LearningNerd

Series index: Before the Blog: Introduction to the Series

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With so many names out there, distinguishing yourself is harder than ever before. And today, a unique name isn’t even good enough; it simply gets lost in the endless pile of other unique names. Your blog’s name needs to be compelling, entertaining, meaningful, and search-engine-friendly.

Types and Traits of Blog Names

To get the ideas flowing, I made a list of some characteristics of blog names. Think about which traits would best work for your blog — maybe the examples will offer a little inspiration.

Creative. Creative names are more interesting and memorable, but they don’t describe the blog’s topic (Everything and Nothing, Laughing Squid, and blahblahblah). This type of name works best for a personal blog or one with a wide range of topics.

Descriptive. Descriptive names are straightforward and more likely to be found through keyword searches, but they usually aren’t interesting (Official Google Blog). Niche blogs use descriptive names because they need to grab the attention of their narrow audience. If I had an obsession with dark chocolate (and I do), the “Everything Dark Chocolate” blog would stand out more than the “Sweet and Swirly Obsession” blog.

Blogger’s name. Many people name their blogs after themselves, usually for personal blogs. This works best for people with well-known or interesting names (Michelle Malkin).

Neologism. People often invent new words to name their blogs (Instapundit, Engadget, and Baseballistic). If done well, this type of name can be creative and descriptive. If you need some ideas, check out this nifty word-combining generator:  Invent-a-Word.

Common expressions. Some names copy a common expression, often with a twist (Pink Is the New Blog and Salt and Pepper). These are usually more creative than descriptive.

Rhyme, rhythm, and alliteration. These age-old techniques make names more memorable. Rhyme: Twice the Rice and Cake Baker. Rhythm: Armageddon Cocktail Hour, Words For My Enjoyment, and Embrace the Challenge. Alliteration: Just Jared and Baghdad Burning. And some names are just plain fun to say, like Boing Boing.

Five Simple Steps to Naming Your Blog

There’s no easy way to find the perfect name for your blog, but a few simple steps can help with the creative process.

Step 1: Without thinking too much, write down every idea that comes to mind. You could even get a friend to brainstorm with you.

Step 2: Once you have a few names, look them up on Google to make sure they’re unique. If you’re thinking about registering a domain name (either now or eventually), be sure to see this video tutorial on Trademark Law and Your Blog Domain Name.

Step 3: Next, research your competition. How can you distinguish your blog from those similar to yours? If you find a blog named “Bob’s Lemonade”, you should probably cross “Fred’s Lemonade” off your list.

Step 4: Consider ways to improve the names you’ve thought of. Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for lengthy or vague words — maybe you’ll discover a way to incorporate alliteration or rhyme. Here’s some research on the most common words in blog names: What Do YOU Call Your Blog?

Step 5: Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, let them simmer in the back of your mind while you do something else. Take another look at your names after a few hours (or days or weeks — whatever works for you). By then, you’ll probably have no problem making your final decision.

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Changing your blog’s name isn’t easy, so give it some thought. And please, do us all a favor: don’t use the word “blog” in your blog’s name.

Next in this series: Before the Blog Part 5: Choose Your Host