Hyphens in Domains

[morestar]

I would like to second second this statement.

Although I don't know of any scientific tests about this topic (I suspect people have done them), most of the SEO research I've read over the last few years place hyphenated domains somewhat down on the list of best-scenario formats for SEO. Most guidelines I've seen put exact keyword match domains first on the list (bluewidgets.com). This is followed by exact keyword + modifier at end (ie: bluewidgetsblog.com). Curiously enough, the hyphenated version comes in even a few more lines below on the list (at least on the lists I've seen).

Doesn't make much sense to me. Don't know why Google would favor non-hyphenated domains (if in fact they do). Seems like hyphenated keywords would only serve to help search engines by separating the words for them. But then there's a lot of things I don't understand about search engines

[morestar]

Along with hyphens, I would advise capitalizing the first letters of your words as well - the words in your post/article/page names.

[keyon]

Along with hyphens, I would advise capitalizing the first letters of your words as well - the words in your post/article/page names.

Really? Is this for SEO --or for visitors?

[morestar]

Really? Is this for SEO --or for visitors?

Well I'll just say it's safe to assume that Google considers it a great idea to make your users happy and your sites user friendly.

[Clarrie]

Has no negative affect at all - the search engines treat hyphens as a space.

Using hyphens can help legibility for humans though, so its worth considering that factor, particularly if you are going to end up running lots of the same letter together - eg wellliving v well-living - but as has already been pointed out make sure you can use both hyphenated and unhyphenated versions to make sure you don't lose visitors not using the hyphenated version.

[mjtaylor]

Before using hyphens make sure you don't have competitors without them. People tend to forget to enter them and it's not best practice to have same domain name just with added hyphens. So, without knowing more about what you're up too that's the only thing I can think of so far

I can attest to this issue, though my non-hyphenated version is not a competitor; still I wish I had found a DOT com without a hyphen.

But hyphens in domains have NO affect whatsoever on SEO. Period.

[seomagician]

I like non-hyphen url's but I do own a few with a hyphen. I think they look a little spammy sometimes? No noticable effect on seo.

[Social-Media]

From an SEO perspective hypenated domains generally make no difference. In fact, it makes the keywords in the domain even easier for the engines to distinquish. It eliminates any ambiguity... For example expertsexchange.com could be considered an exact match for "experts exchange" or "expert sex change". With experts-exchange.com, there is no ambiguity.

However, from a user perspective I think domains with hyphens are seen by many users as less legitimate. Many searches associate those domains with spammers, affiliate marketers, and the like. They know that they were take as a last resort because the non-hyphenated domain was no longer available. It's similar to the way that users perceive .com domains as more legitimate than .info, .net, .biz, etc.

[watto]

I agree with Stevecane. I have 1 in my domain and I leave my competitors for dead! It has had no negative effects what so ever.

[keyon]

However, from a user perspective I think domains with hyphens are seen by many users as less legitimate.

When people go to a search engine to look for, say, cheap beer mugs -- I'm not sure they even look at domains. I think it's the website's position in the serps and the title that drives the click. Of course, I would never develop and promote a brand name that includes a hyphen, but then who says a domain has to be the brand name? It doesn't.