Top-Level Domain Selection, What Is a Top-Level Domain?

The top-level domain (or TLD) is the last segment of a domain name. For example, the TLD for BK Creative (www.bkcreative.bz) is “.bz.” .bz is just one of the many options available, though.

Different Types of Top-Level Domains The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) officially recognizes three types of TLDs.

gTLD: Generic Top-Level Domains

The gTLD contains the most common top-level domains, and anyone can register most of these domain extensions. See How BK Creative Can Drive Massive Amounts of Traffic to Your Website

1. .com
2. .co
3. .org
4. .net 
5. .xyz
6. .biz
7. .info

In 2011, ICAN and gTLD to companies and organizations. It helps brands register their name as a domain extension. A few real-life examples are:

1. .barclays
2. .cern
3. .google

Few businesses choose to use extended gTLDs as redirects. For instance, if you search. bing, it redirects to bing.com. Others, like .cern, strictly use their extended gTLDs. Businesses can also register generic TLDs around their industry niche. For example:

• .realestate
• .democrat
• .republican

sTLD: Sponsored Top-Level Domains

An sTLD are domains sponsored by a specific entity like a business, government, or other groups. In this category, you’ll find domain extensions for:

1. .gov
2. .edu
3. .mil
4. .int
5. .coop
6. .museum
7. .jobs
8. .post
9. .travel

ccTLD: Country Code Top-Level Domains

The last type of top-level domain is ccTLD. These domain extensions are reserved for countries, sovereign states, and territories. These codes are two letters long and represent the country or territory’s abbreviated name. As you may have noticed, BK Creative is a fan of this domain. Bk Creative Top-Level Domain Selection.

For example:

1. .bz – Belize
2. .uk – United Kingdom
3. .eu – European Union
4. .ru – Russia
5. .ca – Canada

However, ccTLDs are not only for countries. Businesses use ccTLDs to geotarget users in different markets. For example:

• hm.com – USA
• hm.co.uk – United Kingdom
• hm.co.za – South Africa

How to Perfect Top-Level Domain Selection

Picture your domain name as your brand’s search representative. Some TLDs may block your branding because of spam associations, while others could improve your search results. Below, we’ll unpack some of the most common TLDs to help you select the perfect domain name for your business.

Some Top-Level Domains Aren’t Available to Everyone

Not all domain names are available for anyone to buy. These are restricted top-level domains known as rTLDs. To obtain an rTLD, you need to meet specific criteria laid out by the TLD’s registry. For example:

1. .gov and .mil are reserved for official government and military uses and are controlled by the US government.
2. .edu is an extension only available to eligible postsecondary constitutions in the U.S., some governing boards, and nonprofits where 75 percent of their members are eligible educational groups.
3. .name is reserved for individuals.

Trademarked rTLDs aren’t available unless you can prove you are the trademark owner. For example, you can’t buy a .nescafe or .walmart domain name unless you own the company in question. rTLDs can also be geo-location domain names. You can’t buy a .nyc domain name unless you have a valid New York City address. These rules help prevent fraud and forgery and give users a sense of security when using these sites.

Domain Selection, When to Use “.com” Domain Extension

If you run a business, blog, or another professional website, a .com TLD is probably the way to go. The .com stands for commercial. It’s one of the best TLD domains to use because people view it as credible, trustworthy, and more memorable than other complicated domain extensions. In fact, .com is the most trusted TLD. Plus, people are 3.8 times more likely to simply assume a domain ends in a .com than anything else, in other words, if they try to go directly to your website, they’ll probably end with a .com by default.

However, there’s a catch. Anyone can register a .com domain extension, and because it suits a range of business types from business coaches to online stores, it’s not easy to find a .com no one is using already.

If your perfect domain name is unavailable, not all hope is lost. There are strategies you can use before settling on a complete rebrand. For instance, you could buy the domain from its current owner or use a reasonable variation on your company’s name. Trying alternative domain extensions is also an option. like .net (more on this below) or add a country code if it makes sense to do so.

Domain Selection: When to Select .org Domain Extension

The .org stands for “organization” and is commonly used by nonprofits, social causes, groups, and clubs. Examples include:

1. charitynavigator.org
2. kidneyfund.org
3. doctorswithoutborders.org

Using the .org extension can give your brand more credibility than other extension options. Anyone can register a .org—there isn’t a regulating body. However, it’s best to buy another domain extension if your site doesn’t fit into one of those three categories.

Why? Many users already associate the domain with nonprofits and groups, and it could be confusing if you’re a SaaS business with a .org. Worse, if you don’t run a nonprofit, consumers could feel like you’re trying to trick them by having a .org. If you run a nonprofit and want to use .org, keep in mind that 44 percent of people remember .com TLDs, while only 32 percent recall .org extensions.

A lower memorability score can result in sending people to the wrong site. But, you can avoid this by buying the .com version in addition to the.org. It will protect your brand because no one else can buy the .com, and you can set up a redirect to your .org site.

Domain Selection: When to Select .net Domain Extension

The .net domain extension is another option for businesses, but it’s not a great fit for everyone. The .net stands for network, and the extension is for:

• internet service providers
• network services
• online technology companies
• database providers

If your business has nothing to do with tech, it usually won’t be the best option. An excellent example of an exception to the rule is behance.net. The website is an online design community and has nothing to do with providing internet or database services. However, it works for their brand because it is a network for designers and clients to find each other.

From an SEO point of view, the .net is better than most other lesser-known extensions if you’re in the tech industry or work for another brand .net fits with. It’s been around long enough for people to remember it, and it’s considered trustworthy and authoritative.

How to Buy a .com, .org. ,or .net TLD

Ready to buy a domain name? Fortunately, it’s usually a straightforward process. Two of my favorite domain registrars are Bluehost and Namecheap. Both sites are easy and straightforward to use, though they serve different purposes. Bluehost provides hosting and other services, while Namecheap is strictly for buying domains. You can buy common TLDs such as .com, .net and .org as well as alternative domain extensions like .io, .so, .new, etc.

How Does Your Domain Selection Affect SEO?

Besides branding, choosing a TLD has an impact on your SEO. Here are the main things you need to consider when deciding on a TLD domain.

Public Perception and Spam

Unfortunately, some TLDs are associated with nefarious online behavior. If you use them, Google might assume your site isn’t safe, and you’ll never make it to the top of search results.

According to Spamhaus, these are the TLDs with the spam worst reputations:

1. .date
2. .surf
3. .cam
4. .bar
5. .icu

Besides search engine rankings, using an alternative domain extension can affect your click-through rate (CTR). For example, if your target audience is unfamiliar with the TLD, they might not view your site as safe, and you won’t get traffic. In the same study from GrowthBadger, these were the TLDs that have the lowest trustworthiness, factoring in things other than spam:

1. .blog
2. .io
3. .biz

Using an Industry-Specific TLD

Depending on your industry, using an industry-specific TLD could boost your SEO. For example, several start-ups use the TLD of .tech or .io. Other options include using .food for a food blog or .travel for a tour operator. Using an industry-specific TLD tells Google and people what your site is all about, which can help improve your rankings and CTR. Examples of sites using industry TLDs:

1. visitdurban.travel
2. voodoo.io
3. nothing.tech

Yes, we know we just said .io had a low trustworthiness rating. This is because many folks simply don’t know what it refers to, which is understandable. This TLD is a play on I/O, meaning input/output in computer science terms, so it follows that tech (particularly gaming) companies would use it.

Domain Selection: Geotargeting

Your business will eventually tie to a specific location You might get an SEO boost by using geotargeting in your TLD. It signals to Google that your site serves a particular country or city, and it could make your pages visible to people searching from those locations. You can also use TLD geotargeting if you have a business that operates in multiple countries worldwide. For example, Amazon has:

• amazon.com (USA)
• amazon.co.uk (United Kingdom)
• amazon.nl (Netherlands)
• amazon.de (Germany)
• amazon.fr (France)

Conclusion

A top-level domain is an integral part of your website’s structure. Before you buy one, take the time to look at the different TLD options and select the best one to represent your business online. If you need to change your TLD or domain name later, you can. But, you’ll need to redirect the old domain and every page to the new one, and it can take up to six months for your traffic to recover.

It’s much easier to start your website on the right foot than have to go through a site migration process, hindering your bottom line and BK Creative SEO Content Marketing efforts.