Is my domain name ruining my SEO… should I worry about it?

I’ve run into something strange with my website. I started building it around 8 months ago, focusing more on design than SEO because I didn’t know much about it at the time. My domain name is a meaningful and funny phrase, but it’s completely unrelated to the ceramic art pieces I sell. It also sounds a bit… sensitive.

Now, my site ranks first for a keyword based on my domain name, but that keyword has nothing to do with my products. People visit my site for that keyword, realize it’s irrelevant, and leave immediately. It’s frustrating!

I’ve been working on content strategy with niche keywords, but there hasn’t been much progress. Should I keep going with this strategy, or is there another way to fix this?

It seems like your issue isn’t unique. A lot of people have unrelated domain names, but it doesn’t have to be a big problem for SEO. Focus more on content for your target audience.

Brando said:
It seems like your issue isn’t unique. A lot of people have unrelated domain names, but it doesn’t have to be a big problem for SEO. Focus more on content for your target audience.

Yeah, domain names don’t carry as much weight as they used to in SEO. Just keep creating good content for the right audience.

What’s your domain name and what kind of products do you sell?

Will said:
What’s your domain name and what kind of products do you sell?

It’s www.hand-fetish-projects.com. I sell ceramic art pieces.

Lucypiper said:

Will said:
What’s your domain name and what kind of products do you sell?

It’s www.hand-fetish-projects.com. I sell ceramic art pieces.

The art sounds awesome, but that domain name might be giving people the wrong idea. Changing it depends on how much traffic you’re getting.

@Will1
I really hope it’s just the domain name that’s an issue and not my overall branding. If so, it might be worth sticking with.

Lucypiper said:
@Will1
I really hope it’s just the domain name that’s an issue and not my overall branding. If so, it might be worth sticking with.

It’s the dashes and the adult-themed name that might be throwing people off. But this shouldn’t hurt your rankings much overall.

@Will1
I guess people really don’t know what to expect when they’re done with the hands.

Sounds like your brand name is attracting the wrong audience because of its search intent. Try tweaking your meta titles to make them more niche-specific. For example: ‘Hand Fetish Projects | Unique Ceramic Art’. Also, writing more blogs about your products could help drive the right traffic.

@Olives
Thanks! My brand name is Hand Fetish Projects. I knew it could be risky, but I thought the name was unique and memorable. I’ve started blogging more but haven’t seen much change yet. I’ll revisit my meta titles for sure.

Brands are easier to rank for since there’s less competition. Just keep working on content for the keywords you want to target, and it should improve over time.

CommentCrafter said:
Brands are easier to rank for since there’s less competition. Just keep working on content for the keywords you want to target, and it should improve over time.

That makes sense. I wanted to build a personal brand alongside selling my work, but it’s more complicated than I expected. Thanks for the advice.

Domain names don’t matter much for SEO anymore. Remember those long keyword-stuffed domains? They’re not effective anymore. Plenty of companies have names that don’t reflect their products. Stick with your domain if it means a lot to you.

@BillSmith
There’s no way I’m changing it—I love the name! It took me three months to come up with it, and I’ve already built social media around it. It’s funny though, my competitor on Semrush is showing as P**nhub, LOL.

Honestly, your domain name might make branding easier but SEO harder. If you’re seeing slight improvements, you’re probably on the right track. Keep creating niche content, and it’ll pay off.

Brando said:
Honestly, your domain name might make branding easier but SEO harder. If you’re seeing slight improvements, you’re probably on the right track. Keep creating niche content, and it’ll pay off.

I agree, the name helps with marketing but not with SEO. It’s memorable for people but meaningless for search engines. I’ll focus more on creating niche content—thanks for the advice.

Amazon.com, GoDaddy.com, Yahoo.com, Google.com—none of these describe what they sell, but they’re still doing fine.

Bram said:
Amazon.com, GoDaddy.com, Yahoo.com, Google.com—none of these describe what they sell, but they’re still doing fine.

Good point, but I don’t think I’m on their level, haha.

Having a target keyword in your domain can help a little, but it’s not a huge deal. I wouldn’t recommend changing it just for SEO.