If you've tried to register a domain name recently, you've noticed; all the really good .com names are gone. Try it. Choose any animal, any generic medication, any sport, any mode of transportation, even emotions or silly names. You have very little chance of finding any of them free in the .com listings.

Fortunately, for businesses that do business primarily within the United Kingdom, Central Nic offers the alternative of the uk.com domain extension. You might think that this isn't an alternative for you, that no one looks at the uk.com names.

But the truth is, the uk.com name is starting to be accepted by the British public as an alternative to .com. Better yet, more people who are looking to do business primarily with British businesses are using the .uk.com name to find British businesses. This is really good news for you.

Some of the advantages of getting just the right domain name are:

Search Engine Placement

Search engine listings today frequently have millions of hits per search. The higher you are in this listing, the better your chances of drawing the right customers to your site. Most people who've done anything with search engine optimization know that careful use of your keyword and inbound links to your page affect your placement. But did you know that if you have your primary keyword in your domain name, it can improve your rankings?

Your Business Name as Your Domain Name

With the benefits of instant recognition and a bump in the search engines for anyone searching for your business specifically, using your business name as your domain name has a remarkably positive effect. Your business name should be the first .uk.com domain name you look for.

With both this and the simple keyword, though, you should act quickly; the competition is increasing as businesses and other customers realize the value of these names. If you're a professional a doctor, lawyer, writer, or anyone with aspirations to celebrity you should register your own name as well, both to preserve your rights to the domain name and to protect yourself from what someone else might put on the site with your name. Cyber squatting, or taking someone's name or business name to resell back to them at a handsome profit, is an increasing problem.

If at all possible, buy both your business name and your keyword for domain names, and talk to your host about having both URLs point to the same business website.

People Remember You

One of the best advantages to using a simple but memorable domain name for your website is that people remember you. What good does it do to advertise on the radio if no one remembers the URL listed on the site? Same for billboards, television, newspaper, and often even direct mail.

If you're fortunate enough to find your keyword open, register it as quickly as you can. If you wait, someone else is likely to register it before you get a chance.