How to choose a good domain name

Golden rules

• Short and pronounceable: if you can say it over the phone without spelling it out, you're good.
• No hyphens or numbers: they lead to mistakes (“was it with or without a dash?”).
• Easy to spell: avoid double letters or words that are hard to spell in your market.
• Think brand, not just keywords: Google ranks content and brands, not domains stuffed with keywords.

Which extension should you pick?

.com is still the most trusted and the one people type by default. If your .com isn't available, consider: .net (tech, classic), .ai (artificial intelligence, startups), .store (retail), .dev (developers), or .me (personal brand). For SEO, Google treats all generic extensions the same: pick the one that communicates your brand best.

Protect your brand

If your budget allows, also register the most obvious variants (for example the .net in addition to the .com, or the most common typo) and redirect them to your main domain. It costs little and keeps someone else from riding on your name.

Check before you fall in love

Before deciding, search the name on Google and social media: confirm it doesn't clash with a registered trademark and that the handles are available on the networks you'll use.