Choosing a domain name is the first step in creating a new real estate blog. Best naming practices have changed since the advent of real estate websites. Homeseekers was a pre-Millennium pioneer real estate website developer that delivered real estate template sites to tens of thousands of real estate agents who staked their claim on the Internet with dot coms using their given names. My first real estate website was a Homeseekers site wearing a not-so-catchy URL, “www.FrancesFlynnThorsen.com.”

The meta title on my website was better (and smarter) – Bethlehem PA Real Estate and Homes for Sale. The meta title drew visitors. The URL followed the naming convention of the time but it offered nothing in terms of SEO (search engine optimization) support. Agent URLs are not recommended unless you are received as a market superstar. Kevin Tomlinson’s blog, KevinTomlinson.com is an excellent example. Kevin is the leading luxury real estate blogger and a real estate powerhouse in the Miami real estate market.  His online press room includes articles and kudos from The New York Times, “New York Magazine,” The Miami Herald, and numerous national real estate news outlets. He is a stark exception to the don’t-use-your-name-as-your-domain-name rule.

There are four things to consider when you choose a domain name

1. Traffic. Keywords are the ticket to traffic. Take some time to do some keyword analysis to find. What is your niche? Learn how to use the Google Keyword Tool for more insight.
2. Relevance.  What is the likelihood that people searching for a particular keyword? The keyword tool will offer alternatives and additions based on the words you select. Search engine rankings that are anything less than page one on Google are worthless.  The following chart shows an average percentage of click throughs to sites that are ranked on page one of Google.
3. Commerciality. The value of a keywords is tied to the value of keywords in a Google Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign.
4. Competition. Check your competition closely. If you are working in the HUD Homes market, the chances of securing a first-page ranking on Google is slim, with 360,000 ,monthly global searches and firmly established websites hold a strong lead in the search engin results pages (SERPs). “HUD Homes for Sale” offers a better chance, with about 60,000 global searches each month. If you are working in a local market you may see several hundred search engine results, but a high ranking on page one of Google SERPs will enhance your blog’s click attraction.

Here are some of the top real estate blogs in the country. Note the keywords in each domain name. Some point to market area, some focus on a niche.

• BestBuffaloHomes.com
• LiveInLosGatos.com
• HauntedRealEstate.com
• ValleyOfHeartsDelight.com  (A poetic, pretty name that is easy to remember also works!)
• PasadenaViews.com
• AtHomeInScottsdale.com
• HomeBuysBlog.com

(The video is part of a multi-video series about blogging that precedes the launch of No Blogger Left Behind with Denise Lones and Frances Flynn Thorsen. Click here for more information.)