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Following on from the SEO tips for portfolio websites part 1 and part 2, I failed to include any mention of domain names, including where to buy them and what to buy etc. There are a few important things to consider…

Geographical Location

As I’m sure you know, each country has it’s own domain name ending, for example, .co.uk for the United Kingdom and .au for Australia etc. Depending on which of these you choose will depend on where you are found in the search engines. Except for .com’s which are international, search engines will usually filter out foreign domain names from your country, and will look more favourably on national domains when using that search engines.

So if you are a designer based in the UK, and you only think it’s worth getting noticed in the UK for your work, then a .co.uk domain may be best for you. If though, you run an international art community website like Artybuzz, then a .com domain is probably for the best. Hopefully you get the idea, but simply ask a questions if not…

Where To Buy

SEO

When buying a domain, you should also think about search engine optimisation (SEO). One of the most important factors in appearing in search engine results is your domain name, or web address. So you may consider buying a domain name that is actually a target key phrase of yours, for example, if you are an illustrator based in Manchester, then you may consider buying manchesterillustrator.co.uk, or something along those lines. It’s worth bearing in mind, even if you have your name followed by your artistic talent then it will help.