What’s in a Name

What’s in a name? A lot actually! A helluva lot! A name can define many multiples in one short, sharp simple explanation – it can also confuse and bring about ridicule if not thought through properly.

One of the best marketing skills available today lays at the feet on those few insightful individuals who label things. Correct! I’m talking about the people whose task it is to take a product, service or company and give a name a life.

Being involved in the search marketing industry a few companies get a second chance so-to-speak to market themselves online – differentiating from their, what I like to call their bricks and mortar tag, company name to one that is nothing less than a keyword stuffed domain. I have and still do to-this-day re-brand online all for the sake of ticking another of the 200 + ranking factors off the list.

I am in no way begrudginly saying its a bad idea to have your keyword present in your domain but more praising those that sway from this perception to instigate getting their name and message known via other means.

But in this present day of non-imagination – when every avenue that has a perception of free thinking has been done before – concepts are sometimes borne from sacrificial soles tormented at the altar of the marketing gods of uniqueness.

I look at the vowelless lacking web 2.0 domains that are being used today and laugh a simple laugh thinking good-for-you – at least they are trying to differentiate between originality and search-engine focused droneness.

However, I do honestly feel that this type of imagination will be eventually rendered yesterdays art-form as more and more companies seek to gain an SEO advantage online and creative names are given a more fossilised view apart from those with mammoth budgets. The first rings of the death knell are already being sounded as the grim reaper of originality, better known to you and me as the 301 begins his harvesting time.

In short all seo marketing companies have to measure the effectiveness of their clients online domain name – and to be truthful having a keyword in there can make a difference. No matter how slight that difference may be it can still count. Social media may tip those scales in years to come, a very big may I add here, but its popularity might be the saving grace of original thinking domains. Here’s to social media and the prolonged life of originality online is my thoughts.