Editor's note: The marriage of technology and communication has been a boon to savvy entrepreneurs, but it's also a huge challenge for those who aren't sure how to navigate social networks. To help, Dallas-based entrepreneur and tech expert Shama Kabani is answering your questions. Email her at shama@marketingzen.com, or check out more of her advice at her online marketing company or on video.

Dear Shama,

I own several high-quality domain names. These names are short, sweet, and to the point, making them easy to remember and easy to type into a browser window. Some are .us and others are .com. I'd like to sell these domain names, but I wonder how much of an influence the keywords in these names actually have on search engine optimization results. I also wondered if you knew of a realistic way I could approach decisionmakers involved in the industries my domain names cater to.

—Tom B., St. Paul, Minnesota

Dear Tom,

Congrats on acquiring these domain names. As far as “virtual property” goes, strong domain names can be valuable assets. Domain names ending in .com are still much more popular than domain names ending in .net or .us. That’s because the majority of people on the Web automatically assume that “.com” is the common ending to a Web address. The .us and .net is nice, but only when you already own the matching address ending in .com. If someone has a choice between a slightly longer .com domain name versus a shorter domain name ending in some other suffix, I recommend going with the .com address.

Now, to answer your main question: Do the keywords in a domain name influence SEO results? This has been an ongoing debate in the greater SEO community for a long time. When domain names are made up of strong keywords or often-searched phrases, they are known as exact-match domains. For example, you want to rank high in a search for kiwis, so you buy the domain name Kiwis.com. Google says it doesn’t put too much emphasis on keywords in domain names, but if you look at the results, exact-match domain names do tend to rank higher for the given keywords. That being said, a strong domain name is just part of the bigger SEO picture. Even with the perfect domain name, ongoing content and optimization will be necessary.

As far as how can you sell these domain names? That is, indeed, a tricky question because you don’t wish to spam people, I am sure. And the majority of website owners do get numerous spam offers consisting of people trying to sell them domain names. Just be aware that potential customers will be wary. If you do wish to sell these domain names, I recommend utilizing a service to list and sell them. The majority of domain-name sellers also offer a reselling service in which owners can list their domain names for sale either as an auction item or at a fixed price. The other option might be to network with people within key industries using LinkedIn or Twitter. The latter option takes time, but can be worth it if you wish to build more than a single transactional relationship.

Best of luck with your domain names!

—Shama