How long is too long for domain URL length?

[JesseCWalker]

I noticed one of the negatively correlated ranking factors was length of URL.  I'm building a page from scratch, we are trying to rank for 'Minneapolis Fitness' and 'Minneapolis Massage'.

Is www.minnnepolismassageandfitness.com  just ridiculously long?  Or does the exact match outweigh the penalty for URL length?

[RyanKent]

You want to stick to a maximum of 2 terms in your URL. Three is pushing it. Four words is too much.

Doing a google search for "minneapolis fitness" shows most of the top results do not have minneapolis nor fitness in the URL. You can freely try names such as "Sunshine Fitness" or whatever your business name is in an effort to brand the URL rather then attempt keyword matches.

If you really want a URL match then minneapolisfitness.net is available. While I strongly prefer a .com, I would prefer this particular .net over the URL you suggested.

[HarrisonHill]

I have to disagree with Ryan. 2 terms isn't max length URL can have. Always use as many characters in URL as it's necessary. There is no anything like "very long domain".

For example: minnnepolismassageandfitness.com will give you more domain SEO juice than minnnepolismassage.com

If you are concerned on search engine visits, use whole keyword in your domain. It will be easier to rank for keyword. But if you wish to receive direct visits (which I doubt), use user-friendly domains, keep it short and nice looking.

[KeriMorgret]

Hi George, that's an interesting take on things. Can you give us any more background information on this or resources? Thanks!

[ShaMenz]

Hi Jesse,

First, I'm going to assume that the three n's in the URL you posted was a mistake?

So, having made that assumption, I think the philosophical debate is largely a moot point.

Generally, the intent of developing an exact match domain is to rank for the term or terms that carry exact match traffic volume.

The image below pretty much tells the story I think.

If you haven't yet found it, the tool is the SEOmoz Keyword Difficulty Tool

keyword-difficulty.gif

[JesseCWalker]

yep, 3 n's is a mistake.  So you think the exactmatch.com is overkill for these keywords?  Might be better to go with something shorter and more branded?

[ShaMenz]

First, the correlation data is something I would pay attention to.

Second, since the longtail exact match and the majority of the other breakout terms from that very long URL appear to bring little or no traffic to the table - why would you bother to go against the data? (OK, the single word head terms have what looks like great traffic, but going after those is not a "new site" proposition in my view).

[JesseCWalker]

I'm afraid I'm getting a little lost.  I'm still new to all this.

As far as I can tell the correlations are in conflict.  +0.22 exact match.  Domain name length -0.07.  So it seems to me that the data says go for exact match even though it makes it long.

I'm going to guess at what a "breakout" term is.  They must mean keywords like Minneapolis Fitness,  Minneapolis Massage,  etc.

I'm also going to guess that "single word head terms" mean fitness, massage, and Minneapolis.  If so then it is true that we aren't interested in trying to compete for those.

The scope of the project is very small.  Basically a personal trainer and a massage therapist who want to bring in a few extra clients.  The site would be very small scale as well, basically a platform for them to interact with their client base, and bring in a new client or two from time to time.

I'm hoping that the level of traffic for "minneapolis massage" and "minneapolis fitness" or "minneapolis personal trainer" would bring enough traffic to accomplish the goal of bringing in 2 or 3 new regular clients per year for each of the professionals.

If this is a poor assumption someone please let me know so I can adjust our expectations.

[ShaMenz]

Hi Jesse,

Basically, the only significant search volume is for the shorter two word term "minneapolis massage", so there is no benefit in going for the longer term (which also has a negative correlation for rankings).

So, since Ryan advised that the .net version of minneapolismassage is available, if you are wanting an exact match domain that might be a better option.

Since the return you are wanting is quite modest, then the traffic afforded by that term and the little extra you might attract from other terms should work for you if you can get some reasonable rankings.

I would suggest that you put some good effort into local search optimization if you decide to go with that domain.

Hope that is clearer,

Sha

[JesseCWalker]

Definitely more clear for the noob!  Thanks for the reply.  Most helpful!

It occured to me as I've been thinking about this that the longer URL correlates negatively with every single keyword you target, while the exact match gives you a benefit only to the exact match keyword.

So with minneapolis massage I'd get great benefit for the keyword "minneapolis massage".   But for every other keyword, the infinity of long-tails, I'm at a disadvantage for:

Minneapolis Fitness

St. Paul Fitness

Twin Cities fitness

in-home personal trainer in south minneapolis

etc. etc.

These long tails have got to out-traffic the simple "minneapolis massage" in the long term.  So now I'm thinking we need something short and branded.   "Minneapolis Massage" is still a possibility but it is a bit long to type and rather boring.

[RyanKent]

So with minneapolis massage I'd get great benefit for the keyword "minneapolis massage".   But for every other keyword, the infinity of long-tails, I'm at a disadvantage for

EXACTLY! This reasoning is why I strongly recommend a short, branded domain name as the primary URL. My preference is to compete with great content and SEO strategies rather then trying to purchase an assortment of keyword domain names. That tactic is primarily for those who lack the proper SEO knowledge, or who have deep pockets to create a solid web page for each domain name and properly redirect it to the main site.

If you found a very high traffic perfect match phrase, you could consider acquiring the domain name and trying a couple things, but overall your best bet is a solid primary domain.

You have the disadvantage of a long city name (Minneapolis) along with other variations (Twin Cities) used. I would suggest focusing more on the "Fitness" aspect and allowing your physical location and other factors to establish relevancy for the location.  "WalkerFitness", "SunshineFitness" or whatever brand seems to fit you best.

When trying to brainstorm names, engage your current clients. Make a poll, take a survey, give out a prize to whomever picks the best name! The process can generate publicity for you "Free 1 hour massage + 1 month fitness membership".

[JesseCWalker]

Now its all starting to come together.  I love involving the community in the decision.  Will do!