Local Marketing With Geodomains
December 2nd, 2008

A webmaster increases their chances of getting a high search engine listing by including a popular keyword in their domain name. However, if a keyword is too popular, including it in a domain name means nothing, even if the website it's pointing to is also optimized. This is why most Internet marketing gurus suggest that domain names as well as their corresponding websites use more specific keywords that aren't as competitive. One of the best ways to do this is to include keywords based on geography. When such a keyword is used in a domain name, it is known as a geodomain.

Geodomains are highly used in the tourism industry. For example, if a person visits Maryland.com, they will see a site that offers information on what a tourist can do if they are planning a trip to Maryland. However, this should not dissuade other markets from centering in on a geodomain. As long as a product or service can be distributed outside of the webmaster's location, they should not be afraid to use geodomains that target national or even international audiences.

This is not to say that geodomain marketing isn't better for some industries than it is for others. Why? It's because the areas that people live in have their own cultural and sociological needs. Even if one markets in their own country, people living in one state or province may not have as much of a demand for a particular product or service. For example, consider a website that is marketing private boats. If they use a geodomain that encompasses an area that is lower-income, naturally, their efforts won't result in many sales. This is why it's very important that webmasters investigate the general characteristics associated with the location they would like to create a geodomain for.

So, how can a person find a geodomain name? Well, chances are state-based or country-based geodomains are taken at least for the most common domain name extensions. If they can't get these types of geodomains with lesser known extensions, they can consider combining a geographical term with something else or look for a more specific geodomain. When looking for something more specific, webmasters will need to consider making geodomains based off of cities, counties and even popular neighborhoods. They need to do this both for their own country and for other countries, provided that their website can meet the needs of an international audience.

In conclusion, a geodomain can be a good method for marketing, if a webmaster doesn't mind trying to appeal to a local audience. Research will still be required to make sure a geodomain properly fits what is being promoted, but overall a webmaster will find that with the right geodomain, they will be able to generate more sales with less advertising expenses.

This is because the keywords used in geodomains are not highly focused on in the Internet marketing world, especially those that are very specific. And when this scenario happens, a website has a greater chance of ranking higher in search engine listings.

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