What should I name my blog about cooking?
Can I name my blog after my name?
I want to start blogging about my daily life and share my thoughts. What should I name my blog?
These are questions new bloggers tend to ask before starting their blogs. A blog is simply a way to create content occasionally and reach a particular target audience.
A blog is a way for you to create interesting content frequently for your readers. It’s a great way to build a community around any brand. This is why big brands like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter run their blogs and create content.
When starting your new blog, one important thing to ask is what to name your blog, right?
There are many blogs today with branded names. Some popular ones are Mashable, Lifehack.org, CopyBlogger.com, and TechCrunch.
Naming your blog may sound easy, but it could feel a bit overwhelming when you want to start your blog. One of the most important aspects of setting up your blog is selecting a name that sets your brand right.
Your blog name is crucial to your blog’s branding strategy. This means if you can create a powerful blog name, you can have a long-lasting brand effect on your audience and customers.
Today, there are more than half a billion blogs on the internet. But a few get good traffic from direct, search, and social networks. The blog’s name plays an important role in this.
When I began, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to use my name or use a branded name (something that wasn’t my name). This made me take some time deciding on the blog name.
I wanted to start a blog in the technology industry. I wanted my blog to cover tech tips, tricks, and news, but I got confused about what name to use.
As a technology blogger, should I make it a personal brand or a business brand?
If I were to use a personal name or domain, I’d miss out on a ton of traffic because people in technology tend to trust brands for tech news. Think of brands like TechCrunch, Mashable, Wired, The Next Web, Google, etc.
Picking a personal name would mean my blog would sound and feel more personal than tech blogs.
If my blog was named myfullname.com, it would be hard to tell if it’s a tech blog or a personal blog where I share my life stories.
So, do I use a made-up name to suit the brand’s voice and style?
Think of names like Labnol (a tech blog by Amit Agarwal).
I thought about so many different names for my blog.
I researched if I should choose a personal or branded blog name, but no guide seemed to explain my exact situation.
I started coming up with random names like:
- Techtional (I eventually used this)
- Techzaku
- Zakutech
- Mytechblog, etc.
It was overwhelming picking a name; as a result, I picked the wrong name and did not like it after a while. In weeks, I had closed that very blog, techtional.com.
This guide will look at the steps you should take to ensure you choose a successful blog name for your brand. We’ve put together a list of action strategies to find a unique name that sends the right message to your audience.
How Important is a Good Blog Name to Your Branding and SEO?
Why is a good blog name even important?
Your blog name is your online identity and is important in establishing brand credibility. Your blog name gives people clues about what your blog is all about.
Without clicking on your blog’s URL, your visitors should be able to paint a picture of what they should expect on your blog or website.
For example:
- Problogger is a blog for blogging tips and tricks.
- ContentMarketingInstitute is a content and marketing blog.
- Nerdfitness is a fitness or wellness blog.
This draws users to the blog by giving hints about your blog. For instance, Learn to Code with Me should give you a feeling that you’ll learn about programming from a cool, experienced tech professional.
Get the idea?
Your blog’s name should be effective for creating a great blog your audience will remember. Google loves keywords, and even though having your niche keywords within your blog name or URL won’t directly impact your SEO, it can help when search engine users directly Google your brand name.
Your domain should have niche keywords, and since Google crawls URLs, this could help with search engine visibility.
Generally, having a great name for your blog gives people the perception that your blog is credible because you have a name attached to your brand and business. This makes your readers feel attached to the brand.
It makes people come back to your site more.
In the past, Google paid attention to keywords in domain names, resulting in the internet being full of keyword-stuffed domains. Today things are different, and Google no longer pays attention to keywords in your domain name.
From an SEO perspective, all domain names are equal.
Despite this, your blog name will be the first thing visitors will see in search results.
Blogging statistics show that your name does not matter. Your blog name tells people about you and your blog, so make a strong first impression.
To grow, forget about optimizing your domain name for SEO. Think about building a trustworthy brand.
Pick something your target audience will remember. It should be catchy, meaningful, and carry the right message.
How Do You Name Your Blog? 50 Blog Name Ideas & Examples Included!
You see, there’s a lot attached to naming a blog. You need to ensure it has a good ring, is memorable, and represents your brand voice and style.
Does your blog name represent your blogging voice?
Can your audience easily recall your blog name?
Does your blog name limit areas you can publish about?
If your blog’s name is Dailyblogtips.com, you should have a plan to release mostly blogging-related topics daily.
These are a few things you need to consider before selecting a blog name, and we’ve broken this into four simple steps.
- Pick a blogging niche.
- Research your niche and see what works (what voice resonates best with your audience).
- Begin brainstorming blog name ideas.
- Do a domain and brand name check.
Step #1: Select a Good Blogging Niche (and be Crystal Clear About it).
Your blog niche is important when selecting your blog name. This step is the first I recommend because it sets the tone for your content, audience, brand voice, and even blog name.
Come up with blog names that match your brand style and fit the market.
When I began, I took a long time figuring out what blog niche to go into because I understood how crucial it was. This step helped me decide on my blog name more easily.
Your niche determines how and what strategy you follow to name your blog.
If you know your niche well, it will be pretty easy to name your blog.
I also have a complete guide on finding the perfect blogging niche. Here’s the link:
INSERT LINK
To be able to run a successful blog, you must find a sweet spot for it. You can’t go around creating general blogs and expect to have raving customers swiping their cards on your website.
Picking a niche will help you target better, create better content, and save money on advertisements. You can niche your blog and focus on a specific idea or topic. This helps you come up with a great blog name.
Your niche is simply your blogging topic.
It is the topic or idea you prefer talking about. Me, I love talking about marketing. But not just any marketing: content marketing. And not just for any type of business; I specialize in helping software businesses.
Your niche will help narrow down your name ideas. You will know the types of names that work or not.
How will you select your blog niche?
Step #2: Research Your Niche and See What Works (What Voice Resonates Better With Your Audience).
You need to do a lot of research to come up with good names for your blog. You need to know the ins and outs of your industry.
If you have a perfect blog, you must know what works and what doesn’t in your niche.
When I came up with my blog name, I had ideas like Techblogng, Techtional, and so forth for my technology blog. I stayed away from using my name or using initials. Rather, I went for names that showed my readers what my blog was about before checking.
Knowing what type of name works in your industry is crucial in coming up with great blog name ideas for your new blog. For instance, freelancers tend to use their names for their blog names and domains.
This is because it’s a portfolio with a blog.
All Tech Buzz by Imran Uddin
TechLila by Rajesh Namase
Travelure by Ajay Sood
Travel Freak by Jeremy Scott Foster
You can use social networks and community platforms to learn what works for your industry. You can even ask publicly for expert suggestions on Quora.
You will get real answers and suggestions from people with experience in your field or niche.
Here’s how to ask for blog name suggestions from experts on Quora.
Ask a question like this:
You can also ask: Should I use a personal or made-up name for my new INSERT NICHE blog?
The next thing you want to do is check your competitors or similar websites in your blog niche.
Visit 10 to 15 of your competitor’s websites to see their domain names.
Let’s use the cooking niche, for example:
Loveandlemons.com
Cookie and Kate
Cookieandkate.com
Smitten Kitchen
Smittenkitchen.com
Closet Cooking
Closetcooking.com
Or, let’s look at the fashion space:
Hello Fashion
Hellofashionblog.com
What My Boyfriend Wore
Whatmyboyfriendwore.com
We Wore What
Weworewhat.com
You will notice that popular blogs in the fashion and cooking industries tend to use made-up names with industry-related keywords.
What My Boyfriend Wore
Keyword: “Wore”
Industry: Fashion
Smitten Kitchen
Keyword: “Kitchen”
Industry: Cooking
On the other hand, freelancers, consultants, or speakers, tend to use personal names.
Elnacain.com
Simonzaku.com
Paulmaplesden.com
You must research and find what works in your industry. Don’t limit yourself to what you see or read. You can come up with many ideas by NOT following what works. Just put down everything you can think of!
Here are some ideas off the top of my head:
- Chop Chop Soup
- When Vegetables Meet
- Diet Basket
- Fruits and Fluids
- Veggies Living in the Fridge
- Foodie Therapy
- Footprints in Flour
- Kitchen Closeup
- Food Frenzy
- Lifeandapril
- Skinny Chit Chat
- Forever Fitting In
- Running Mom
- Fitness in the City
- Healthful Summer
- Do a Run
- Waiting 4 Sunshine
- Get Fit Mom
- Makeup in Corso
- My Beauty Junction
For this step, I will discuss some questions for new bloggers to ask/research before moving on to the next step.
Who is Your Blog Target Audience?
Going deep into knowing your target audience is a powerful advantage in every business. The more you learn about your target customers, the better you serve them.
If you know the problems of your target audience, you will provide the perfect solutions, right?
It is crucial to consider your target audience when choosing a name for your blog. You need more than keyword research to find your target audience.
Your target customers are humans. They are on social networks, community platforms, and blogs, too. They ask real questions and find solutions on the web.
For example, Apetogentleman.com targets men that are into fashion.
Theathletic.com targets sports fans.
What is Your Writing Style or Tone Like?
Knowing your writing style or tone of the message is also powerful. The way you communicate with your target audience should be reflected in your blog name.
Are you a formal or conversational writer?
For example, blog names like Learn to Code With Me, Rob Has a Podcast, and “Scary Mommy” are great blogs with conversational writing styles. In contrast, blog names like TechCrunch, Problogger, and Engadget all give a professional feel.
Know your writing style and select a good name for your new blog.
What Happens if you Blog on Other Topics?
When we start niche blogging, we tend to widen the blog’s niche as the blog grows. For example, suppose you only created blog posts on how to build a reliable physical business. In that case, you can navigate and begin posting articles on how to build a passive income online through NFTs.
To get your blog name, you must understand that it will have a huge long-term effect on your blog. For example, my friend started a blog, and the blog name had “daily tips” in it.
After a year, he wanted to reduce the frequency of published blog posts, but it was not easy. He had given visitors the feeling that they’d get daily finance tips. So, what happens when you do not have the time anymore?
Ask yourself…
Can I still navigate to more profitable topics without being affected by my blog name?
Which will be easier?
Having to switch from posting articles on personal finance to a food blog. Or moving from email marketing to fashion.
This is nearly impossible and might negatively affect your brand impact.
Have long-term thoughts and plans about your new blog, as your blog name will play a big role in your blog’s overall success, especially in branding.
Step #3: Begin brainstorming blog name ideas.
Now that you’ve selected the perfect blog niche and researched what works and what doesn’t start putting down the ideas you come up with.
The previous steps allow you to figure out what ideas you should use. I will explain how I like to go about brainstorming.
Begin using free blog name generators to get ideas on what to begin putting down.
Don’t pay attention to these names now, as you’re just using them to kickstart ideas in your head.
A good tool you can use is the Wix Blog Name Generator:
Other blog name generators you can use are:
- Blog Name Generator by Themeisle
- Namebounce
- Wordoid
- Panabee
- Zyro Business Name Generator
- Domainwheel
- Nameboy
These will give you ideas that can spark more ideas.
At this point, I prefer to use my notepad or a pen and paper to put down my ideas (I tend to brainstorm easier this way).
Don’t focus on how good these ideas are yet. Put more focus on putting down as many ideas as possible.
In the following steps, I’ll show you how to validate your blog name ideas using easy tools and strategies.
Consider reading books, novels, or even checking the dictionary or thesaurus.
Did you know that reading helps us exercise our imagination? We do this by letting words paint a particular picture in our minds.
You could go over books in your industry by thought leaders and experts. I highly recommend using books, as you come across expert words, phrases, and keywords that could send powerful messages.
Consider picking up your dictionary to do some reading.
The thesaurus is a great place to go when you want to figure out name ideas for your blog.
Regardless of niche, you must spend time brainstorming ideas for your blog.
You can do this by looking up words in the thesaurus. You can look up synonyms, antonyms, etc.
The idea is to get ideas.
Below are some random ideas I just came up with for two niches.
Food Niche:
- Herbfoodkitchen
- Foodkitchenother
- Giantfoodkitchen
- Afoodkitchen
- Webfoodkitchen
- Thisfoodkitchen
- Foodkitchenhome
- sefoodkitchenV
- Withfoodkitchen
- Servicesfoodkitchen
- Foodkitchenabout
- Forfoodkitchen
- Ifoodkitchen
- Foodkitchenbiz
Health Niche:
- Forhealthfitness
- Healthfitnessonline
- Healthfitnessservice
- Myhealthfitness
- Byhealthfitness
- Webhealthfitness
- Healthfitnessforest
- Thehealthfitness
- Healthfitnessdvd
- Ihealthfitness
Here are a few things you should consider when brainstorming blog name ideas. This is a checklist to help guide you in selecting the perfect name for your new blog(s):
- Subject Topic: What are you writing about? What’s your focus, or in what way do you plan on helping people?
- Your Target Audience: Who will read your blog posts?
- Motivation: What motivated you to start your blog? How are you hoping to help your target audience?
- Writing Style: Are you a conversational or a serious/formal blog writer? Find your message and understand how you want to pass it on.
- Long-term Blog Goals: What posts or categories will you possibly add to your blog in the future?
Step 4 – Do Domain and Keyword Research
Now that you have a long list of blog name ideas you could use, you should begin checking to validate which is available to use.
Remember, not all names you come up with are available. I came up with Techblogger and Buildablog, but they are unavailable.
That is why this step is crucial.
If you already have a few ideas for your blog or know what you’d like to name your blog, you can check whether or not your blog name is available using any domain name checker online. Or you can simply do a quick Google search to see if anyone or any brand is already using your dream name.
If there’s a name you know you want to use and it’s available, try to purchase the domain name quickly. It may not be around for much longer, as domain names are bought daily.
You can also search social media networks to see if your brand name is available.
It’s always worth checking if your blog name is available on all the major social media networks. Social media marketing is huge, and blogs generate good traffic from social networks.
This is done through consistent content and branding. Your blog’s brand can be reflected on your social media pages. This can turn to clicks, retweets, reshares, comments, and engagements.
It makes sense to have one brand name that you can use on all major social media platforms so that it’s easy for your target audience to find you on social networks.
There are lots of spam pages and fraud accounts that tend to mimic popular blog names these days. This is why you should have a unique name you use on all major social media networks you join.
Other Tips to Name Your Blog
Getting the perfect blog name for your brand can be challenging if you have no guidance on how to go about it.
I’ve laid down some of the necessary steps to come up with great blog names. Generating blog name ideas is crucial, but it’s a process that involves many factors. So, here are some more tips to guide you while naming your blog.
- Start with a keyword focus. Yes, I know we’ve mentioned this, but it’s a good idea not to include a niche keyword in your blog name. People will find your blog more easily.
- Think of a name that’s easy to pronounce and remember. When thinking about blog names, you should remember that people visit many websites daily and can easily forget yours.
- Try to avoid using hyphens when possible. Hyphens make it difficult for users to type in URLs.
- Avoid using names that are copyrighted. Right now, some names could be available but may be copyrighted, for example, Fasebuuuook.com. Avoid names related to other brands except in instances like affiliate blogs.
- Use your name. Are you a freelancer, entrepreneur, or consultant? Consider using your name. For me, my name worked more and resonated with my audience.
- Use abbreviations or acronyms. BMW (Bavarian Motor Works) and AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph Company) are great abbreviated names.
- Use another language. Think about it: if you have blog name ideas, why not translate them into a different language and use them as your blog name? Example: Chez Vous, Su Casa.
- Make a common saying of your own, for example, TheresMoneyinTheList.
What Makes a Good Blog Name?
There are several factors to consider when picking a name for your blog. But the question remains:
Is there a way to qualify a good blog name?
There are no formal ways to weigh how good your blog name is. But we can list a few things to look at.
Selecting the wrong name for your blog can cost you money, energy, and wasted efforts down the road.
Now, what makes a blog name effective?
- It should be easy to pronounce and remember.
- A good blog name represents one or more benefits your blog offers. For example, Dailyblogtips.com tells people they publish daily blogging tips. You can achieve this by using niche keywords within your blog name.
- Make sure your blog name is not associated with negative, adult, or stigmatized words, phrases, or concepts.
- It should target a specific audience. As a brand, you could target children, adults, women, married men, single moms, stay-at-home moms, etc.
- A good blog name is short, memorable, and easy to type or pronounces, for example, Apple.
- Your blog name should match the aesthetic and brand style of your blog. Your blog name should sound like what you publish. A name like Learn to Code with Me shouldn’t have a formal-looking theme with professional articles and guest posts from random bloggers. Rather, it should be a personal brand and make visitors feel at home.
- It should be distinctive or unique from other blog names in your niche market.
50 Creative Blog Name Ideas and Examples for Inspiration
If you want to come up with the perfect blog name, you should look up other ideas and examples.
These are great blog names by bloggers in various blog niches. Some are personal finance, marketing, food, social media marketing, fashion, beauty, and a few more.
Here are 50 genius blog name examples to get inspiration from:
- A Concord Carpenter Blog
- Smart Passive Income
- Making Sense of Cents
- Tech Sherpa
- Poetry Breakfast
- Learn to Code With Me
- Nerd Fitness
- Solo Traveler
- Copyhackers
- ProBlogger
- Seth’s Blog
- The Music Ninja
- Techzette
- The Organized Yogi
- The Art of Manliness
- Hike with Ryan
- Backlinko
- The Practicing Poet
- Tech Toolbox
- Algamus Gambling Recovery Blog
- Seth’s Blog
- The Poetry Project
- Creative Mommy
- Living With Style
- Writers in the Storm
- Blogging Wizard
- iPhone Photography School
- Outdoor Photography Blog
- M.M. LaFleur Blog
- Beardbrand
- Tech Lovers
- The Lazy Girl
- HubSpot Marketing Blog
- Beardoholic
- Balding Beards
- WPbeginner
- The Blonde Abroad
- Dan Flying Solo
- The Write Life
- Gimme Some Oven
- Pinch of Yum
- Bucket List Journey
- Oh My Veggies
- Daily Writing Tips Blog
- Techno Babble
- Next Wave of Technology
- Tech Savvy
- Techno Bloggers
- Trinity College London Blog
- StayWell Insights Blog
