domain name question

[joert]

hi all, looking for some advice.

Im looking at buying a .net domain name for a keyword string that already has a .com domain name in existence. The domain name/keyword has low competition, but has fairly high worldwide searches per month.

Now, the thing is, the site that has the .com has been around ages, has around 650 sites linking in (its been around a long time so probably bought links) has alot of affiliate links, but doesnt really have any quality content, and i have content ideas that would run to about 100 unique pages at least.

SO, to get to the point , am i wasting my time building up a site like that, when the competition for the keyword is low, but theres a long established site there? It'll be alot of work, but i think I could make the site very useful to alot of people, while at the same time promoting my affiliate links.

All thoguhts most welcome, thanks in advance.

[bboyspyder]

Buying a .net domain where a .com is already exists is going to make it harder for you.

If the .com domain has stopped posting quality content and stopped backlinking you should have no problem out ranking him. Reaching a certain spot in SERPs is only half of the job. The other half is maintaining it.

[joert]

Hi bboy.

the content that they have seems to be a feed from a few bookies, so while they are updating regularly, there's nothing really new there that would help punters.

And it's primarily US facing,where I would be going after the rest of the world.

Does that change things? Anyone else have any opinions on this?

Remember, the competition is low, and when you enter this keyword the site IS at the top of the results, but I believe (from what little I know) that it wouldn't be that hard to get up alongside them because the results around them are pretty useless.

Thanks guys.

[lots0]

It's called, "Domain Squatting" or "Cypersquatting".

If the owner of the .com pushes it, they can cause your .net all kinds of problems... up to and including legal action and having your site shut down and or removed from the search engines.

Most people will see your copying the .com name as a an effort to profit off of the Branding/good name of the .com... and will frown on it.

You also might want to check if the .com has a registered trademark or copyright on just the name... most do.

[thebookiesoffers]

go for it, only thing you wont be able to beat them on is domain age

[MichaelCorfman]

It's called, "Domain Squatting" or "Cypersquatting".

That might be true, but it also might not be true. Without knowing the name of the domain it is impossible to say whether not not that would be the case.

If the domain name is used as a brand name, and is not merely a descriptive keyword or set of keywords, then trademark considerations, which include cybersquatting, would come into play.

To give an example, we own the domain GPWA.org and the domain iGamingAffiliatePrograms.com. It would infringe our trademark rights to register the domain name GPWA.net and place gaming affiliate content on it (if we did not already have that domain already registered ourselves).

However, the domain iGamingAffiliatePrograms.com is merely descriptive, and so registering the domain name iGamingAffiliatePrograms.net would not be trademark infringement since we could never successfully trademark "iGaming Affiliate Programs" as a brand name since it is only a generic description of the information provided on the site, and so the trademark office we refuse registration of such a mark.

Michael

[thebookiesoffers]

That might be true, but it also might not be true. Without knowing the name of the domain it is impossible to say whether not not that would be the case.

If the domain name is used as a brand name, and is not merely a descriptive keyword or set of keywords, then trademark considerations, which include cybersquatting, would come into play.

To give an example, we own the domain GPWA.org and the domain iGamingAffiliatePrograms.com. It would infringe our trademark rights to register the domain name GPWA.net and place gaming affiliate content on it (if we did not already have that domain already registered ourselves).

However, the domain iGamingAffiliatePrograms.com is merely descriptive, and so registering the domain name iGamingAffiliatePrograms.net would not be trademark infringement since we could never successfully trademark "iGaming Affiliate Programs" as a brand name since it is only a generic description of the information provided on the site, and so the trademark office we refuse registration of such a mark.

Michael

spot on

[joert]

spot on

hi all,. thanks for coming back to me. I think this situation is best described in Micheal Corfman's post.

The domain name is simply four words with a .com at the end.

For example, lets say;

www.whentorunfast.com has a site that is say ten years old. They talk about a few ways of running, but mostly theyre selling stuff. associated with running.

i want to open up whentorunfast.net, because i think i can give better advice on the 30 or 40 different types of running, and the keyword competition is very low.

So going on this example lads, will I be cybersquatting or domain squatting if I bought the .net and tried to do a better site for those four words in the english language? They are after all four words, so I think Micheal's point applies, that they cant copyright a search of normal english enquiry words.

Thanks all again for the replies, sorry if im being confusing.

[the_soc]

I think fundamentally, if ICANN enabled different suffixes to exist, then there shouldn't be a problem with renting that name (as long as it's not 32redd.net - lol)...

Here, think of something closer to home: there's the site casinoaffiliateprograms and casinoaffiliateprogram (no "s") - although the content is different, the newer of the two is riding off the back of the brand awareness of the more veteran one, and no one has closed the rival down...

good luck with the content!