How bad are hyphens in a domain name?

[randomIntellect]

Just wondering as to what extent a hyphen can hurt the value of a domain .. Any thoughts?

 

[WhiteWebServices]

Hyphenated domains are significantly less valuable, in large part because they are more difficult to market effectively. They are awkward to say ("that's keyword hyphen keyword hyphen keyword .com"), less memorable, and leak traffic to the non-hyphenated version.

 

[sufi]

Hyphen domains are usually considered bad for resale and end user purposes but they are good for SEO purposes. For a domainer, hyphen hurts but for a search engine optimizer, it is good.

 

[Master Chief]

If the non-hyphenated .com version sold for 20k, the hyphenated .com version would probably be worth about 2k. ~ MC

 

[Fewski]

Unless it's a premium domain, I wouldn't even think about buying it - or atleast not for the resale value.

 

[randomIntellect]

thanks for ur thoughts guys ..

 

[trlg]

but they are good for SEO purposes. For a domainer, hyphen hurts but for a search engine optimizer, it is good.

huh? care to explain that? hyphens better for SEO?

 

[VURG]

I go

1st: .com
2nd: .net
3rd: .org
4th: .info or .com with hyphen (depending on domain)
6th: .biz

(excluding .mobi and country code domains for this scenario as they confuse me and vary a lot depending on the domain)

LL.com domains sell for $40,000+
L-L.com domains sell for $1,000+

Not totally sure on the value but I tend to think they are a little underated in many instances. There are many good traffic hyphen domains.

 

[sufi]

huh? care to explain that? hyphens better for SEO?

Because it helps the search engines to understand the keywords easily.

 

[BeZazz]

to add to what sufi said, as far as i know search engines see the hyphen as a divider of words

ie hithere :the search engine has to workout if it is one or more words and what those words are
hi-there :the search engines knows strait away there is 2 words and what they are

 

[cera]

Because it helps the search engines to understand the keywords easily.

When .info's were free - 2 years ago? - I got a bunch, did an experiment with hyphenated/non-hyphenated names.

Put same content on both versions of each pair with same keywords, description, title and no inbound links to any of them. I submitted them to Google. There was no evidence at all that the hyphen made any difference. Sometimes the hyphenated one came before, sometimes the non-hyphenated one.

I believe that once upon a time it did make a difference but that search engines don't have any problem in picking the keywords out with or without anymore.

Google's algo doesn't seem to place much emphasis on the domain name itself as much as it used to either. Same with Yahoo. MSN still puts lots of emphasis on the keywords in the name.

The hyphen hurts wholesale value big time.
For the end-user - If branding is part of the marketing plan (especially through radio ads & word-of-mouth) the hyphen sucks. If the search engines are the primary source of visitors, the hyphen doesn't hurt.
Generally speaking the hyphen limits use, possible end user base and therefore the value.

 

[WhiteWebServices]

I'm a skeptic about the value of hyphens for SEO too.

 

[SharonTucci]

Hyphens mean nothing when it comes to SEO. They are essentially ignored. This is part of the issue with the overturer checker having a problem with returning results for hyphenated domains with extension.

Hyphenated domains with SOLID keywords can be worthwhile... ie if you can get them at registration fee versus getting a really c***y domain without hyphens. The highest $ adult domain name I've had sold in the last 6 months was a hyphenated one.

Here's a clue - if the non-hyphenated version of a domain is registered in all extensions, if you go to google and you see all 8 advertising slots filled for adwords (a plus with ads on the top) and at least one extension other than .com is registered, then get the .com hyphenated.

 

[-NC-]

ie hithere :the search engine has to workout if it is one or more words and what those words are
hi-there :the search engines knows strait away there is 2 words and what they are

I've never understood this reasoning.

If a user searches for hi there, then the engine is looking for "hi" and "there" in the domain e.t.c, and it can them find both, in both examples. for that matter it will also find them in omgtheresahippopotamusinatree.

Real world example: I just googled hi there, the third site returned was chick.com, with the HI in cHIck bolded.

 

[Mark07]

Hyphenated domain with multiple keywords can be beneficial from seo viewpoint but I think they are hard to tell others verbally and also they are not so easy to type in if compared to domain names without the hyphen.

 

[upsidedownkiwi]

I feel it depends on the marketing approach, as well as the keywords in the domain. For example Expert's Exchange old URL was expertSEXchange.com = bad marketing. Their domain is now a lot more valuable as experts-exchange.com, because it is actually easier to market.

Just my 0.02

-UpSideDownKiwi