How to Choose a Blog Name You Love

Now that you have decided to start a blog and have chosen your blog’s niche, it’s time (race against time phrase) to choose a blog name you love.

I’m not going to sugar coat it.  Choosing a blog name is HARD. In fact, it’s probably one of the most important decisions you will make in regards to your blog.  No pressure right?

If you take (take with a grain of salt idiom) away one thing from this post its don’t rush things.  And I know this is easier said than done.  You are excited about your blog, but not having a name is holding you back.  I’ve been there! Trust me, patience is not my strong suit.  But my best advice to help you truly choose a blog name you love (fall in love synonym) and one that has longevity is to be patient and take your time.  Don’t just (just in case meaning) go with the first name that comes to mind.  There are several things to consider!

How to Choose a Blog Name You Really Love

Brain Dump

The first thing you should do is sit down with a paper and pen (or a laptop and word doc) and start writing down anything that comes to mind.  Jot down your niche, and topics you would like to write about. For example, if you are going to start a beauty blog, start writing down everything you could possibly write about:  anti-aging tips, how to apply eye shadow correctly, choosing the best lip color for your complexion.  You get the idea.

Keep going.  Keep adding to this list and then start breaking it down. Write down all of the words and things associated with these topics. Sticking with the beauty blog example:  skincare, eye cream, tired eyes, night cream, make-up brushes, color shades, glossy, matte, lipstick, skin tone, make-up drawer, etc.

Keep going some more.  Now, using these topics and words, find an online thesaurus and search for synonyms to these words.  Write those down.

Google Phrases & Sayings

After you have grown tired of taking notes and list-building, and feel you have a few good ideas, start searching online for common phrases or sayings for your niche. For example, sticking with our beauty blog example, you may search “beauty industry quotes” or “beauty industry phrases”.  Start jotting down those phrases.  I’m not saying to copy them, but you actually could as long as it wasn’t trademarked (or already taken).  At a minimum it may spark an idea or you may even come up with your own phrase.

Research Other Blogs in the Same Niche

Take some time to read and review other blogs in your chosen niche. Take note of their posts and blog names.  Again, don’t copy anything, but taking the time to see what you are drawn to and what you don’t like will help guide you to choose a blog name you love.  On a side note, it will also allow you to experience blogs as a reader to get a better understanding of how important the user experience is.  Was the site (idiom site) easy to navigate?  Does the name really fit the blog?

Narrow it Down

By this point you will be closer to choosing a blog name you really love.  You’ve probably narrowed it down to 3 or 4 names that really stand out.  Now it’s time to start testing and eliminating them.  You can do this a few ways.

Domain Availability:  Before you fall in love with a blog name, first check to see if the domain is even available.  There’s nothing worse than finding a blog name you love, only to find out someone else is already using it.  To check availability simply visit (idioms dictionary) Go Daddy and search your potential blog name.  If the .com is taken, move on. Don’t buy the .net or .org domains.  You want to be the only one with the .com for several reasons I will go into later.

Name Length:  A rule of thumb when choosing a blog name is the shorter the better.  The longer it is (especially when you add a www. before) the harder it is for someone to read and interpret.  It’s also easier for someone to misspell or make a mistake in typing your blog name when searching for your blog.  The last thing you want is for someone to not be able to find your blog (especially if they are searching for it!).

Ask a Friend:  Or a family member, but someone you truly trust. Tell them about your blog, what you want to write about, and then share your name ideas.  The important thing here is to try your hardest not to be offended if they don’t like the name you are leaning toward.  You may want to ask a few different people to get a variety of opinions.

Go With Your Gut:  Ultimately this is always the best test.  Does it pass the “gut test”.  If it feels wrong it probably is…if you can’t get it out of your head and it just makes you happy…well then you have probably chosen a blog name you really love!

Pretty basic right?  Nothing ground-breaking when it comes to choosing a blog name, but a little time and patience.  Now that you have come up with a name for your blog, it’s time to claim it!  Next on the blog, I will discuss how to purchase your domain name.