For founders, freelancers and small businesses looking for a domain for a project, a business or their personal brand. No prior knowledge needed.
Find a domain that you, your customers and Google love.
Naming · the guide by Bernard Zitzer, SEO consultant for Placetel, Nextbike & co.
From idea to registered domain: with a system instead of gut feeling.
Guide · €59
approx. 2 hours
For founders and freelancers
Many candidates in
One domain out
yourname.comkurzmerkbarfits the brand
Why the domain search is so tough.
You have an idea, maybe even an offer. Only the name is missing, and the launch depends on it.
Everything good is taken
Every idea ends at “already registered” or with a reseller who wants many times the price.
You guess instead of deciding
Keyword in or out? .de or .com? Your own name or an invented one? Without criteria it stays gut feeling.
A wrong pick gets expensive
Rename later and you pay twice: new logo, new addresses, redirects. And you risk your rankings.
The usual ways out
- Just a name generatorDelivers ideas, but no decision.
- Keyword domainLong, interchangeable and hardly brings ranking benefits anymore.
- Hyphen, number, creative spellingNobody types it right, nobody remembers it.
- Buying a premium domainPaid dearly before the first visitor arrives.
How Naming does it
- First quantity, then selectionMany candidates instead of one flash of inspiration.
- 15 criteria instead of gut feelingA checklist makes the decision traceable.
- Web-firstThe name works as a domain, in search and in conversation.
- At the normal registration priceGood names are often still available. You just have to find them.
The method: many names first, then hard filters.
You rarely find a good name right away. You generate many and sort out the weak ones.
Phase 1 · divergence
Many candidates
Recipes, prompts and word combinations that take you beyond the obvious ideas.
- Brainstorming
- Thesaurus
- Word combinations
- AI prompts
Phase 2 · convergence
Four filters
- BrandDoes the name fit you and does it stick?
- SEODoes it help you get found?
- TechnologyShort, typeable, no pitfalls?
- LegalObvious trademark conflicts? A self-check, not legal advice.
Result
One domain
Chosen for good reasons and able to grow with your plans.
The path to your domain.
Five steps and a bonus part. As long as necessary, as short as possible.
- Sharpen the ideaPurpose, audience and vision in a few sentences.
- Person or brandWhen your own name is the best domain. With a ranking.
- Understand domainsDomain types, extensions, hosting and email: how it all fits together.
- Find namesFirst generate many candidates, then filter with 15 criteria.
- Buy and set upRegister, set up and know what comes next.
- BonusEmail address, tools, backorders, domain upgrades and social media handles.
A look inside.
Three graphics from the guide, so you know what to expect.
Step 2 · person or brand
The personal domain pyramid
1firstnamelastname.com
2Country extension of the target market
3Short form, initial, middle name
4new extension or city
Take the highest level that is available.
Step 3 · understand domains
The anatomy of an address
shopSubdomain.exampleName.deExtension/produktePath
You only buy the two yellow parts. You create the rest yourself.
Step 4 · find names
Seven name types compared
- Descriptivebooking.cominstantly clear what it is aboutinterchangeable, mostly taken
- SuggestiveZoom, Slackvery brandabledoesn’t explain itself
- Invented nameZalandoavailable and protectablebedeutet anfangs nichts
Plus four more types, with strengths and weaknesses.
Who is behind Naming.
No branding guru. An SEO consultant who judges names by whether they get found.
Your guide
Bernard Zitzer
I’m an SEO and GEO consultant from Berlin. For clients like Placetel and Nextbike I build organic visibility. With my own projects like doener.io and wahlergebnisse.io I keep facing the question myself: what should it be called? Naming is the process that came out of it.
- Independent since 2016
- Placetel: from 11,000 to 135,000 clicks a month
- Own projects: doener.io, wahlergebnisse.io
What Naming costs.
Pay once, no subscription.
What you get
One guide, five steps, one domain.
- Naming: the guideThe complete path in five steps, from idea to registered domain.Core
- Recipes and prompts for name ideasSo you generate many candidates instead of waiting for the one flash of inspiration.Core
- The 15-criteria checklistChecks brand, SEO, technology and legal and turns many candidates into one.Core
Included, at no extra cost
- Set up your own email addressname@yourdomain.com instead of Gmail. So you look professional from day one.Bonus
- Tools and marketplacesMy list of generators, thesauri and domain marketplaces. So you don’t have to search yourself.Bonus
- Backorder guideSo you’re ready if your taken dream domain becomes available.Bonus
- Domain upgradeWhen switching to a better domain pays off and what to watch out for.Bonus
- Social media handlesHow to find and secure matching names for your channels.Bonus
One-off
59 €
One-time payment. You buy the domain itself separately from the registrar.
Your time
ca. 2 Std.To work through. When you decide is up to you.
Frequently asked questions about Naming
Is this a branding workshop?
No. Naming doesn’t replace an agency that develops a brand name from scratch. It’s the fast route for everyone who thinks web-first: a name that works as a domain and gets found.
Does the domain name affect Google rankings?
Directly, less than many think: a keyword in the domain is no ranking turbo. Indirectly it can help: a memorable name is more likely to be searched for directly, clicked and linked. That is what Naming is designed for.
But ChatGPT suggests names too?
Yes, and you should use it. But generating names is only the first half. The value lies in the filter: deciding which of the many candidates really holds up.
What if my dream domain is taken?
Then you have two options: find better available alternatives with the recipes, or be ready with the backorder guide in case the domain becomes available. Both are part of Naming.
Own name or invented name?
Depends on your plans. For a personal brand your own name is often the strongest domain, for a product usually not. Naming helps you decide with a clear ranking.
How much time do I need?
Plan about two hours to work through it. When you decide on a name is up to you.
What does Naming cost?
€59 one-off. You buy the domain itself from the registrar of your choice, usually for a low double-digit amount per year for common extensions.