Naming a new business - Exact match keyword or slight variations that sound better?

[rod.philip]

Hi all,

I recently launched a psychology private practice and, in the rush of starting out, didn't give the long-term SEO implications of my business name enough thought. Now, as I aim to improve my visibility, especially on Google Business Profiles, I'm considering a name change to better align with high-value keywords. I figure it will be much easier to make this transition while the practice is still in its infancy.

One high-volume keyword that I’d like to target is "therapist Calgary." Interestingly, none of my competitors use this exact phrasing in their business names. Instead, they opt for variations like "therapy Calgary" or "Calgary therapy."

Here is what I'm wondering:

1. Keyword Exactness: How critical is it to incorporate the exact keyword "therapist Calgary" in my business name for improved local map pack rankings? Is there a notable advantage over using slight variations such as "therapists Calgary" or "therapy Calgary"?
   
   
2. Keyword Separation: Does the arrangement and order of keywords in the name impact rankings? For example, would a name that includes "therapist services Calgary" be less effective for local pack rankings compared to using the exact keyword in the name?
   
   
3. Keyword Overload: Are there downsides to including multiple high-value keywords in my business name, aside from it potentially looking less appealing? For instance, what about a name like "Wellness Psychologist, Therapist, & Counselling Service Calgary"? If I did go that route, I would register the whole thing as my DBA and make sure my signage and website reflected the name to avoid a suspension of the Google Business Profile.

Thank you for your time and expertise!

 

[Tony Wang]

One of the downsides of keyword overload is that your brand is so generic that it will easily be confused with everyone else doing the same thing. Once you become more established, that may work against you even more.

And having such a long name will be hard to fit on your sign, logo, etc. Google wants your name to be whatever you normally use and how people know you.

It's really up to you how much you want to focus on keywords vs brand, but maybe a good balance is making a distinctive name that includes "therapy" or "therapist". Maybe something like "Rod Philip Therapy".