My ideal .com URL isn't available. What's the next best option?

Vinay, thanks for the shout-out, but "us.yourcompany.com" is a sub-domain of "yourcompany.com". If you don't own the latter, you can't set up the former. FWIW, I was talking about .us as a top level domain, as in yourcompany.us.

There are a few different options you could pursue.

The cheapest next best option would be to explore different endings, such as .info, .net, etc. Or also, come up with a different combo, or abbreviate what you want to create... for example, if you wanted: newyorkjewelry.com, you might want to explore nyjewelry.com, nycjewelry.com, nyjewelers.com, etc.

If these options do not suffice, I would try to contact the person responsible for that URL, and buy it from them. Often times scalpers purchase them, and resell to business owners, or companies in similar situations as yourself.

- Jeff

Dan:

The first and primary question: is the URL you seek based on keyword research or a 'trophy' URL with words you are in love with? Using keywords in a URL is a smart move and researching to find impact keywords is even more intelligent. After all, this is all about marketing!

Secondly .net is your best alternative.

Thirdly consider a hyphen. Google recognizes hyphenated words as separate words.

Michael

Michael is right, your domain name is one of the top SEO elements of your website. Check the Google keyword tool to see what people are actually searching for. You may be able to find a better name that will increase traffic to your site.
https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

For a small company, it's better to have a domain name that will land high in search results because of the words it contains than it is to have a unique moniker.
I would suggest doing all you can to get a .com TLD. That is the default domain that people expect. If there is another company called business.com and you are business.net you will forever be reminding people, "it's .net! Dot net! We're business.NET" and they'll still go to business.com first.

Other key points to remember:
- avoid using numbers like business1.com. When a domain name is spoken people won't know if it's businessone.com or business1.com (or businesswon.com for that matter).
- avoid domain names with dashes in them. If you are small-business-tax.com you'll have to tell people that it's "small dash business dash tax dot com" which makes it harder to remember and they'll still probably go to smallbusinesstax.com on their way to your site. Even if that site is not a competitor (which they probably are) it's a distraction that will absorb some of your potential web traffic.

Dan W: Point, counter point which I appreciate. If it is a 'trophy' name Dan H may have no choice. But I have been successfully using dashed URL's for several years, even with long URLs. Matt Cutts (of Google) talks about it in one of his videos.

Dan H: As a recently retired professional consultative salesperson, I always gave my clients the choices they had so they could make a reasonable adult decision. I continue to do so as a DIY SEO and E-Marketing Coach and Mentor.

When all is said and done in this forum and your outside research is concluded, your URL has less of an impact than your keyword phrases (not single keywords!), the competition, your targeted niche, the content and structure of your Web site as well as the activity the Web site generates.

The difference is in having a WEB site and having a WEB site that works and meets your goals. When I work with small business owners, and a lot of the information I have is free, I am strictly bottom line oriented. No traffic, no sales; no sales no business.

Michael

Other free hints and tips at: http://diywebjem.com/blog/

.net seems to me to be the next logical stop, once one has exhausted the hyphenations, abbreviations, etc. The rest are still early in their adoption (.us, .biz, .info, etc.) and would be more difficult for people to remember. The .net extensions have been around long enough that they have gained the acceptance of most people as the "next .com". I tried everywhich way to get a .com domain name to work, but ultimately I've had to settle for a .net domain for my new business.

Dan, in case you are not able to get .com URL try with the next big revolution .CO as it is going to be the next big thing after .com. I came to know this from one of my accomplice and godaddy.com has this option of buying out .CO domain names with them.

There is also a buy-out facility in godaddy and if you avail of that service you have the option to look out for vendors who own your desired .com URL and would intimate you whether they are keen to resell it in the meantime.

Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Manish

Michael your insights are definitely very helpful. These are indeed good steps to go ahead with URL selection.

I totally agree with Tim.

You can try us.yourcompany.com

Good Luck,Vinay