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Search Engine Journal

2 resources from Search Engine Journal we point founders to, and the questions each answers.

✍️ Essay
✓ Link checked Free Beginner

Why we picked it This piece directly debunks the old belief that putting a keyword in your domain buys you rankings, quoting Google's own people saying it does not. If you are tempted to name your startup after a search term to game Google, read this first: it walks through the history of how exact-match domains lost their edge and why brandability now beats keyword matching.

Is Domain Name a Google Ranking Factor?

From Search Engine Journal by Miranda Miller ~10 min read

  • Google's John Mueller states plainly that a keyword in your domain gives no ranking bonus.
  • Exact-match domains were deliberately down-weighted after 2012 because people abused them.
  • The domain name still matters for branding, memorability, and trust, just not as a direct ranking signal.
Open searchenginejournal.com →
Answers Does my startup name matter for SEO, or is that overrated?
📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Intermediate

Why we picked it The most durable way to get links without an audience is to build something people actually want to cite, and this article explains exactly what that looks like. Kevin Rowe breaks down the asset types that reliably earn links (original research, statistical roundups, free tools, templates, calculators) instead of hoping generic blog posts get noticed. It is honest that great content alone does not guarantee links, but it makes outreach far easier, which is the realistic promise.

A Guide To Linkable Assets For Effective Link Building

From Search Engine Journal by Kevin Rowe Medium read, about 15 minutes

  • A linkable asset is content built to be referenced: original data, a free tool, a template, or a definitive resource, not just another blog post.
  • Aim to be more thorough and more useful than whatever currently ranks, or there is no reason for anyone to link to you instead.
  • Good content does not auto-earn links, but it slashes the outreach effort needed to get them, which is the real payoff.
Open searchenginejournal.com →
Answers How do I get backlinks when nobody has heard of my startup yet?