Study: Ads featuring generic domain names attract more clicks

Using a generic domain name in PPC ads attracts more clicks than when a non-generic domain name is used, according to a recent study by U.K.-based domain retailer Memorable Domains.

by Helen Leggatt

A generic domain name describes a product or service using the words an Internet user would typically associate with the topic. The benefits of generic domain names are that they attract more search engine clicks (both organic and paid) for product and service searches. Why? Because, according to Memorable Domains:

- The close association between search terms and domain name encourages searchers to click.

- The presence of search terms in the domain name leads to higher organic rankings or a better ad quality score in pay-per-click ad ranking algorithms.

- Search engines commonly automatically bold any word in the domain name that matches the search term, drawing eyeballs to the listing.

To test the theory, Memorable Domains ran some trials using three ads identical in every way except each containing a different domain name:

- Electricbicycles.co.uk (generic with a product match)
- YourBikes.co.uk (alternative generic name)
- InAHurry.co.uk (non-generic name)

The test results (.pdf) supported the theory that generic domain names perform best. In this case, Electricbicycles.co.uk was the best performer with a CTR 42% better than the non-generic version and 15% better than the alternative generic domain.