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When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup

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Re: When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup

#11

Sounds like the author had some human-centric reasons for changing the name of the business. It's worth noting that Google can be taught to like invented names in a pretty short amount of time, though. Three of my four iPhone projects shipped with invented words for names (Oddage, Tallymander, Globejot). Even after the sites were live and indexed, Google would do its "did you mean..." or worse, showing results for th…

I found this pretty quickly with Cursebird.

Re: When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup

#12

Sounds like the author had some human-centric reasons for changing the name of the business. It's worth noting that Google can be taught to like invented names in a pretty short amount of time, though. Three of my four iPhone projects shipped with invented words for names (Oddage, Tallymander, Globejot). Even after the sites were live and indexed, Google would do its "did you mean..." or worse, showing results for th…

I found this pretty quickly with Cursebird.

Did you mean custard? Showing results for custard. Click here to see results for cursebird.

Ah, Google.

Re: When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup

#13

It is tough acquiring a short (under 8 letter) meaningful domain name now. I am curious to know how much it cost just to buy that domain. Sometimes you can make a nonsensical name stick with enough effort/branding: see zillow.com, it is all in the sub title.

Supposedly the 'internet generation' are now savy enough to know this.

If you launch a site called "sport.com" or "music.com" young people know that however hip and trendy your graphics you must be a bank/$Bn corp to own that name. So to appeal to 'yoof' you have to have a "the only address we could get" type meaningless name ( even if you are a $Bn corp!)

Re: When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup

#14
I am doing SEO consulting for a company called South-Pak that makes custom travel and road cases. Obviously, the business owners don't want to change the name and obviously Google thinks it's a misspelling of South Park (if you query South-Pak, you must then click on the link to confirm that you are looking for results for South-Pak.

Combatting the fact that many are searching for the name of the company and getting frustrated, I'm working hard to associate South-Pak with the word cases. As a result of the anchor text, et al, when one types in South-Pak you should, South-Pak Cases should be one of the options generated by Google Instant.

As long as you have the .com domain though, Google can't hurt you much. Fundamentally, you want to have the .com domain, have a name that is difficult to misspell and easy to explain on the phone.

If people that don't know about your name and they are looking for you, they should be able to find you on Google. That's what Google is for. If that's not the case, it's probably you, not Google.

Re: When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup

#16
Why do these articles never mention the aftermarket? It's like businesses refuse to acknowledge that good domains are available to purchase. Sedo? Afternic? BuyDomains? Auctions? Personal portfolios? Wake up! This is where the real gems are.

Domain finder tools are dead. They don't work.

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