Can Multiple Hyphens in the Domain Name Raise a Red Flag with Search Engines?

Nov 28, 2007 • 7:44 am | comments (8) by | Filed Under SEO - Search Engine Optimization
 

A DigitalPoint Forums thread asks, can multiple hyphens in a domain name raise a red flag with a search engine?

For example, if you have a domain name that is something like www.buy-shoes-now-online-for-cheap.com, would that type of domain raise a red flag with a search engine and warrant a manual review?

In fact, we discussed specific examples of sites with this issue back April 2005 and also wrote about a mystical Hyphen Filter in May 2004, which are both dated articles.

If you want evidence that Google does index domains with multiple hyphens, click here. The first result has six, I repeat, six hyphens in the domain.

Six Dashes in Domain Name

So I would say there is no automated penalty for having many hyphens in the domain name but I would still be careful.

(1) It is not user friendly (2) It just looks weird (3) It may raise a red flag (who knows)

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums.

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