How to Pick a Domain Name for a Blog

Pick a domain name for your blog that says something about you and your blog. The domain name for a blog can be anything (assuming it isn’t already being used) — a company name, a nickname, or your favorite food group.

A domain is the address, or main URL, that people type in the browser to get to your Web site. Think of a domain like an address to your house. When someone looks for you, they can find your address. A domain name allows your site to be easily remembered by your readers, look more professional, and change Web hosts or hosted blog solutions at will.

Think of a phrase or sentence that captures something about you and your blog. Write down your topic keywords onto notecards and then move them around and see if you can stumble upon something great.

What exactly does a domain do for you? Because you’re doing this blog site on your own, you’ll see a few advantages right away:

It allows your site to be easily remembered by your readers.
Having a domain of your own looks more professional; it’s a huge benefit at a small cost.
Having a domain means you can change Web hosts or hosted blog solutions with impunity, since your address is actually a separate service. If or when you move your blog, you simply point the address to the new location.

Your domain should represent your blog properly, although there are no hard and fast rules. Try to choose a domain that

Matches your blog name.
Is based on your topic keywords.
Is a play on words or slang based around your topic.
Is humorous or memorable.

If you’re having trouble coming up with an idea, consider using your name. In fact, even if you want to use another domain for your blog address, owning the domain for your own name is a good idea. You can point several domains to the same Web site or blog, too, so it might help people find you in search engines. Another option is to take advantage of the many online tools available. Domain-name-choosing Web sites help by suggesting word combinations and coming up with some randomly generated choices.

Even if you end up using a hosted blog solution and don’t need to get Web hosting, you can buy a domain and forward the address to your blog. After you register your domain, check the Help text of the registrar to find out how to forward the domain to your blog’s Web address.