When I am buying a domain name, one of the attributes I look at is the number of domain names registered with the same keyword in different extensions. This can be helpful to determine the amount of usage a particular keyword or keyphrase has. My thinking is that if a keyword or phrase is used by many different businesses and organizations:

• The value of the matching .com is higher because the demand may be higher.
• There is a greater chance the domain name would be considered generic or descriptive because of the wide usage (not a legal opinion).

This thinking may be a bit deceptive though, and I try to drill down further when I am buying a domain name, especially at auction.

This morning, I was doing some research before bidding on a domain name in auction at GoDaddy. I noticed that the two word .com domain name had been

I am almost always looking to buy good inventory. I primarily seek out great one word .com domain names, but I also regularly participate in auctions for generic terms in the .com extension that would make a good investment. People also regularly send me domain names they want me to buy. Unfortunately, the vast majority of them are not investable for me.

Just because I pass on a domain name buying opportunity doesn’t mean the domain name is worthless. There are plenty of names that are worth a few hundred or a few thousand dollars. Even domain names I can’t imagine selling to anyone can sell to the right buyer. When I pass on a domain name it generally means I can’t see the value in buying it with the hope of making money any time in the near future. My portfolio is filled with “flyers” that may or may not ever sell. I am not going to pay a premium price for these flyers though.

People try to sell a domain name to me on a daily basis. The vast majority are domain names I would