(Entry was posted by Kyle Arnold on this post in the Dumb SEO Questions community on Facebook, 03/15/2018).

.com domain name is taken for potential clients business name

.com domain name is taken for potential clients business name... I`ve never had to deal with this issue so thought I`d double check the recommendations. I have seen a lot of talk about this but always end up with mixed/conflicting answers (as with most things to do with SEO ;-) ) I`m assuming that if you are good enough at SEO it won`t matter too much, but to give it the best possible opportunity what would be recommended? Local business with a few locations on the outskirts of California. Almost all other options are available except for the .com .org .us .net .biz etc... they don`t have an existing site btw.

This question begins at 01:18:54 into the clip. Did this video clip play correctly? Watch this question on YouTube commencing at 01:18:54

Share on Twitter

Share on Facebook

YOUR ANSWERS

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

John Bosworth: Is it the domain for their name? Iâ€™d get them to check their not copying / encroaching on another business. Personally I wouldnâ€™t take the lower level extension and if pick a keyword related name or alter it enough to avoid confusion with potential customers
Kyle Arnold: it appears to be a squatter on the .com
Ronnie Lawson-Jones: Iâ€™d get .ninja, adds to credibility
Kyle Arnold: I would also prefer .com, most variations that make sense and relate closely to the domain (that I have checked - still researching) appear to be taken. I guess I`m looking at the other variants to avoid confusion as they have been in business for quite some time
Kyle Arnold: hyphenating or partial hyphenating may also be an option - not ideal though
Michael Martinez: I have used .org for over 20 years. TLD really doesn`t matter. It`s what you do with the site.
Jason Dolman: What about weare{business name}.com?
David Ogletree: There are a lot of very good reasons to insist on .com but SEO is not one of them. There is a debate on some indirect SEO benefits. Some say it makes it harder to get good links because non .com domains seem less legit to some people.
Neil Cheesman: In my own niche a website has been established for MANY years with co.uk and they don`t have the .com - it hasn`t and doesn`t affect them ranking in the SERPS at all... whether some people/customers mistake the .com for .co.uk I can`t say - but for `SEO` purposes, as long as the `brand` is created as part of the domain don`t see it as a problem. Double check copyright issues in your case...