Keywords are fine for a domain name, but NOT for the name of a real business. If your business is really just a website, then focusing on keywords are fine for your company name. But don’t confuse the recommendations to look for a domain name with keywords to mean that keywords help your company name.
Keywords help in a domain name because people are more likely to use that term in the anchor text of links. However, in today’s worldwide market it is harder than ever to stand out. And naming your business with the most generic terms for your industry is the exact opposite thing you should be looking for. That’s like labeling your cereal box “cereal flakes” or your beer “Beer”. That’s fine if you’re trying to blend in on the shelf or if you’re making props for a movie. It tells people what business you’re in, but the only one that buys from you just because you’re in that business is your mother.
Problems with Generic terms
A generic term may have a lot of searches on a search engine but if someone sees or hears your ad and goes to search for “cereal flakes” or any generic term, are you going to be the first thing they see or are they going to be bombarded by all your biggest competitors before they find you? Even if you rank in the top 10 organically (years from now) you’re still surrounded by competitors! And don’t even think about t cost of being there for a generic term on PPC. You’ll pay way more per click and have way more to pay for than if you made your name something more creative.
You also can’t stop your competitors from using your generic terms in their advertising or even their name. Any small benefit you gain is going to be diluted several times over if you’re building a real business. That’s bad news if you’re in the domain name business and trying to promote generic domain names, but it’s good news for most people that can’t get generic names any more. You don’t need that generic name to build a great business. You need something to help you stand out and highlight your uniqueness.
Being Creative has several Benefits.
The point isn’t that you shouldn’t look for your keyword or 1st choice toll free numbers, but that you really should expand your search to more creative terms. And the good news is that not only are there 50 times as many terms you can search for, but you’re several times more likely to find something for those terms. You’re even more likely to find a matching domain name too, so the benefits of creativity in the long run are huge. Put in a little more time and effort and look outside of the box you started in.