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Domain SEO Score
Paste a domain or brand name. Get an instant SEO score on TLD trust, length, spam signals, readability, and exact-match risk, with specific fixes.
Quick answer
A domain is good for SEO when it is short (under 15 characters), easy to say and spell, free of hyphens and numbers, and on a trusted TLD (.com first). Exact-match keyword domains (bestcheapcandles.com) no longer rank better and often read as spam, so a short brandable name wins: it earns the branded searches, links, and click-throughs that actually move rankings. Paste any domain below to score it on these factors.
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What actually moves domain SEO
TLD trust
.com earns the most direct-type traffic and instinctive trust. Google ranks gTLDs equally, but the human signals .com wins feed rankings.
No hyphens or numbers
Both are classic spam markers, get dropped when typed from memory, and tank click-through in search results.
Short and readable
Under 15 characters earns more clicks and direct visits. Long strings get truncated in the SERP and mistyped.
Brandable beats exact-match
Keyword-stuffed domains were devalued in 2012. A memorable brand earns the branded searches and links that actually rank.
Frequently asked questions
Should I put my main keyword in the domain?+
A light association is fine, but stuffed exact-match domains underperform and read as spam. A short brandable name earns more clicks and links, which matter far more post-2012.
Is .com really better than .io for SEO?+
Google ranks them equally, but .com wins the signals that feed SEO: more direct traffic, more trust, higher click-through. Those compound into rankings over time.
Do hyphens really hurt SEO?+
They hurt the human signals: lower trust, lower click-through, and they vanish when people type from memory. That indirect damage is real and measurable.
Does a high SEO score mean the .com is available?+
No. This grades the name structure. Use DomainGenius to get names that score well and are confirmed available.