What is a better domain for dentist?

[wayne_chance]

I was talking to my dentist about creating his website.

Is it better to have a domain like "Portland-dentist-service.com" or simply "DrName.com" ? I wondering really how far do you take domain SEO? Drbob.com is more personal then 'city-dental-service" but not SEO'd so drbob.com is likely to get less traffic or is google smarter than this?:wave:

 

[polyromcom]

i would think the two names would be for different purposes. city-dental-service would be used to generate traffic from search, drbob as a brand for existing customers... I don't see any way to consider one over the other without clarifying the objectives. imo...

 

[Archangel]

A few questions need to be asked:

1.) Is he aiming to get customers?
2.) Is he trying to retain/help existing customers?
3.) Is he hoping that he'd pique interest to ppl who live 1,000 miles from him?

There are others but regardless, there are questions that need to be addressed. Assuming his name was Bob Smith: BoBSmithDentistry.com wouldn't be bad but I think it would cater more to those who've heard of Bob Smith and wanted to research him. Something like PortlandDentist.com is way too broad and not personal (although it might do well in SE's). If he just wanted to have an easy-to-remember address, a little creativity could go a long way. A relative had plastic surgery a few years back from the guys who own idoplasticsurgery.com. I've never been to the site but I remember the URL, after all these years.

 

[bmugford]

DrName.com is better for branding, but a keyword domain with search volume is better for SEO and driving traffic. You can use the keyword domain to drive targeted traffic to DrName.com

Brad

 

[copper]

A few questions need to be asked:

1.) Is he aiming to get customers?
2.) Is he trying to retain/help existing customers?
3.) Is he hoping that he'd pique interest to ppl who live 1,000 miles from him?

There are others but regardless, there are questions that need to be addressed. Assuming his name was Bob Smith: BoBSmithDentistry.com wouldn't be bad but I think it would cater more to those who've heard of Bob Smith and wanted to research him. Something like PortlandDentist.com is way too broad and not personal (although it might do well in SE's). If he just wanted to have an easy-to-remember address, a little creativity could go a long way. A relative had plastic surgery a few years back from the guys who own idoplasticsurgery.com. I've never been to the site but I remember the URL, after all these years.

Now, this is what you call great reply

BTW, why not make two web sites?
Geo targeted domain name is great for SEO, but, not so memorable.
Other one is good, but, harder to do SEO.

So...
One using local geo targeting domain and use it to get new local leads.
Other, use it for his/her patients?

 

[wayne_chance]

He wants to attract more customers, he offer invisalign, so people maybe looking for at provider perhaps 200 miles away. So more customers more teeth more rotten teeth more money! So what to do? SEO friendly domain or just a friendly domain?

Making two web sites is fine idea, but really there is one web site, search engines will find one only, one dentist one site.

Also he doesn't mind spending big money on adsense to drive traffic to his site, but which domain to drive it to?

 

[Archangel]

If he's providing a service that not many do, then yes, ppl might be willing to drive a fair distance to meet with him. My guess: Use a SEO domain BUT also use a friendly, easy-to-remember domain that forwards to the site so ppl can use the friendly URL while web searches will find the site in SE's.

 

[copper]

He wants to attract more customers, he offer invisalign, so people maybe looking for at provider perhaps 200 miles away. So more customers more teeth more rotten teeth more money! So what to do? SEO friendly domain or just a friendly domain?

Making two web sites is fine idea, but really there is one web site, search engines will find one only, one dentist one site.

Also he doesn't mind spending big money on adsense to drive traffic to his site, but which domain to drive it to?

SEO friendly domain.

Google deny it, but, some SEO pros say site get better treatment when that
site buy some adwords from Google.

Plus, I am sure dentist will buy geo targeted adwords and geo targeted
domain with geo targeted site will generally pay less for adwords.

 

[footodors]

I had a situation like that with a private investigator co.
Used their name.com as main site and am also using stateprivateinvestigator.com as a simple 1 page business card type site. Both rank on different terms. If competition were tight, I would buy more domains do the same thing.

 

[enlytend]

Use the shorter, friendlier domain for his practice- there are a lot of ways to rank for search terms without having them in the domain name, ESPECIALLY on local search. A keyword domain is great but not with 2 hyphens - it's ugly. Go with the more client-friendly and probably more memorable name.

If you're both ambitious enough, use the other to make an informational site and link to his business site from it.

If you use the other name, you're actually going to run into problems creating a good display URL in adwords. 28 characters? that leaves you just 7 additional characters - that's not much!

use a friendly, easy-to-remember domain that forwards to the site so ppl can use the friendly URL while web searches will find the site in SE's.

Technically speaking, a sound idea. Problem is you lose trust when people notice the address bar change radically from what they thought it should be.

 

[DubDubDubDot]

I would use the name of the practice. That is pretty standard in the medical field.

 

[SpareDomains]

DrName.com is better for branding, but a keyword domain with search volume is better for SEO and driving traffic. You can use the keyword domain to drive targeted traffic to DrName.com

Brad

I have done this with a few businesses. Built the site on their company name and then secured a budget for keyword domains to drive leads in. The beauty of this is 1 by 1 I'm educating end users on the power of keyword domains for marketing as I have feedback that they are all pretty pleased with the results.

 

[HQLabs]

I have STRAIGHTEN.com!

 

[lll]

^ nice name to forward to a dentistsname.com :imho: