When people talk about domain names today, they often run into the same problem: all the good ones are gone. The clean, short .coms have been claimed—either by long-standing businesses or by domain brokers waiting to sell for a premium. Even mid-length names can be hard to secure.
And so, the conversation inevitably shifts. If you can’t own a perfect keyword, what’s the next best option?
The answer is often something brandable.
So What Does ‘Brandable’ Actually Mean?
A brandable domain isn’t just available—it’s memorable. It’s the kind of name that can grow into something larger than itself. It’s not necessarily descriptive, but it’s distinctive. A word or phrase that stands out, is easy to say, and sticks in the mind.
Think of names like YouTube, Netflix, Zappos, Spotify, or Google. They weren’t meaningful at the start—but they became meaningful through use, experience, and reputation.
That’s what makes a domain brandable. It isn’t tied to a generic keyword, but it creates its own identity.
Why Not Just Use Keywords?
Looking back over some of the most expensive domain sales ever made, it’s clear that keywords still hold value. Domains like insurance.com or hotels.com changed hands for millions. But these are rare—and often owned by businesses operating at vast scale.
For smaller or growing businesses, keyword domains are usually either taken or prohibitively expensive. And in many cases, they’re not distinctive enough to support long-term brand growth.
In other words: they describe, but they don’t differentiate.
How to Create a Brandable Domain
If the obvious names are gone, what’s left?
Here are a few viable routes:
• Add a modifier – Words like “get”, “use”, or “try” before the brand name. e.g. getprojectname.com
• Use word fusion – Combine two known words into something unique: Snapchat, Facebook, SoundCloud
• Invent a word – Abstract but memorable: Zappos, Google, Cisco, Klarna
• Be concise, not clever – A brandable name should be easy to pronounce, easy to spell, and easy to recall. Obscure wordplay rarely works.
The challenge is balance: something distinctive enough to be remembered, but simple enough to be usable.
What About Search?
From a technical standpoint, .com domains still carry weight with search engines. If that’s unavailable, .co.uk is a strong alternative for UK-based businesses. Beyond that, most new domain suffixes (like .studio or .london) are fine for brand activity but offer less visibility in search unless well supported.
Searchability matters—but it’s only one part of the picture. A strong, brandable name helps with direct recall, social mentions, word-of-mouth, and voice recognition.
And Then There’s the Future
As AI-driven tools, voice search, and smart assistants become more common, the way people find and interact with businesses is changing. We may be entering a period where fewer people type domains at all. Instead, they’ll ask for a brand by name.
That shift only strengthens the case for brandable domains.
If someone says your name aloud to a voice assistant—or types it into an AI-powered search tool—it needs to be clear, distinct, and memorable. That doesn’t happen by chance. It happens by design.
The Dogtooth View
A domain is only one part of the picture. The brand is what gives it meaning.
So while it’s still worth investing time into choosing the right domain, the more important investment is in building a brand that people trust and remember.
Brandable names have always had value—but in the years ahead, they’ll be essential.
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