SEO and URLs

BuzzC

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Hello and Happy Friday!

Just want to ask around for some opinions on the following:

Say I have a two word keyword "Apple Inc" and I am trying to secure an exact match domain. Will it play any role in terms of SEO if either of the following options are used:

appleinc.com
apple-inc.com

Is it better to separate the words with a "-" or it does not make any difference?
 
I'd always avoid the "-" where possible, personal preference.
 
filenames folders and pages should have - between words


domain IMO shouldnt have any hyphens. i have a domain that i cant rank for brand name possibly because it has hyphen in it.
 
You could have done some Search on Google with "How to choose a domain?", and then you might not have posted this. While you have not few things you must think before actually buying -

1. Brandable - Brandable, meaning that when you hear or see the domain name, it sounds like a brand or not.
2. Pronounceable - Your Audience is going to Type or Click The Domain Name. Thus,It gets important to get a domain which is Easily Remembered
3. Short and Precise - Ex. example.com is okay but thinking-about-example.com is not. This leads me to another Point - Using Hyphens in domain name isnt a good idea, and a worst idea for SEOs.
4. Keyword sensible - Keywords in a domain name can help with the cognitive fluency biases, but also from an SEO perspective. Google has been biasing away from these exact match and partial match domains, but the anchor text you get from people linking to your domain can help.
5. Easily Understandable - A good domain name gives people a strong idea of what a website will be about.

Summary
You Might use Hyphens in a domain name, but it is not advisable as you would only make it readable to human eyes might not effect the Virtual World. In the long run you might regret using such domains. Keep in mind that use of hyphens also strongly correlates with spammy behavior and decreases domain name readability and memorability. For that reason, generally, no more than one hyphen should be used.

Well, I am no expert on the topic, these are the things i consider before buying a domain for myself. Please guys, feel free to correct me if there is anything wrong with this post.
 
Thanks for the input guys. I think I should have been a bit more specific in my question. Putting branding/readability/pronunciation aside as not important I am only curious as to googles preference and the ability of better ranking when using a hyphen vs not using it. In other words I am wondering if google equally perceives "apple-inc" and "appleinc" as as the same thing when search using term "Apple Inc". (does this make sense?)

I had one website with the brand name using a hyphen and ranking very good and the other without it for a difference site and ranking bad. This led me to wonder if there may be a connection. However per adheneras message its seems to be the opposite case for him. Goes without saying of course that there are other factors in play as well...
 
I had one website with the brand name using a hyphen and ranking very good and the other without it for a difference site and ranking bad. This led me to wonder if there may be a connection. However per adheneras message its seems to be the opposite case for him. Goes without saying of course that there are other factors in play as well...

Firstly, Sorry for getting the question wrong - In that case i dont think it makes any major difference in seo results. It might be a small problem if you are expecting Direct Traffic. Obliviously there is something else that is effecting your ranking
 
Thanks for the input guys. I think I should have been a bit more specific in my question. Putting branding/readability/pronunciation aside as not important I am only curious as to googles preference and the ability of better ranking when using a hyphen vs not using it. In other words I am wondering if google equally perceives "apple-inc" and "appleinc" as as the same thing when search using term "Apple Inc". (does this make sense?)

I had one website with the brand name using a hyphen and ranking very good and the other without it for a difference site and ranking bad. This led me to wonder if there may be a connection. However per adheneras message its seems to be the opposite case for him. Goes without saying of course that there are other factors in play as well...

Absolutely no impact on SEO at all. None.

And in regards to EMDs. Do not expect much from them.

If someone is searching for your brand, either appleinc or apple-inc, regardless of your domain name, you will be shown. Unless your site is super brand new, or it's some common term, you will be first.
 
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