Short answer: A domain name is the address people type to reach your website, such as feedback-studios.com. You don’t buy it: you pay a registrar for the right to use it for one or more years. Choose one that’s easy to say and spell; Google says keywords in it barely affect rankings.
What a domain name is
MDN explains that domain names give every web server a human-readable address, instead of the numeric IP address computers use. Our DNS guide explains how the name is turned into that address.
A domain name is read from right to left. The ending, such as .com, is the top-level domain or TLD, and the label right before it is the name you choose. MDN calls that label the second-level domain.
Each label can have from 1 to 63 characters: letters, digits and hyphens, with no hyphen at the start or the end. Under a domain you control you can create subdomains, such as support.example.com, each with its own content.
How to choose a domain name
Google’s advice is to do what’s best for your business: people will use the name to find you, so follow general marketing practice. From a ranking point of view, keywords in the domain alone have hardly any effect beyond appearing in breadcrumbs.
The ending only matters if you target users in one country, and even then Google calls it a low-impact signal. Its example is selling Dutch cheese to people in Switzerland, where a .ch domain makes some sense. Otherwise Google Search doesn’t care which TLD you use.
Our own rule of thumb is a name that’s short, easy to say on the phone and hard to misspell. Our web hosting guide covers the server the name will point to.
One domain for several languages or countries
If you serve more than one language or country, Google lists four ways to structure your addresses.
| Structure | What Google lists in favor | What Google lists against |
|---|---|---|
| Country domain (example.de) | Clear geotargeting; server location doesn’t matter; sites easy to separate | Expensive; more infrastructure; strict ccTLD rules; one country only |
| Subdomain (de.example.com) | Easy to set up; servers in different places; sites easy to separate | Users may not tell whether “de” is a language or a country |
| Subdirectory (example.com/de/) | Easy to set up; low maintenance, same host | The URL alone may not show the targeting; one server location; harder to separate |
| URL parameter (site.com?loc=de) | Google doesn’t recommend it | Hard to segment by URL |
From Google Search Central’s guide to multi-regional and multilingual sites, read November 4, 2026.
Whichever structure you pick, tell Google which page is for which language. Our hreflang guide shows how.
How to register a domain name
- List a few names that fit your business and are easy to say.
- Keep each to letters, digits and hyphens, with no hyphen at the start or end.
- Choose the ending: a generic one like .com, or a country one if you only target that country.
- Check which names are free with a registrar.
- Register the name for one or more years, and renew it before it runs out.
- Point it at your website through its DNS records.
- If you’ll add languages, choose their structure before you launch them.
If you ever need to check who holds a domain, or what happens when one expires, our guide to who owns a domain covers it.
How our own domain is set up
We read our own domain as a visitor on November 4, 2026. It’s a .com, and its name is one label of 16 characters with a hyphen in the middle: feedback-studios.
The Spanish site lives in a subdirectory of the same domain, /es/, the option Google describes as easy to set up and low maintenance. Our home page and guides tell search engines where their English and Spanish versions are, plus a default version for everyone else.
The www version and the plain http addresses all answer with a permanent redirect to the main address, so people and search engines always end up in one place.
Before you register a domain
- The name is easy to say and spell.
- It uses only letters, digits and inner hyphens.
- The ending fits where your customers are.
- You know your registrar and your renewal date.
- Your language structure is decided.
- Every other version of the address leads to one.
RememberYou rent a domain, you don’t own it. Pick a name people can say, and keep it renewed.
Domains and the setup around them are part of the websites our web design team builds.
Quick answers about domain names
What is a domain name in simple terms?
It’s the name people type to reach your website, like example.com, instead of the numeric IP address computers use. The DNS turns the name into that address.
Can I buy a domain name forever?
No. MDN explains that you can’t buy a domain name: you pay for the right to use it for one or more years. You can renew that right, and your renewal comes before anyone else’s request.
Do keywords in a domain name help SEO?
Very little. Google says keywords in the domain alone have hardly any effect on rankings beyond appearing in breadcrumbs, and recommends choosing the name that’s best for your business.
Should I use .com or a country domain?
Use a country ending, like .ch, only if you target users in that country, and even then Google calls it a low-impact signal. Otherwise Google Search doesn’t care which ending you use.
Can a domain name have a hyphen?
Yes. Each label can use letters, digits and hyphens, from 1 to 63 characters, as long as the hyphen isn’t the first or last character. Our own domain has one in the middle.
Sources
Read on November 4, 2026. MDN: What is a Domain Name?. Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide and Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites. Our case: our own domain, read as a visitor on November 4, 2026.