"Photography" in the domain name?

[anotherguy]

Hi everyone,
I'm thinking about creating my website. Would you add "photography" in the domain name, e.g. namesurnamephotography.com?

What are the pros and cons of this choice?
Thanks!

[bdkphoto]

Hi everyone,
I'm thinking about creating my website. Would you add "photography" in the domain name, e.g. namesurnamephotography.com?

What are the pros and cons of this choice?
Thanks!

If you're planning to show photography in some fashion I would include that in the URL. This would distinguish you from anyone who has a similar name in another business. What exactly are you trying to do with a website?

[jnantz]

the only "con" I can think of is that some people are lazy typists, or can't remember how to spell your last name, or dont' book mark things, or they "dictate" (and mispronounce) things into their phones (how most people view the internet in 2025 (phone) ) if it is a long name or difficult to "pronounce" into one's phone, it might be a challenge for some people to find. "anotherguyphotography" isn't too bad ... but something WC Fields made up like "OggelbertOgglbyPhotography" might be problematic.

[Photomagica]

I went with billpetersphotograhs.com and that has worked out well. Just billpetersphotographs on Instagram. I'm marketing photographs, not photography services, so I didn't use "photography."

[phdgent]

My domain name is 'photoeil' which is the composition of the two French words 'photographie' and 'oeil' (œil).

[gergio]

I think that this is not important. Your website will be reached mainly by another link, by a search engine, or by a QR Code.
Who decide to go on your website already knows you as photographer, so my suggestion is that to have a domain that clearly is referred to you.
For this reasons in my web domain name I have no reference to photography.

If you have some doubts about your choice you can use another alias domain with redirect.

[Alan Klein]

I'd capitalize the first letter of each name. It will make see your name more reconizzable. It makes no difference to linking to the page as CAPS are ignoired anyway.

Example: AlanKleinPhotography.com

[Corran]

Absolutely not...in my opinion.

Another opinion - websites are pretty much dead. How's your social media presence? Link from there.

[darr]

I’d have to kindly disagree with the idea that websites are “dead.”

Social media is definitely important for visibility and engagement, but you don’t control the platform or the algorithm. A website gives you a professional, stable presence that you own, where you can showcase your work exactly how you want, provide detailed information, and build something lasting, whether that’s a portfolio, a blog, or even a storefront.

Think of social media as the front porch: busy, public, and great for drawing attention. Your website is the house. It’s where serious clients (or readers) go to learn more, and where your work can live without disappearing down a feed.

For context, my website is photoscapes.com. I purchased the name over 25 years ago, and it continues to appear in top-tier Google searches today. The site gets thousands of hits weekly from the articles I write about photography, cameras, and the creative process. So yes, websites are very much alive and valuable, especially when they reflect your voice and vision.

As for whether to include “photography” in the domain name, it really depends on your long-term goals. Adding it can make your purpose immediately clear, while leaving it off gives you flexibility if your work expands beyond photography. Both are valid paths, just make sure whatever you choose is memorable and fits the direction and focus you want for your work.

[Corran]

One thing to consider is that a 25-year-old website will be indexed to a much higher rank than a brand-new site. There's also some new developments with Google's "AI Overview" causing website traffic to plummet according to recent reports, since the synopsis of what people are searching for is served up straight from Google (see the recent possible botnet slowdowns here...).

I used to think it was great to have a business website so that when people would search [city name] [service] they would find me - indeed, decades ago I had a website advertising audio/video services and I got many calls, but as time went on I saw local business advertisements move to social media. Most weeks I see several people asking about photography services on the local community Facebook chat groups, and the folks performing these services in the area fall all over themselves to recommend themselves. Most with just a FB business page.

This is my observation from having various domains/sites since around 2000 as well. I would bet there's a lot of nuances based on demographics as well. I get vastly higher traction posting on Instagram and Facebook. But again, just my opinion.