Registering a domain name is important for high search engine placement. Yet some webmasters never do it. Instead, they rely on the shared domains or sub-domains of free web hosting services. But using Geocities, Tripod, or Homestead, is actually one of the worst mistakes you can make in search engine placement.

Many search engines actually ban free web hosts because spammers frequently use them for hosting mirror sites. Sharing domains with spammers can get your site penalized or banned altogether. Moreover, most search engines limit the number of submissions and listings for each domain. If your site shares a domain, this will make it difficult for it to even get indexed. Other sites on the same domain will have already taken all the available spots.

You should also keep in mind that some search engines display only a single URL from each domain in the search results. Even if your site is indexed, it might never show up in the actual search results. A search engine will also have a hard time determining the subject matter of your site if you are sharing a free domain with other sites on many different topics.

Now that we've established the importance of registering a domain name, how do we go about choosing the right one?

Simple. We choose a domain that is easy to remember and easy to advertise. Complicated domain names may be fine for links, but when someone has to spell it out over the phone or remember it from an advertisement, they are less likely to get it right.

Try to choose a domain that includes one or some of your main keywords in it. Directories will not look for keywords in the text of your page and search engine editors will often remove keywords from your title and description. This leaves your domain name as the single most important place to put keywords for your site -- the only place nobody can edit them away.