How to find a keyword domain: 6 steps to a valuable name that is still free
To find a keyword domain, you first list the words customers search for in your sector, turn them into short, easy-to-type candidates, then check whether they are free, what their history is and whether they clash with a trademark. The whole job takes 6 steps and usually 1 to 2 days. The only step that costs money is the registration at the end.
If the name you want is taken, hope is not lost: with generic extensions, an expired domain passes through set waiting periods first. Each step below comes with its time and tool.
How long does it take and what do you need?
It is 1 to 2 days of desk work, and you need three things: a tool that shows searched keywords, a lookup screen that shows who a domain is registered to, and the official page for searching registered trademarks. You pay only at registration.
- Keyword tool: Keyword Planner inside Google Ads.
- Registration lookup: your registrar’s search box or the ICANN Lookup screen.
- Trademark check: the Trademark Search page of TÜRKPATENT, Türkiye’s patent and trademark office.
Steps 1 and 2: Which keyword, and how long a name?
First find the 6 keywords customers type, then turn each into a candidate of no more than 15 characters. The extension is not part of those 15. A short name fits on a shop sign; a long, hyphenated one sends customers to a competitor’s door.
1. Build a six-keyword list (time: 1 hour)
Type your sector into Keyword Planner and note keywords that have a monthly search estimate. Build the list from three types: sector alone, sector plus city, service plus district. Take 2 from each type and stop at 6.
2. Shorten the candidates (time: 1 hour)
Turn each keyword into a domain. Rules: 15 characters at most, 2 words at most, no hyphens, no digits. Write Turkish letters in plain Latin form, as most readers type them.
Common mistake: Stuffing every keyword into one address. A three-word, hyphenated name looks like a bullseye, but nobody remembers it.
Step 3: Which extension fits you?
For a local business looking for customers in Türkiye, .com.tr and .com are the two strongest options. Since 2022, .com.tr can be registered without documents, and its rules sit with TRABİS. A .com works under international ICANN rules. Choose by audience and availability.
| Extension | Best for | Rule holder |
|---|---|---|
| .com.tr | A business selling in Türkiye that wants local trust | TRABİS |
| .com | A project speaking to Türkiye and abroad at once | ICANN and the registrar |
| .net and others | A fallback when the first two are taken | ICANN and the registrar |
3. Pick the extension (time: 15 minutes)
For each candidate, check .com.tr first, then .com. If both are free, taking both is the cheapest way to keep the name from a competitor. We gathered the current rules for .tr extensions in .tr domains: the latest.
Step 4: If the name is taken, when does it become free?
With generic extensions, an expired domain does not become free at once. Under the ICANN rule published for registrants, a registrar may offer a renewal period of 1 to 45 days after expiry. Once the name is deleted, a 30-day redemption period runs. During these periods the previous owner can take the name back; you cannot.
4. Check registration status (time: 10 minutes)
Type the name into ICANN Lookup or your registrar’s search box. Note the expiry date and status. If it is taken and active, cross it off; if expiry is close, put it in your calendar.
Step 5: Is the name’s history clean, and is there a trademark risk?
A name that looks free may once have been used for spam or gambling. It may also clash with a registered trademark. These two checks take 30 minutes and spare you two future headaches. Once bitten, twice shy: do not skip them.
5a. Check the history (time: 15 minutes)
Search the name on the Wayback Machine internet archive and browse its old pages. Then run a “site:” search on Google for indexed pages.
5b. Check trademarks (time: 15 minutes)
Type the keyword into TÜRKPATENT’s Trademark Search page. If a registered mark appears in the same class, do not take the name. If you work in law or healthcare, read your bar association’s or ministry’s advertising rules first.
Step 6: In whose name, and how, should you register?
The registrant field should carry your name or your company’s, and the management email should be yours. A domain registered in an agency’s or designer’s name becomes a hostage on the day you part ways. Register for at least 1 year, switch on auto-renew and put the expiry date in your calendar.
6. Complete the registration (time: 15 minutes)
Fill in the name or company title and email lines on the form with your own details. You can read how a domain renews over the years in how long will my website last.
What is the final checklist before you register?
Before you press the payment button, tick the 6 items below one by one. If even one is blank, wait a day. The list takes 10 minutes and follows the order of the steps, so a missed step shows at once.
Hypothetical example: the third candidate
Say you are opening a car parts shop in Beylikdüzü, İstanbul, and your first two candidates are taken. The sign’s name should be settled before the shutters go up. You run the list again for the third candidate and play it safe.
Six items
- The name comes from a word customers actually type.
- 15 characters at most without the extension, no hyphens or digits.
- .com.tr and .com status checked, backup candidate ready.
- No past spam or gambling use.
- No registered trademark in the same class at TÜRKPATENT.
- Registrant and email are yours, auto-renew is on.
Quick Summary
- Start with the 6 keywords your customers type.
- Candidates: 15 characters, no hyphens or digits.
- For a local business, check .com.tr first, then .com.
- Generic extensions allow up to 1-45 days of renewal after expiry and 30 days of redemption after deletion.
- Check history on the Wayback Machine and trademarks at TÜRKPATENT.
- Be the registrant; in the campaign the domain is registered in your name.
Short Glossary
Registrar: A registrar is the accredited company used to register and renew a domain in your name.
WHOIS lookup: A WHOIS lookup is the registration query used to see a domain’s status and expiry date.
Redemption period: The redemption period is the 30-day wait used to let the previous owner restore a deleted domain.
Next Step
If you want to find the right name and build a traffic-gathering site on it, apply to the Own a Digital Asset campaign and we will choose the domain together with your sector analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Source: ICANN — 5 things every registrant should know about the ERRP
Sık Sorulan Sorular
It sticks in the mind and tells readers what you do. It does not bring rankings by itself; we explain why in what makes a domain valuable.
Your customer’s: the domain comes from the word they type.
The keyword carries most of the value; the extension touches trust and memory.
Before expiry, the registrar sends the owner at least two reminders, one about a month before and one about a week before. The renewal window after expiry is 1 to 45 days. The name’s DNS service may be disrupted for up to 8 days before deletion, then the 30-day redemption period starts.
You can, but it is not guaranteed. Others want a valuable name too; keep a backup ready.
In Adapte’s Own a Digital Asset campaign, the domain is registered in your name. The START package runs sector and opportunity analysis together with domain selection, and 1 year of hosting is included. On top come a site with 6 main and 12 sub-pages and 108 pieces of content. The price is TRY 36,000 + VAT, upfront and fixed; with 20 percent VAT it is TRY 43,200, so check the current rate on the invoice.
The campaign has 12 project places and the last day is 1 November 2026. A 10 percent coupon applies; just mention the code when you apply or in the meeting. Details are on the Own a Digital Asset campaign page. We explain why a domain holds value like property in owning a digital asset.
In the Own a Digital Asset campaign, the domain is registered in your name. The asset is yours, and renting or selling it later is possible.
With generic extensions, usually not. The registrar may offer a 1 to 45 day renewal period after expiry, and a 30-day redemption period runs after deletion. During these periods the name is reserved for the previous owner.
15 characters at most without the extension, and 2 words at most, is a good limit. Avoiding hyphens and digits makes the name easier to say and remember.
Updated: October 2026