Drive Traffic to Your Blog By Picking the Right Name

Choosing a domain name and a name for your blog can be an intimidating task. How do you choose something that 1) isn’t taken, 2) expresses who you are and 3) stands to bring you the right kind of traffic? Today, I want to tell you a little bit about the process I use when I’m creating a new site. I hope you find it helpful!

Today on the radio I heard something that stuck out to me. This is all I remember from the ad: “So and so was sponsored by ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over‘”.

Now THAT’s a name, I thought. I don’t know if it’s an organization, a company or a website, but I knew exactly what to expect from them in the four seconds it took to say that name.

Four seconds. That’s sometimes all the attention we get. If our blog’s title doesn’t give the right first impression, we might not get a second chance. That’s why it’s imperative that we choose the right name (and write good headlines… but if you’re interested in improving your headlines, read this article).

When we go to name a website, it’s important to keep in mind the following questions:

1. What kind of readers am I trying to attract?
2. What will they have to search for in order to find me?
3. What promises (if any) does my title make?
4. Can I deliver on those promises?

These are the names for the websites I currently own and operate:

BrittanyBullen.com

My personal website. I chose my name as the title because I want to establish some name recognition for myself as a writer and a marketer. I also didn’t want to limit this site to any particular niche as its primary goal is to give me a place to express my thoughts about any given situation. This is my “hobby” blog. It’s all about who I am personally, so it made sense to name it after myself.

InternationalBloggersAssociation.com

Pretty straightforward, right? In this organization, I wanted it to be very clear that people could find a place to become associated with, or network with, other bloggers from all around the world.

NerdyGirlWriters.com

This was formerly called NerdyGirlWebsites back when I thought it was going to be a web development company. Due to an increasing demand for blog content, I’ve decided to turn this into a freelance blogging company so I can help my fellow bloggers turn their skills into dollars. It was clear that a new name was in order.

I considered NerdyGirlBloggers, but that name seemed too specific because we also offer other content marketing services, so “writers” seemed to be the most appropriate word for what we do.

I chose “Nerdy” because, well, we bloggers are usually pretty nerdy, and it’s a cute and endearing word in my opinion, and then “Girl” because all of the writers on my team are women (and our logo is a cute girl wearing glasses so I had some branding in mind there as well).

MommyBloggerAcademy.com

My newest website, the Mommy Blogger Academy, recently went live and I’m SUPER excited about it. As I’ve started blogging, I’ve developed a passion for helping my peers find sanity in the midst of mommyhood by blogging like the professionals do instead of looking for success in all the wrong places.

The idea behind this title was simple. The “who” is, of course, those who identify themselves as “Mommy Bloggers” (although I do find the title quite limiting… but that’s a blog post for another day) and the “what” is all about learning. My goal there is to share the very best of what I learn as a blogger with you.

Other great, simple, descriptive blog names created by friends of mine:

Blogging from Paradise by Ryan Biddulph: About how your blog can help you retire to a life of island hopping

Blogging Tips 101 by Catherine Holt: Tips for how blogs can become businesses and just plain be better

Be a Better Blogger by Kevin Duncan: I’ll bet you can guess what this one’s about… that’s why it’s so brilliant

Cents and Order by Kristina Johnson (IBA Member): About making wise financial choices and keeping life organized

The Military Wife and Mom by Lauren Tamm (IBA Member): About parenting and marriage and the military– making it all work together

See what I mean?

These titles are great because they’re simple, straightforward, and not so quirky that the message gets lost. Now, I’ll grant you, it’s not easy to come up with a great name like that and it’s not always essential to do so– but it’s also not all that hard. If you want to pick a great name, you have to first make sure you know what it is about you that makes you different.

At the core of a great title is always the answer to this question:

How will my reader BENEFIT from what they’ll learn on my blog?

If you can start there, you’ll be MILES ahead of most bloggers– not just on the path to picking a great name, but on the long and winding road that could eventually lead to your resounding success.

Over to You

How did you choose your blog’s name and how does that name relate to your goals as a blogger?  Are there any other bloggers whom you think have chosen great names? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Tell me in the comments!

About the Author: Brittany Bullen is the founder of the International Bloggers Association, as well as the Mommy Blogger Academy and NerdyGirlWriters, a freelance blogging company. Her mission is to help her fellow mommy bloggers realize their dreams of turning their blogging hobby into a real career. You can read more of Brittany’s tips and tricks on her personal website, brittanybullen.com !