Penalty for changing domain name?

Originally Posted by Joe Ward

For SEO purposes, in most cases it is advisable to maintain your current domain name.

Changing Domains: Directing Old Site to the New Site with htaccess

Can anyone who has changed domains comment on what kind of hit it caused their traffic/serps and how long it took to recover? Was it worth it?

I am considering switching to a "keyword rich" domain but want to make sure I wouldn't be giving up a mile to gain an inch. Hearing about your experience would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

If you're indexed good now, i would not change.
Simply park the new domain on your current one.

Nearly ALL popular sites domain names have NOTHING to do with what they are.

facebook = not a book of faces
twitter = who knows lol
google = a number, not a search portal
yahoo - an expression of joy, not a portal
digg - has nothing to do with shovels...

and on and on

Thanks, Brian.

Those are good examples, but unfortunately my site is just another forum in it's space. It doesn't have a head start on others like it, any budget to promote it, anything worthy of a press release to create a buzz about it, etc. It really depends solely on where it appears in search engine results, so I think it's a different animal from those you mentioned.

Nearly all sites that rank well for the particular keyword I am interested in have that keyword in the domain. Mine does not have the keyword in the domain and doesn't rank well for it, which is why I am considering the switch.