What are the best domains for clubs and associations?

Carefully selecting a domain is essential to achieving better search engine rankings. Clubs and associations should follow some rules when choosing their domain name to ensure their website ranks well.

When building an online presence for clubs, cultural organisations or professional associations, it’s important to incorporate SEO best practices when selecting a domain. By implementing these, you can increase awareness for your website, attract more visitors and encourage them to stay on your website for a longer amount of time.

What makes a good club domain?

A domain is central to a website’s identity, prominently displaying what a website offers and ideally what users are looking for. Search engines like Google process search queries by matching them to domains based on how relevant the domain is to the query. Additionally, the keywords associated with the domain are checked to determine their relevance to the keyword(s) used in the query. Factors like usability and the quality and relevance of the content on the website are also used to generate the domain’s final search engine ranking.

To enhance the value of your domain, you should keep the following SEO aspects in mind:

• Domain name: Beyond the official name of the club, clubs and associations often have additional options for conveying more information about their purpose. For example, terms like theatre, hobby or club can help potential visitors anticipate what kind of website they are going to. Using these elements to create your domain name (commonly referred to as the second-level domain) can help to make your website easier to remember. When users’ expectations are met upon landing on your website, it not only boosts satisfaction but also positively influences web metrics like dwell time and click-through rate (CTR).

• Domain extension: In addition to the information given in the second-level domain, the domain extension can also be used to provide additional information to search engines.

• Keywords: Using the right keywords isn’t only important when creating content for your website. Strategically placing keywords in your domain can positively impact how search engines rank your website. Here, you should focus on using terms that are relevant to your club or association. For example .club for an environmental club or .tennis for a local tennis association.

How creative can a club be with its domain extension?

A domain extension, also known as the top-level domain (TLD), is much more than just a suffix. It can also be used to distinguish a website from other similar domains. Clubs and associations don’t have to limit themselves to just one extension though. Instead, they can use several TLDs to implement a multiple domain strategy.

A multi-domain strategy involves selecting different domain extensions and using the different extensions to for different types of content that correspond to the extension being used. The advantage of using this approach is that search engines will associate the different sites with the primary domain and evaluate them together as a whole. This is because the search engine views the content as being related and belonging together.

Instead of using extensions like .com or .org, clubs can opt to use different extensions that create additional value for potential visitors. In IONOS‘ overview of domain extensions, you can find a comprehensive list of domain extensions, including popular new top-level domains.

Associations and clubs can choose from a wide range of domain extensions to find one that reflects the nature of their activities. Here are some examples:

• clubname.theatre: This extension could be used for a theatre or improv group.

• clubname.play: This could be used for a group of paintball enthusiasts that meet up to practise.

• clubname.art: This website could be for painters who want to plan workshops and exhibitions together.

• groupname.church: This could be used for a local Bible study group, allowing members to communicate and connect with each other online.

Clubs can also use a combination of extensions, including a geographical domain extension as well as other TLDs to further highlight the diverse, high-quality content that can be found on the respective sites that belong to the club. For example, a book club could use the following domain extensions as part of a multi-domain strategy:

• For the main website, the book club could use chapterandverse.london or chapterandverse.book.

• Recorded interviews and talks with authors could be found on the chapterandverse.tube site.

• chapterandverse.club could be used as a forum for members to continue discussing books or literature as well as to make suggestions for future selections.

• Information about upcoming events and meetups could be included on a site with the name chapterandverse.events.

What other ways can a domain be used?

A domain can be more than just an address for your website. Clubs and associations can use their domain to help users navigate to different channels and content that they offer. Here are some different ways you can use your domain:

• Social media channels: Members are essential to the success of a club or association. In addition to the club’s websites, social media is also extremely important for online interactions. Since social media channels are frequently visited, it’s also a great place to showcase the club’s activities.

• Custom email addresses: Unique email addresses make a professional impression and can be of particular interest for external communications. Using your club domain, you can create custom email addresses for members.

• Special media and content formats: A domain can also be used to direct users to forums, facilitating online communication between members. This is particularly useful if the channel already exists or if there is significant interest amongst members.

• Event-specific landing pages: For special occasions, like charity events and club anniversaries, you can use your domain to create dedicated landing pages.