WEST PALM BEACH, FL – At this point, the Internet has been around for a while, and there are countless number of domain names out there that have been snapped up for nearly every conceivable purpose. With that being said, an ever-growing number of legitimate brand name domains have been snapped up, giving rise to the growing popularity of alternate spellings of well known, generic, business-related keywords for domains, known as “sensational spelling.”
Sensational spelling can take two distinct forms, one quite legitimate and the other bordering on infringement. The former involves silly or unusual spelling variants of universal keywords, whereas the latter are dubious takes on established, well-known brand names, which can potentially result in something known as “typosquatting.”
Simply put, sensational spelling involves a number of techniques to generate variant keyword spellings, such as removing vowels (“Tumblr”), repeating characters (“Digg”), or replacing characters with ones that have similar pronunciations (“Playskool”).
Growing in popularity in branding and marketing in recent years, sensational spelling is not a new phenomenon, with its use actually predating the advent of the internet itself. Some older, high-profile brands that have made use of it include Krispy Kreme, Weetabix, Blu-ray, Froot Loops and Playskool, whereas the newer companies that have incorporated the naming practice in the digital age are Flickr, Reddit, Digg, Fiverr and Tumblr.
Sensational spelling (Wikipedia) has seen a spike in use on the internet recently due to the increasing shortage of the domain names available, and it can make it easier to identify available domains for purchase as well as establishing security protection of intellectual property.
However, sensational spelling can also give rise to issues involving trademark law, particularly when it involves consumer confusion about brands. But when used appropriately and responsibly, sensational spellings of domain names can help someone carve out their own niche in an increasingly crowded internet landscape, with a still large number of unregistered options out there of acceptable variant keywords, even when it comes to coveted “.com” domains.
About The Author: John Colascione is Chief Executive Officer of Internet Marketing Services Inc. He specializes in Website Monetization, is a Google AdWords Certified Professional, authored a ‘how to’ book called ”Mastering Your Website‘, and is a key player in several Internet related businesses through his search engine strategy brand Searchen Networks®
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