Your new name is another DNS casualty
When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup
41–50 of 56 posts
Re: When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup
#42Domize (https://domize.com/) and Wordoid (http://wordoid.com/) both seem really useful
Re: When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup
#43My site Techinch.com came up first for "techinch" with no problems on Google until they switched to instant search. Now it says "Showing results for techniche. Search instead for techinch" Grrrr
So would you recomend sticking it out, or trying for a new name? Just a small blog right now, but I definately want it to grow...
Re: When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup
#44As to the Pronounceable, Spellable, Memorable bit... That can't be emphasized enough. Actually, I bet you can find me personally emphasizing it a half dozen times if you do a search here.
But I don't buy the Google part.
I personally run a little startup that had no trouble ranking for its own name, despite the fact that the first Google search we ever did for the name resulted in "Did you mean Twiddle?" That only lasted a few months.
Now we've crowded that poor word completely off the results for our name, and we've even kicked it out of the top slot when searching for "twiddle". I won't be surprised when Google starts coming back with "Showing results for Twiddla. Search instead for Twiddle" for that search.
It just takes a bit of time and exposure.
Re: When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup
#45While much of this is good advice, the "name that says what you do" is tricky. Product names should say what they do, but companies sometimes find it more useful to remain vague. Consider: Yahoo, Google, eBay, Amazon. None of these words had, when invented, any associations in the public mind. This allows those companies to grow and change their brands and their focus. Imagine if Amazon had been called "Bookery". Or…
One of the biggest mobile phone retailers in the UK is called "Carphone Warehouse" - people don't think twice about the name. People treat the name as a brand rather than a literal interpretation of the words that make up the brand.
However, they seem to think the understandability of the name is important. Internationally, they are more likely to be known as "The Phone House".
Re: When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup
#46A couple of other factors that we considered:
1. The spelling should be obvious from the pronunciation.
2. Should have as few syllables as possible. Two is great if you can find one.
Re: When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup
#47I'll make no comments about the SEO viability of the name, but I find these ending-in-"ly" names (I've seen a few of them recently) atrocious. An "ly" is one of the strongest markers in the English language for a part of speech: an adverb. When you make an adverb out of something that shouldn't be, you get something that sounds like it was uttered by a 3-year-old.
Re: When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup
#48I'll make no comments about the SEO viability of the name, but I find these ending-in-"ly" names (I've seen a few of them recently) atrocious. An "ly" is one of the strongest markers in the English language for a part of speech: an adverb. When you make an adverb out of something that shouldn't be, you get something that sounds like it was uttered by a 3-year-old.
I feel agreely with you.
Re: When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
http://auctions.godaddy.com - $5 bargain bin http://sedo.com - "Make an offer" on thousands of keyword names http://freshdrop.net - Filter and sort pretty much every marketplace. http://BrandStack.com
Yes, you can get cheap domain names, but they'll usually be worse that whatever nonsense you think up. Look at those links you just posted. Anything near the going price of a domain name is going to be absolute crap. Here's the first page of the Godaddy auctions page: formenti.tv, live960.tv, news18.tv, kamerali-sohbet.info, jeong-vs-jpmorganchase.com, watchmadmenonline.info, randy-orton.org, tvlima.tv, youngshemales…
We bought Locately.com. I don't know if we're not creative enough, but it was much better than anything we were able to come up with which wasn't registered. And having a better name is definitely worth the small amount of money we paid for it.
Re: When Google Hates Your Name: Why We Renamed Our Startup
#50Why 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.
I'm the author. We actually bought Locately.com. We looked at both new domains and ones that were being sold for less than $5k (tip: the listing price is always way above what the owner is actually willing to sell it for).
Of all of the names we came up with, we liked Locately.com the best and so we worked out a deal with the owner. Having a good name is important and definitely worth the small amount of money we paid for it.