Link Anatomy:
What's in a domain name?

Diagramming the Components of a Link

URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the complete and formal internet address – includes the entire link

http:// (Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol) is the Access Protocol or request/response procedure for accessing a web server

Sub-Domain or Host Server

• Sub-domains are the component just to the left of the dot
• Example: www.example.com, where “www” represents the World Wide Web internet host server.
• Sub-domains are common for use with email servers. 
• Example: mail.example.com
• Sub-domains are also common for major blog portals.
• Example: lawyerblogs.blogworld.org
• Wherein, users launch blog websites within the parent domain.  The problem is that the site appears as a “booth” set-up in someone else’s warehouse. 
• These “booths in blog warehouses” do not convey the high levels of status and expertise that distinguish top law firms.
• Any domain owner can produce unlimited sub-domains without any cost barrier and can manufacture keywords in the sub-domain without restriction. 
• Moreover, the “blog warehouse” websites produce too many links from a single parent or pay-level domain, thereby diluting the value of any single link.
• Accordingly, the value of inbound links from these blog warehouses is limited.

Parent Domain, Pay-Level Domain (PLD), or Second Level Domain

• “Between the dots”
• Web searchers recognize that the parent domain name portion (or pay-level domain) represents the most significant and telling information about the expected content on that domain. 
• This parent domain or pay-level domain portion is the only part of the link that is of finite and strictly limited supply – there is only one parent domain of each extension (TLD) in the world. 
• Cost barriers exist (hence, pay-level domain) and there can be only one of each.
• This digital real estate is as exclusive as any piece of physical real estate. 
• Consequently, the valuations of domain names (digital real estate) have started to reflect the value of location. 
• On the World Wide Web, location is conceptualized not in terms of physical proximity, but rather in terms of semantic proximity. 
• This semantic proximity gauges the relative likelihood that a web address (link) will produce informative content with regard to respective keyword searches.
• In essence, the value of the domain address depends on the meaning and the value of the keywords it harbors.
• Just as with physical real estate, some (keyword) neighborhoods are more central to activity and more valuable.
• This area “between the dots” is the only part of the link that is exclusive and cannot be freely manufactured (or replicated by competitors). 
• Unparalleled advantage – the only part of the link equation that is a zero sum game. 

Link Basics

• Links are addresses that bridge one web page to another. 
• Links can be ‘clicked’ to access the web page they connect to.
• Links contain written information (anchor text)
• Anchor text is influential to both humans and search engines:
• Both evaluate the descriptive language (keywords) in the link for perceived stature and relevance of the link domain
• Humans use the information in deciding whether to ‘click’ the link
• Search engines use the information to decide where to rank the web page

Domain Extension or Top Level Domain (TLD)

• The “domain extension” on the right side of the dot.
• Examples: www.DubaiLawFirms.org, www.EnergyLawBlogs.com
• Domain extensions (TLDs) can be specific to geographic area as in the country code (ccTLDs).
• Examples:  www.ImmigrationLawFirms.us for United States domains, or .hk for Hong Kong domains, or .uk for United Kingdom, etc.
• International extensions cross geographic boundaries to create a recognized resource for reaching global markets.
• Most countries (outside the USA) had previously preferred to utilize domain names with their respective country code extensions. However, as markets are becoming more globalized, firms are realizing that the international domains greatly increase their market reach and internet presence.
• Examples:  .com = “commercial”, .net = “network”, .org = “organization”, .info = “information”, .biz = “business”, or .mobi = “mobile”

Path to Folder, File

Example:  http://www.medialawblogs.com/internet_law/articles/
international_communications

• Any portion of a link that follows on the right side of the domain extension – this represents the path to the folder and file (on the noted server).

• Search engines evaluate all link text, but because keywords can be manufactured without any limitation (in this portion of the link) the ranking value contribution of keywords located in this segment of a link is accordingly reduced

Hyphens or Dashes in a domain name

• Domains that use hyphens or “dashes” to separate words demonstrate greater reading clarity with multi-word domains. 

For example, Digital Law Firms owns both:

• unitedarabemirateslaws.com

• united-arab-emirates-laws.com

Hyphenated version in (#2):  Shows a greater ability to capture attention, faster cognitive processing times, and increased click-through rates.  Consequently, Digital Law Firms has decided to develop the hyphenated versions of many of our domains to capitalize on these factors.

• Hyphens are also believed to provide clarity for search engine bots scanning links for ranking purposes (with regard to relevant keywords).

Link Diversity

Search engines evaluate diversity in your inbound links as highly favorable

Goal: diversity in domain extensions (TLDs); .org, .edu, and .gov domains appear to be valued highest by search engines

Goal: diversity in link text; the written text that appears in your inbound links should be varied

Ideally, you want to have links containing keywords for every geographic and practice area where you want to rank.

Classic True Story:

A longstanding computer programming informational website Experts Exchange had used the domain name:  expertsexchange.com.  However, after many unsolicited inquiries for surgical consultations, the computer programmers decided to adopt the hyphenated keyword domain (experts-exchange.com) to provide clarity for both humans and search engines.