may or may not" help with search rankings? Probably not.

I personally would NEVER buy anything from a hyphenated domain website.

I also do not buy into the "protect" my non-hyphenated domain sh**

Hyphenated domains illustrate a "too lazy to be creative" approach to
business IMO again

And, many of the hyphenated domain sites I have happened upon are
"fly by night" scams or junk sites...
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=45368

Of course, that's just me...

.edu · 08-29-2004, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by Wanda

A Hyphenated domain name can not be advertised/promoted well in print or radio.
Bottom line..

Bingo! Especially in radio, I have never heard an ad that promoted a "hyphen" in their domain, not to mention it sure could confuse some people that are not experienced on the net.

Anthony · 08-29-2004, 10:36 AM

Adding a hyphen or hyphens into the URL is practically like making the name one or two words LONGER! THE-DASH-CAR-DASH-SHOP-DOT-COM seems a lot longer than THE-CAR-SHOP-DOT-COM.

Brie · 09-04-2004, 02:04 AM

I don't like having to type a hypen when going to a website , but getting both hyphen and without would get you at least a bit more traffic than if you went with just one.

dotcommakers · 09-04-2004, 04:31 AM

humm i dont think hypens are good in domains

webscorpion · 09-06-2004, 05:46 AM

When I started in this "game", I believed that hyphenated domains always took a backseat to their non-hyphenated versions. I know that most of you are "domaineers" and abhor hyphenated domains.

When I "drifted" into SEO, an additional perspective opened. When relying on search engine results, the hyphenated version can be very effective! Search engine spiders are not like humans when they read your web pages. They will easily "read", "identify", and "index" those keywords in the hyphenated domains.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=45368

So bottom line is, get both if available. Use the non-hyphenated version for branding and advertising. Use the hyphenated one for SERP. Imagine what an Overture result of 20,000 can send traffic to your site

Hope this helps.

SharkBite · 09-12-2004, 04:18 PM

It's worth pointing out that there are exceptions - Germans seem to love long hyphenated domains (probably because they have a lot of long composite words and so they need the hyphen just to visually separate them). But hyphenated names aren't great for reselling unless you've got some very useful keywords in.

hookah · 09-13-2004, 01:05 AM

Hello,
generally speaking it is difficult to estimate how dash works in particular domain name because it is usually substituted with space in Google or Overture results. However there are some names/expressions which naturally consist dash. Some of them are quite popular as searched keywords and usually already registered with 'big five' extensions (com, net, org, info, biz). But...there are often still available for registration with some country extensions. If you know for sure that chosen name is mostly written with dash (i.e. you are looking for o-zone.ext) and you find that Overture lists this name with particular extension as i.e. 'o zone.ext' 896 - just register it if possible. According to my experience it means that this name is a traffic name and gains many visitors so can potentially earn some money on Sedo or other parking program. Of course the necessary condition is that chosen name is commonly written with dash.

But if you don't care about traffic but just need particular name planning to invest in some kind of internet service (so you are planning to market your domain name and service actively) - just register the name you mostly like even it consists dash.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=45368
Greetings, H.

Ferman · 09-13-2004, 02:01 AM

try to read it:
the hypen car hypen shop
and try to read it:
the car shop

which sounds better and easy to write?

redhippo · 09-13-2004, 05:19 AM

my three word hypenated online market name is earning me $$$ a month

anyone's got anymore ...selll them to me!!

hypen rocks!!

08-28-2004, 01:34 PM	THREAD STARTER #1 (permalink)
cera NamePros Regular Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 780	So what's wrong with hyphens I mean something like d-o-m-a-i-n-n-a-m-e.com is just plain dumb, but what's wrong with (for example) the-car-shop.com? Obviously thecarshop.com would be preferred, but the hyphenated version is actually easier to read (for business card/print/email ads). I would think that from a SEO point of view the hyphenated version would be better. Do people really have a problem figuring out the difference between a hyphen and an underscore?

08-28-2004, 02:46 PM	#3 (permalink)
Redleg Ultima Ratio Regum Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Up North Posts: 2,080	If you're planning to use the domain for a site you should get both.. use the one with hyphen(s) as the main domain for your site (for SEO), and forward the other one to the site (for type-ins..) You will loose type-in traffic to the non-hyphen domain if you don't have it.. (I know this from experience...) __________________ IP Whois + Geolocation\|Geolocate your IP\|Dynamic Forum Sigs <meta name="Jedi Mind Trick" content="Buy my domains, you will!">

08-28-2004, 02:51 PM	#5 (permalink)
domainsusi Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 2,917	I know this is out of context - but:::::::: I Eat Cannibals ROLF - That's just too much - great signature !! susi __________________ Free Legal Forms

08-28-2004, 02:55 PM	#6 (permalink)
Wanda Credit Card Service Pro Join Date: May 2003 Location: Missouri Posts: 4,430	A Hyphenated domain name can not be advertised/promoted well in print or radio. Bottom line.. __________________ www.IceGenie.com www.FurShow.com

08-28-2004, 06:05 PM	#10 (permalink)
biggie Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: GreenFriendly.com Posts: 3,344	I don't discriminate when selecting domains. I've sold quite a few hyphenated domains, even hyphenated .org domains! __________________ www.urlpick.com...Premium Domain Names PMM.org * UMM.org * 96.net * 150.org * WPD.net * OPV.net * MrQ.net * 455.info * QN1.com * QG1.com * IZ1.com * OVL.net * VJ4.com * SVC.net * MVN.org * SOP.net * SVH.org * OPO.net * QFM.net * WEW.org * MFP.org * NEV.org * UCE.org * SXE.org

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08-28-2004, 02:27 PM	#2 (permalink)
LeeRyder Account Suspended Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Left Coast Posts: 3,503	I think most here appraise domains on the the odds of it being typed into the tool bar at random by visitors. I personally don't do it that way, but instead go by what I feel google would be likely to push to the top of their pages. nothing "really" wrong with 1 hyphen though (imo) in most cases.

08-28-2004, 02:56 PM	#7 (permalink)
LeeRyder Account Suspended Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Left Coast Posts: 3,503	I agree cera. Even my father who is in his mid 60's types what they want in google. I just dont see hypenated names posing a great issue for sites like these. Sure, you may lose mayb 10% of traffic that uses the "Old Way" of typing it on the browser bar.. but for google standings, google ignores extension and hyphens. However, when you have domains like this: www.I-Want_to_buy_a_doman.com well, its a waste... kinda contradictory i know, but no one will be a repeat visitor by typing that in everyt ime they want to come. And we all know that only 1-10% of people add our sites the favorites. Of course, others have valid reasonings as to why I am wrong on this as well.

08-28-2004, 03:13 PM	THREAD STARTER #8 (permalink)
cera NamePros Regular Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 780	Wanda: Radio - no argument there - the hyphen just doesn't work. Print - I think the hyphen can actually help. Of course there are going to be some potential visitors who will see the-car-shop.com and remember thecarshop.com Redleg: Both would be preferable, for sure.

08-28-2004, 04:02 PM	#9 (permalink)
Shan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 1,746	It would be better if you got the domain name with hyphens and without hyphens if you wanted to register one. That would make it easier for the visitors to remember the URL to your website, too much hyphens are annoying and hard to remember.

08-28-2004, 06:40 PM	#11 (permalink)
Qwert Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: ~Rented~ Posts: 2,930	So is 1 hyphen in the middle of a domain, like ice-tea.com bad? Does it affect if it shows up in search engines and stuff? I can understand something like i-c-e-t-e-a.com would be bad, cause no one took it. although ice-tea was taken (I wanted that one). __________________ [Max font size in sig area is "2"]

08-28-2004, 06:48 PM	#12 (permalink)
johnny6 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: North Carolina Posts: 2,134	hyphens are awkward. outside of the normal typing zone. inefficient. __________________ Find the best property managers

08-28-2004, 09:19 PM	#14 (permalink)
identity_00 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 1,212	seo The reason why you'd get a hypen word is to cover multiple keywords in one domain. Such as: web-marketing-careers.com. It works well for "web marketing" "web careers" "marketing careers" "Web marketing careers" ect...you can cover many areas and your domain is keyword riched. With that in mind "the-car-shop.com" doesnt have much keyword value except for "car shop". ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=45368 Some people believe hypen domains do better in search engines and there is some truth to this but the difference of not having one really isnt that big of a difference. It has been awhile - Google may have already phased this out of their system because of spammers. I honestly dont care for them but to each his/her own. The difference isnt that noticable. I always prefer a good business name then build my keywords around it with content and links. hypens do have some value if you can get a good one for sure.

08-28-2004, 11:02 PM	#15 (permalink)
mole Insectivora Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Under Ground Posts: 2,164	I think its an anal reflex thing - a hyphen has the same general connotations as not having the .com, you couldn't get the best and had to settle for second best. Hyphenated brand names? No way..... you get the drift. __________________ If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties. Sir Francis Bacon

08-29-2004, 10:36 AM	#18 (permalink)
Anthony NamePros Expert Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: NYC Posts: 9,132	Adding a hyphen or hyphens into the URL is practically like making the name one or two words LONGER! THE-DASH-CAR-DASH-SHOP-DOT-COM seems a lot longer than THE-CAR-SHOP-DOT-COM.

09-04-2004, 02:04 AM	#19 (permalink)
Brie New Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 7	I don't like having to type a hypen when going to a website , but getting both hyphen and without would get you at least a bit more traffic than if you went with just one.

09-04-2004, 04:31 AM	#20 (permalink)
dotcommakers Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: world wide web Posts: 2,062 Follow @dotcommakers	humm i dont think hypens are good in domains

09-06-2004, 05:46 AM	#21 (permalink)
webscorpion Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Triple Crown Loft Posts: 1,230	When I started in this "game", I believed that hyphenated domains always took a backseat to their non-hyphenated versions. I know that most of you are "domaineers" and abhor hyphenated domains. When I "drifted" into SEO, an additional perspective opened. When relying on search engine results, the hyphenated version can be very effective! Search engine spiders are not like humans when they read your web pages. They will easily "read", "identify", and "index" those keywords in the hyphenated domains. ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=45368 So bottom line is, get both if available. Use the non-hyphenated version for branding and advertising. Use the hyphenated one for SERP. Imagine what an Overture result of 20,000 can send traffic to your site Hope this helps. __________________ Triple Crown Loft OldSkul.com

09-12-2004, 04:18 PM	#22 (permalink)
SharkBite NamePros Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 25	It's worth pointing out that there are exceptions - Germans seem to love long hyphenated domains (probably because they have a lot of long composite words and so they need the hyphen just to visually separate them). But hyphenated names aren't great for reselling unless you've got some very useful keywords in.

09-13-2004, 01:05 AM	#23 (permalink)
hookah Semi-Netizen Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Afterlandâ„¢ Posts: 397	Hello, generally speaking it is difficult to estimate how dash works in particular domain name because it is usually substituted with space in Google or Overture results. However there are some names/expressions which naturally consist dash. Some of them are quite popular as searched keywords and usually already registered with 'big five' extensions (com, net, org, info, biz). But...there are often still available for registration with some country extensions. If you know for sure that chosen name is mostly written with dash (i.e. you are looking for o-zone.ext) and you find that Overture lists this name with particular extension as i.e. 'o zone.ext' 896 - just register it if possible. According to my experience it means that this name is a traffic name and gains many visitors so can potentially earn some money on Sedo or other parking program. Of course the necessary condition is that chosen name is commonly written with dash. But if you don't care about traffic but just need particular name planning to invest in some kind of internet service (so you are planning to market your domain name and service actively) - just register the name you mostly like even it consists dash. ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=45368 Greetings, H. __________________ For sale now: PelÃ©.net QuÃ©.com * Grill.TV Pharma.TV AffiliateProgram.TV * L.GG * Watchable.INFO**

09-13-2004, 02:01 AM	#24 (permalink)
Ferman Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Criticize BUSH at CRITICIZE.TV Posts: 1,154	try to read it: the hypen car hypen shop and try to read it: the car shop which sounds better and easy to write?

09-13-2004, 05:19 AM	#25 (permalink)
redhippo NamePros Expert Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: ANForum Posts: 5,218	my three word hypenated online market name is earning me $$$ a month anyone's got anymore ...selll them to me!! hypen rocks!! __________________ \|www.vb-skins.com\|- Quality Premade Vbulletin skins for Your VB forum makeover \|www.Banjir.com\|-Free image hosting?[B]For Sale!\|AlphaScripts\|Money Generating Scripts FREE VB Skins

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