When Cute Names Kill Your SEO: The Hidden Cost of Being Too Creative
- Rochie Popack
- Oct 27
- 3 min read
Ever walked into Home Depot and said, “Hi, I’m looking for that thingamajig that holds the doohickey in place.”? You know precisely what you need, but no one else does.
That’s how too many Jewish organizations name their programs.
We call it something adorable, meaningful, or clever…
But when a new mom is up at 2 a.m. searching Mommy and Me near me, she’ll never find it.
We’re Not Contractors — We’re Community Builders
Let’s be honest, most of us have used a butter knife as a screwdriver at some point. We’re resourceful like that. We find ways to make things work, even when we don’t have the right tools.
And that creativity shows up everywhere, in how we decorate a space, name an event, or design a flyer. We don’t like rote. We want fresh, clever, meaningful.
And now, with the rise of AI, that creativity feels limitless. We can brainstorm faster, write smarter, and come up with dazzling names in seconds.
It’s fun. It’s exciting. It feels like a superpower.
But here’s where we start to pay a quiet price.
When creativity becomes the goal instead of the tool, we risk losing the one thing people need most to find us: clarity.
When creativity outruns clarity, we start speaking in ways our audience can’t follow.
It’s like when we create an event we know is brilliant: we’ve poured heart, color, and cleverness into it, but to someone scrolling online, it sounds like we’re inviting them to a thingamajig.
We know exactly what it is. We can picture the setup, the snacks, the smiles.
But the mom we’re trying to reach?
She doesn’t know that “Babyccino” means Mommy and Me.
The problem isn’t creativity — it’s clarity.
There’s a place for each. On a flyer or social post, a creative name can add warmth and personality. But on your website, clarity comes first. That’s where people are searching, often at 2 a.m., typing in the words they already know. If we lead with what they recognize, they’ll find us. Once they’re here, that’s when creativity can do what it does best: help them feel the connection.
Anchor Before You Adorn
Your program might be called Babyccino or Tiny Torahs — And that’s fine after they’ve found you.
But your anchor online, your heading, your page title, your first few words should use what they know:
“Mommy and Me.”
“Jewish Toddler Playgroup.”
“Baby Classes Near Me.”
These are the bridges that lead people to you. Once they arrive, you can show what makes your program special.
Everyone’s Fishing — What Bait Are You Using?
Everyone’s fishing. But if you want to catch the right fish, you have to use the bait they recognize.
Before you get clever, get clear.
Anchor your message in what people are already searching for, then reel them into the warmth, joy, and creativity that make your community unique.
The Takeaway
We don’t need to out-cute; we need to make it easier for the people who could be looking for us to find their way home.
Sometimes the most innovative marketing isn’t about being more original, it’s about being more findable.
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