When the user wants to choose an SEO-friendly domain for a new site—brand vs keyword domain, TLD selection, or domain best practices. Also use when the user mentions "domain choice," "pick domain," "SEO-friendly domain," "brand domain," "EMD," "PMD," "exact match domain," "partial match domain," "TLD," ".ai domain," ".com vs .io," "domain length," "domain history," or "defensive domain registration." For migration, use rebranding-strategy.
Guides initial domain choice for a single site: Brand vs Partial Match vs Exact Match domains, TLD selection (.ai, .com, .io), length, readability, history check, and defensive registration. A good domain affects SEO, brand perception, and UX. See domain-architecture when planning for multiple products; rebranding-strategy when changing domain.
When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
Reference: Alignify: Domain SEO – How to Choose SEO-Friendly Domains — detailed guide, AI brand naming, TLD recommendations, rebrand cases.
Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read Sections 2 (Positioning), 3 (Target Audience), 8 (Brand & Voice).
Identify:
| Type | Description | SEO | Brand | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branded Domain | Domain = brand; no functional keywords (Notion, Canva, Perplexity) | Long-term; Google favors brands | High | Teams; long-term brand building |
| Partial Match (PMD) | Part of domain relates to function (FlowGPT, Dify, Reportify) | Balance; signals topic | Medium | AI tools; balance SEO + brand |
| Exact Match (EMD) | Domain = search query (png2jpg.com, aiartgenerator.cc) | Fast early traffic; ceiling lower | Low | Solo devs; tool sites; site networks |
Google stance: Keywords in domain no longer directly affect ranking; domain still matters for UX and brand. EMDs work when paired with quality content; branded domains with entity recognition matter more long-term.
Recommendation:
| TLD | Use Case | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| .com | Default choice; highest trust | Most preferred; often expensive |
| .ai | AI products | ccTLD (Anguilla); auto-hyperlinks in Excel/Sheets/Feishu → natural backlinks; signals AI |
| .io | Tech, SaaS | Popular; geopolitical risk (Chagos Islands) |
| .co, .app, .pro | Alternatives | If .com taken |
| .new | Instant-create tools | For bolt.new, claude.new style; see Alignify .new guide |
AI products: Prefer .ai, .com, or .io. Avoid niche TLDs (.im, .xyz, .inc, .art, .dev)—higher risk of resolution issues (e.g., Notion .so outage).
| Rule | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Short & memorable | Easier to type, share, recall |
| Avoid hyphens | Looks unprofessional; can signal low quality |
| Check history | Use Archive.org; avoid previously penalized domains |
| Defensive registration | Register .net, .org, variants; redirect to main; do not deploy on multiple domains |
| Impersonation variants | For AI products: register brand+ai, brand+app, brand+official; see brand-protection for impersonation response |
| Accurate WHOIS; renew on time | Avoid loss or hijacking |
When brand name includes .ai (e.g., Character.ai, Leonardo.Ai), the full string auto-hyperlinks in Excel, Google Sheets, Feishu, and some IM apps. Each mention = potential backlink. Useful for AI products where the generic name alone (e.g., "Character") is a common noun.