Rick Talk About”Long Tail Domains” and other Category Domains

Morning Folks!!

Until this past few weeks I have never referred to domains
as LLL.com or NNN.com. I have never talked about “Long tale domains” though I
have been branded by the clueless that I am against them. That is just not true. As I have said I have
never commented on them until this post today. Only because I have never segregated
domains in such a manner. But since so many do, I have no problem doing so. I
just have 2 basic categories. Ones that have value and ones that have no value. (P.S. :-))


Now back to what I believe. Dan Warner coined the phrase “Long tail Domains”. I have
nothing against these domains. Matter of fact, I was likely one of the first on
the planet to buy them. It may seem funny to you today, but back in 1997
WhoreHouse.com was laughed at because it was “Too long”. I explained why they
were wrong and how it meant something and was easy to remember and that was why
it was a good domain but to no avail.

SceneOfTheCrime.com, ShopTilYouDrop.com, I would imagine
would fit the definition of “Long Tale” even tho I have never referred to them
in that way. My longest domain is 7 words. I have several hundred 3 and 4 word domains. Many registered
back in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. So not exactly anything new to me.

I am sure in the coming months and years there will be new
“Veins” that get described in as different type categ
ories and I will then be
part of another club that I never knew existed until there were enough miners
focusing on one type of domain name.



Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz


PS: For the Morons, I also own ShoveItUpYourFuckingAss.com (Only 6 words) Registered in 2001 waiting for this special day! Well worth the money and well worth the wait!




57 thoughts on “Rick Talk About”Long Tail Domains” and other Category Domains

  1. Tom

    Lol. I almost registered HowToKeepFromStranglingYourNeighborAt2AM.com once just because it made me laugh. Would have been well worth the $8 to me.

    Reply
  2. andy kelly

    lol two types of domains is right. Ones that people want to buy off you and ones they don’t.
    The biggest surprise (and nicest) in this game is a name you’ve writtin off as worthless, that no one has ever showed the remotest interest and then bam ~ three years later you’ve decided to let it drop in a month or so and out of the blue a $2 k + offer comes in for your”worthless” hand reg.
    ps I agree with your critic whorehouse com is worthless, I’ll give you $10 for it??
    PS Clueless is much better description than the pigeon thing.

    Reply
  3. andy kelly

    I’ll also offer $10 for ShoveItUpYourFuckingAss.com
    I’ll dedicate it to vets who are only interested in cash and not treating pets till they’ve had the cash upfront.
    Don’t ask !

    Reply
  4. Francois

    Hehe, not only Dan invented the term but he also put it in application his theory.
    I think FabulousDomains has the largest portfolio of long tail domains ever.
    For me that most should sell for low price because they are mainly of interest as gateways for SEO purpose and are often long names of low appeal.

    Reply
  5. Steve

    Nice play on words.
    Your new term describes the category perfectly. Sounds the same, but has a different meaning.
    Long Tale Domains.
    They have a tale to tell.

    Reply
  6. Dean

    There once was a Tall Tale Domain who liked to complain that he had an SEO advantage in the Domain Game.
    He met a LLLL and a NNNN .name and became filled with remorse and shame, that’s when he ran away with his Long Tail Tucked between his Legs.
    Thhhhatsss All Folks…!

    Reply
  7. domain report

    I though long tail domains were domains of specific phrases that people might search for. For example, you’d go from ‘shoes’ to ‘dress shoes’ to ‘black dress shoes’, where the latter would be the long tail domain. I think they are good for people who sell a niche product, or who want to cast a wide net to every potential buyer in a category.

    Reply
  8. Leonard Britt

    The long tail is good for search traffic as it is normally much harder to rank a website for a one-word search term. I have a one-word alt TLD Spanish exercise site where most of the traffic comes from dozens of phrases which include the primary word (rutinas) plus one or two other words people are searching for (i.e. rutinas de ejercicios / gimnasio / etc). I hope to eventually rank on page one for merely”rutinas” but that will take some time as I am still rather new to development and SEO.
    Note that getting an alt tld domain ranked on page one of Google for a searched term will attract
    potential buyers as I recently sold such a domain for more than fifteen times acquisition cost after the website made it to page one of Google.

    Reply
  9. IsitRickorDick

    Is KingandPrincess.com a longtail or a pigeon shit domain Rick? I bet ppc advertisers see such a high rate of conversion on that one that they are just exstatic!

    Reply
  10. todaro

    maybe you should also consider…
    “shoveitupyourfuckinass.com” ’cause some folks don’t pronounce the G.

    Reply
  11. SA

    Rick,
    I’m in total agrement with the value thing.
    A valuable domain name to me no matter the size is one that people with lots of money want really bad.
    In truth a lot of good names in your portfolio, mine, and other dominers are still there simply because end users have yet to get it.
    For those that don’t think it is still possible or ever was to sell domain names for profit consider that I am working on a mid 5 figure deal for a 21 letter domain name at this time.

    Reply
  12. Mark Fulton

    I think you are mistaken by what long tail actually means. It really has nothing to do with length or word count.
    For example…
    CriminalJusticeEducation.com would be a long tail domain.
    SceneOfTheCrime.com is a popularized phrase.

    Reply
  13. Rick Schwartz

    Hi Mark,
    Thanks for clarifying. Like I said, just 2 groups for me. As defined, still am in that club as well. ;-) Different list. lol

    Reply
  14. KD

    I have always liked long tails I just hand regged LasVegasWantsYou.Com YourFaceInSpace.Com ILoveThisStory.Com They seem to be getting longer all the time but you have to dumb it down for the common folk.

    Reply
  15. Michael Castello

    We registered TheBiggerTheyAreTheHarderTheyFall.com in1999 but my favorite is BelieveInTheFantastic.com
    Didn’t know Dan coined Long Tail Domains. He does get around.

    Reply
  16. Joe

    I own LasVegasNVHomes.net – Though it’s a long tail, Adwords Keyword Tool shows 135K exact seaches for the domain.

    Reply
  17. Mike

    Well… now that we know what a long tail domain is, anyone want to share an actual long tail domain that you may own?
    Rick, did you just get bored today while you were looking thru your portfolio labeled”junk” and think up a post so you could show off ShoveItUpYourFuckingAss.com?
    You seem angry lately, everything alright?
    – Mike Law

    Reply
  18. Biggie Dump

    Joe,
    LasVegasNVHomes.net is worth less than zero. Not only did you waste valuable time and money registering it, but now you are wasting more of your time (and others), by acting like you know what the hell you are talking about.
    MyGodYouAreARetard.com

    Reply
  19. Biggie Dump

    LasVegasNVHomes.net? Are you serious? C’mon, man.
    TimeToTakeANotherDump.com

    Reply
  20. UFO

    Any expression that is brandable and easy to remember in the minds of consumers is a good URL.
    iwantoneofthose.com is a successful domain here in the UK.
    The difference though, is it a good domain to hold as a domain investor? I think not, plenty of these expressions can be bought for a couple of hundred bucks. That doesn’t stack up for an investor. A portfolio of those will clear you out.

    Reply
  21. Biggie Dump

    How can somone who frequents RicksBlog.com register LasVegasLVHomes.net and admit it?
    I mean, you have to assume that they have read some blog posts and have an understanding of what makes a name have value.
    UnFreakingBelievable.com

    Reply
  22. Steve

    One day I told myself, man …if you’re not careful you’ll register All Kinds Of Shit.
    So, I did.
    It’s never made much money, but I’ve always liked it anyway.

    Reply
  23. Steve Fuggin Jobs

    Jesus! the fuggin pigeons have come to roost. Wtf is wrong with you people!! None of those big ass domains be worth anythin!
    You need to register shit like: bigtittysweedishgirls.com
    now that shit be worth sumthin!!
    “Get it” or forget it!!!
    Sheeeezzzzzzzz!

    Reply
  24. 3wasDomain

    I think if your going to buy a long domain, it should end with .com I have a website 3DArcade.net for my own arcade business(I tried to get the .com version offered $500, though that was fair but the owner said no) and I always mess up and type .com just out of habit. The abbreviation for Nevada I don’t like either because you are going to have to tell people your website and that Nevada is abbreviated.

    Reply
  25. Hawaiian Shirt Guy

    Was wondering when you would get tired of all the ankle-snipers, Rick.
    Here’s an idea… Start a blog at SIUYFA.com and post the stoopid letter and a humorous reply.
    Instant new Cheezeburger network!

    Reply
  26. steve cheatham

    I understand”long tail” to be a marketing term that describes the process of keeping the consumer engaged by getting him to continue through the marketing material by offering more.
    Like a shoe store offering socks, shoe strings, Maps to hiking trails, etc.
    “Long Tail Marketing” applies to domains that have more than one word and therefore narrowing down the search. IE: shoes.com or hiking shoes. How about deserthikingshoes.com
    And on a related subject, a premium name is not premium because of your perception. A premium domain has ONE work that is popular… Shoes.com, Hotels.com etc.
    I have been using these definitions for years to manage my portfolio.
    I have longtail domains in vertical markets where I have the premium domain also. I call that a network.

    Reply
  27. Jason

    Last year one of my film friends provided a link to a crazy website named:
    hotchickspickingupdogshit.com
    It’s an actual website showing hot chicks picking up dog shit. That’s some funny shit.

    Reply
  28. Jason

    I also own the following domain names:
    AppleProductComplaints.com
    BelieveInEnergy.com
    LeatherManBags.com
    StudentCareerPlan.com
    HollywoodEntertainmentEmployment.com
    shipinabottle.org
    When it comes to the long tailed domains (first time hearing about it on this blog), I’m not sure whether there are domain investors or companies looking to acquire them.

    Reply
  29. Amanda

    LMAO! I just might buy ShoveItUpYourFuckingAss.com from you. Classic. Good one.

    Reply
  30. Pigeonballs

    Here are a few helpful reminders:
    As a rule and for SEO purposes I never register domains over 10 words long.
    Sometimes I will measure them with a ruler, if a domain is over 8 inches long or if I can’t fit the entire Url in the navigation bar than I weed the domain out. I also try to restrict hyphens down to 3 or 4 per domain, ok sometimes I will go 5, but only if the name is already taken in the .org extension. I also try to keep abbreviations down to a minimum on domains over 7 words long. Other than that I try not to restrict myself too much.

    Reply
  31. Tasha Kidd

    I never understood why some people put such artificial boundaries on a domain value, instead of looking at actual value. (How long it’s been registered, how long the domain is, etc.) Interestingly, the people who hold these artificial views, tend to be the most arrogant, too. Ignorance and arrogance are a bad combination, and thoroughly unnecessary. Bottom line, if it means something, it means something, and then has value in the marketplace. My favorite long tail domain is HowToLoseBellyFat.com

    Reply
  32. Fug Ewe

    Pigeon Balls,
    You are boring and not funny. Terribly unfunny, in fact. Tasha Kidd, you are both wrong and right. Also, HowToLoseBellyFat.com may be a name worth registering, but it is absolutely not the type of name you can change your life with.
    Most people don’t understand just how bad their names are.

    Reply
  33. Cotizo

    I`m happy to report that I´m living in Sweden with a lot of big butts around (and unbelievable long legs too)
    Very hard to concentrate me on my domainingjob.
    What can I do?
    Advices?
    Lol

    Reply
  34. Fug Ewe

    Whomever bought HowToPlayTexasHoldem.org for 2k is a real idiot. That must have been a few years ago at the height of poker mania.
    It is not a good name. You got very lucky. HowToGetOutofForclosure.com is not very good. JesusHGodDamn.com some of these names are terrible.

    Reply
  35. Itssri

    I believe that long tail domains can indeed have value. Rick declares he has hundreds of 3 and 4 word long tail domains, which reinforces my belief.
    All the fun apart, we could say that 3 to 4 word phrases that are searched for and are easily recalled (for a repeat visit or spreading by word of mouth/phone) and which have less chances of misspell will actually have value.
    Here are a few long tail domains with value IMHO:
    GrandCaymanDeals.com
    GrandCaymanVacationDeals.com
    CheapDigitalPhotoFrame.com
    ArizonaFamilyResorts.com
    A few more long tails including a call-to-action prefix:
    BuyComputerNetbook.com
    BuyTouchScreenNetbook.com
    BuyTouchScreenPc.com
    BuyUsedComputerParts.com
    The HowTo and D-I-Y domains are not bad either, with or without dashes.

    Reply
  36. Fug Ewe

    Pigeon Balls come through with two more boring posts. Wow.
    Itssri,
    If you think that those 8 horrible names are worth $80 per year to have then that is definitely a problem and shows that you just don’t know what makes a name have value.
    If that is the best you can do then shame on you.

    Reply
  37. King Dick

    What, so you registered SIUYFA.com and then parked it! More high quality targeted traffic for the paying sponsors? Know I know how you can lash out at people and call em MORONs with PIGEON SHIT domain names. Takes one to know one. Why don’t you publish your entire list of names so that the world can see first hand what true pigeon shit domain names really are. What the hack, you call always lay claim to having some great porn names…must make yo momma proud!

    Reply
  38. Razorblade

    Youeitherlovehimorhatehim.comsprings to mind when reading the comments here.
    I am going with my gut feeling that until I earn a quarter of what rick earns, my ears are wide open and my mouth wide shut.

    Reply
  39. Pigeonballs

    Yaaawn..
    did someone say something or is that just the wind rustling through the trees?
    fugewelivesinacardboardboxundertheinternetsuperhighway.com
    ;)

    Reply
  40. Pigeonballs

    FUGEWELIVES-INACARDBOARDBOX-
    UNDERTHEINTERNET-SUPERHIGHWAY
    .COM
    Damn! the one without the hyphens was already registered!!

    Reply
  41. 3wasDomain

    How about registering Long Tail IP Addresses? I registered 74.50.53.227 the other day! Anybody think this has any value? :)

    Reply
  42. TR

    Rick, drop the third person”Rick talk” and especially the nasty words. It’s very childish.

    Reply
  43. SDM

    The Longtail concept is based on the notion that if made generally available at a reasonable price, even the least popular product will sell ONE UNIT per quarter. Therefore, when sales data for high volume, popular selling products is charted together with the sales data on that lone, single selling product for the same period, the resulting graph which represents ‘sales volume over time’ resembles a”long tail”.
    This is the reference I see cited, most often, for the”Longtail” concept:
    http://www.amazon.com/Long-Tail-Future-Business-Selling/dp/1401302378
    See http://www.dnfactor.com for specific Longtail domain name discussion.

    Reply
  44. 3wasDomain

    Here is the most popular longest domain name in the world!
    thelongestlistofthelongest
    stuffatthelongestdomainname
    atlonglast.com
    Alexa Traffic Rank: 67,320
    15 words! 63 letters.
    So it is possible to make a website that makes money on a real Long domain name.
    It is so long I had to break it up to fit it in the box.

    Reply
  45. Louise

    @ Joe, LasVegasNVHomes.net is a great domain name! I have a LasVegasNVHomes domain as well.
    @ Tasha Kidd, HowToLoseBellyFat.com is a great domain! Do you own it?
    It is refreshing to see people pick up on great domain names. I have one that is six words five hyphens .net. It’s not a joke.

    Reply

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